St Patrick's Day Corned Beef Dinner

Happy St Patrick's Day to all who is celebrating.  We celebrated with our friends who is of irish decent with a corned beef, potatoes and cabbage dinner.  How else?  this is how this chinese lady celebrate any festival or events, no fuss no muss, just eat.  This chinese lady nearly did not get dinner ready in time,  i had misread the cooking instructions on the bag of corned beef,  i saw 1 hour and did not read the rest, so, i thought i just cook the slab of corned beef one and a half hour before dinner.  But, before i started cooking, i re-read and oh my, it is 1 hour for every pound of corned beef and i have 3 pounds!!!!...............

Continue to read about my predicament and for recipe HERE

Read More......

Beef Stroganoff

Renee, my grand-daughter, loves pasta in any shapes or form and she loves eating beef like in slices or in a piece of steak, but she will not eat a beef burger.  I thought that she does not like ground beef but she will eat ground beef in the Bolognese Sauce.  So, it must be the burger that is not appealing to her cos she will not have a chicken burger too. 

I know that she will enjoy this dish, Beef Stroganoff and it did.

Continue to read and for recipe, click HERE

Read More......

Braised Beef Shank

I love this beef stew with daikon/radish. It is a Cantonese favorite and it's usually eaten with egg noodle soup and tasted just as delicious with white rice. I like mine with lots of beef tendon, so i cooked this dish with beef shank instead of the usual beef brisket. Adding Daikon /radish to this stew is a must as beef and daikon/radish together is a marriage made in heaven........

To continue reading and for recipe click HERE Read More......

Fried Tofu Squares With Beef

What do you really miss/crave when away from your homeland? Do you crave some basic things, that seem small, but their absence is heavily missed. I do and what i missed most is - going to the wet markets and getting all the ingredients to cook. This simple ingredient is tasteless, but delicately flavored--soft soy bricks known as tofu. Here there are two main kinds of tofu, silken or soft tofu, and firm or regular tofu and they are boxed. What i missed most is the kind which is called - SANG FAH in cantonese. They are usually square and has a thin skin layer of the pattern of the muslin cloth used to cover it. In fact, in IPOH, MALAYSIA a city which is popular for the best tofu, even displays the tofu still with the muslin cloth and when you wish to purchase it, then only will the cloth be removed. I don't know if this practice is still there and i hope it is cos they are the best tofu, so smooth and delicate. One bite and you will be in TOFU HEAVEN. IPOH -lites, please tell me that these tofu are still selling in the wet markets.




The recipe for Fried Tofu Squares with Beef is HERE Read More......

Beef Stew

 A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables (such as carrots, potatoes, beans, peppers and tomatoes etc.), meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef. Poultry, sausages, and seafood are also used. While water can be used as the stew-cooking liquid, wine, stock, and beer are also common. Seasoning and flavourings may also be added. Stews are typically cooked at a relatively low temperature (simmered, not boiled), allowing flavors to mingle.Stewing is suitable for the least tender cuts of meat that become tender and juicy with the slow moist heat method. This makes it popular in low-cost cooking. Cuts having a certain amount of marbling and gelatinous connective tissue give moist, juicy stews, while lean meat may easily become dry.

Stews may be thickened by reduction or with flour, either by coating pieces of meat with flour before searing, or by using a roux or beurre manié, a dough consisting of equal parts of butter and flour. Thickeners like cornstarch or arrowroot may also be used.

Stews are similar to soups, and in some cases there may not be a clear distinction between the two. Generally, stews have less liquid than soups, are much thicker and require longer cooking over low heat. While soups are almost always served in a bowl, stews may be thick enough to be served on a plate with the gravy as a sauce over the solid ingredients."   This definition of STEW is from Wikipedia

Read about the History of STEW  fromWikipedia
and i find this list of STEWS from all over the world very interesting, perhaps planning to cook from this list if the ingredients are available and the method of cooking is possible.

List of STEWS

Baeckeoffe, a potato stew from Alsace


Barbacoa, a meat stew from Mexico

Bigos, a traditional stew in Polish cuisine

Birria, a goat stew from Mexico

Bo Kho, (Vietnamese: bò kho), a beef stew in rich seasonings, served with bread, noodle or plain rice from Vietnam

Bouillabaisse, a fish stew from Provence

Bourguignon, a French dish of beef stewed in red burgundy wine

Booyah, an American meat stew

Brunswick stew, from Virginia and the Carolinas

Burgoo, a Kentuckian stew

Caldeirada, a fish stew from Portugal

Carnitas, a pork meat stew from Michoacán, Mexico

Cassoulet, a French bean stew

Cawl, a Welsh stew, usually with lamb and leeks

Charquican, a Chilean dish

Chankonabe, a Japanese dish flavoured with soy sauce or miso. Chankonabe is traditionally eaten by sumo wrestlers.

Chicken stew, whole chicken and seasonings

Chicken paprikash, chicken stew with paprika

Chili con carne, Mexican meat and bean stew

Chili sin carne, a meatless American adaptation of the Mexican dish

Chilorio, a pork stew from Sinaloa, Mexico

Cincinnati chili, chili developed by Greek immigrants in the Cincinnati area

Cholent, a slow-cooked Jewish dish eaten on the Shabbat

Cochinita pibil, an orange color pork stew from Yucatán, Mexico

Cotriade, a fish stew from Brittany

Cocido, a traditional Spanish stew. In Portugal, it is called cozido

Cream stew, a yoshoku Japanese white stew

Daube, a French stew made with cubed beef braised in wine, vegetables, garlic, and herbs.

Dinuguan, pork blood stew from the Philippines.

Fabada Asturiana, a Spanish bean and meat stew

Feijoada, Brazilian or Portuguese bean stew.

Főzelék, a thick Hungarian vegetable dish.

Gaisburger Marsch, a German dish of stewed beef served with Spätzle and potatoes

Gheimeh, an Iranian stew with cubed lamb and yellow split peas

Ghormeh Sabzi, an Iranian stew with green herbs, dried limes, beans and meat.

Goulash, a Hungarian meat stew with paprika

Gumbo, a Louisiana creole dish

Hasenpfeffer, a sour, marinated rabbit stew from Germany

Haleem, an Pakistani lentil/mutton stew.

Hayashi rice, a Japanese dish of beef, onions and mushrooms in red wine and demi-glace sauce, served with rice

Irish stew, made with lamb or mutton, potato, onion and parsley

Ishtu, a curry in Kerala, India made from chicken or mutton, potato, and coconut milk.[2]

Istrian Stew or yota, or jota, a dish popular in Croatian and Slovenian Istra and NE Italy

Jjigae, a diverse range of Korean stews.

Kare-kare, stewed beef or oxtail and vegetables in peanut sauce from the Philippines.

Karelian hot pot, from the region of Karelia in eastern Finland.

Khash, a stew from Armenia and Georgia.

Khoresht, a variety of Persian stews, often prepared with saffron.

Kokkinisto, a Greek stew with red meat, in a tomato passata with shallots, cinnamon and other spices.

Lancashire Hotpot, an English stew

Locro, a South American stew (mainly in the Andes region)

Mechado, a Philippine-style beef stew

Nihari, a Pakistani beef stew made overnight and served for breakfast.

Nikujaga, a Japanese beef and potato stew

Olla podrida, a Spanish red bean stew

Pasticada, a Croatian stew from the region of Dalmatia

Peperonata, an Italian stew made with peppers

Pescado Blanco, a white fish stew from Patzcuaro Michoacán Mexico

Pörkölt, a Hungarian meat stew resembling goulash, flavoured with paprika

Potjiekos, a South African stew

Pot au feu, a simple French stew

Puchero, a South American and Spanish stew

Ragout, a highly seasoned French stew

Ratatouille, a French vegetable stew

Sancocho, a stew from the Caribbean

The Stew, a stew from the La Tour du Pin

Semur, a typical Javanese stew with beef or chicken, potatoes, carrots, various spices and kecap manis (sweet soy sauce).from Indonesia.

Stoofvlees, a Belgian beef stew with beer, mustard and laurel

Tagine, a Moroccan stew, named after the conical pot in which it is traditionally cooked and/or served in.

Tharid, a traditional Arab stew of bread in broth

Waterzooi, a Belgian stew

Continue for recipe HERE
Read More......

Steamed Pork Ribs

I have all sorts of sauces in my fridge, some are store-bought like oyster sauce and hoisin sauce as they are not worth making them at home. I did attempt making oyster sauce from fresh oysters and they turned out to be too stinky/fishy. But i like to homemake other sauces like sambal , xo sauce and black bean sauce. These sauces come in very handy and any dish can be prepared with them in a very short period of time. I ran out of black bean sauce yesterday and had to make it from scratch but i will make a batch soon and take some pictures to share.

Steamed Pork Ribs is a favorite to many who go for 'yum cha' - Dim Sum but, i do not like to order this dish cos most of the time, the ribs are too boney and fatty but homemade is so much better cos you can choose the best, meaty soft bones available - bones with cartilage is preferred to ribs with hard bones. For additional or variations - Goji berries(kei ji), Chinese black olives(lam gok), chillies , salty plums or tomatoes can be used.


Ingredients:

1/2 lb soft bone pork ribs - cut into bite-size

1 tbsp black bean - wash and lightly smashed

2 cloves garlic - minced

1 tbsp minced ginger

A pinch of cornstarch/tapioca starch

Seasoning:

1 tbsp light soya sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp white pepper

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

1 tbsp sesame oil

Method:

Marinate pork ribs with salted black beans, garlic, ginger and seasonings. Leave for at least 10 minutes.

Add in cornstarch/tapioca starch to bind lightly.(A pinch will do cos pork ribs should be fairly moist with sauce after steaming and too much cornstarch/tapioca tends to dry up the dish)

Leave this aside while you cook rice in the rice cooker. Watch out for the rice to loose the big bubbles and just before it finishes cooking and turn to 'warm' function, put in the prepared pork ribs to steam. Alternatively steam prepared pork ribs over rapidly boiling water for 7 - 8 minutes.

Sprinkle with sesame oil before serving hot.

Read More......

Cornish Pasties

Making the shortcrust pastry for these pasties bring back fond memories. This is the first pastry that i learned to make when i was in school and i have always treasured the moments of these cookery classes, where we learned the technics of making goodies to eat and the beginning of a long culinary journey for me. My girlfriend, Nancy, who is visiting me at the moment, has been through thick and thin with me in the Convent, inspired me to make these as a remembrance of our friendship which started in 1952, the first day we attended Stantard One in The Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus, Seremban. We were classmates until we left school in 1962. Nancy is only one of the classmates who are all very dear to me. Christina, Alice, Florie, Lee Lan, Sang Meng, Nyong Nga,Cheng Mei, Maqgie, Joan and many more, if you all happen to read this, i missed you all.

My filling for these pasties is the leftover from the Corned Beef, Onion and Potatoes.

Ingredients:

4 cups flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups lard, chilled (3/4 lb) cut into ¼ inch cubes

8-10 tablespoons ice water

1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

FILLING:

Corned Beef, Onions and Potatoes

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

To make pastry

Using the food processor, pulse together flour and salt, then add in the fat to make a coarse meal. Add 8 tablesppons ice water all at once. If dough crumbles, add more water. Refrigerate to rest one hour before rolling out.

Roll dough to a circle ¼ inch thick and cut into 6 inch rounds. Re-roll and scraps and cut into additional circles.

Put ¼ cup of the mixture into the center of a rolled out pastry.

Moisten pasty edges, fold in half, and crimp to seal. Place on a lined baking sheet and brush lightly with egg wash.

Make 2 slits in each pasty to allow steam to escape.

Bake at 400 degrees F 15 minutes, reduce heat and continue at 350 degrees F until golden.

Serve hot or cold.

Serves

Read More......

Corned Beef, Onion and Potatoes

I don't know if any of you remember Maggie and Jiggs from the comic strip Bringing up Father, if you don't, go have a look atWiki. I can understand Jiggs's love for Corned Beef and Cabbage cos my family too love Corned beef from the can. It is a must in our pantry as it is so versatile to cook with.

Ingredients:

1 can Corned beef

1 small onion - sliced

2 potatoes - peeled and diced

1/4 tsp pepper

oil for frying the potatoes

chopped spring onions for garnishing


Method:

Heat oil and fry the diced potatoes until light brown.

Remove and set aside.

Remove all the oil and heat wok/skillet again.

When heated, add in 1 tbsp oil and sweat the sliced onions.

Add in the corned beef and saute until fragrant.

Add in the fried potatoes and saute to combine.

Add pepper, dish out and garnish with spring onions before serving.


Serves

Read More......

Bun Bo Hue

Unlike in Malaysia, my friends are either Chinese, Malay or Indian descent but here, i have made friends from all over the world and that is how my culinary ventures expanded. Not only do we become good buddies, we share our cuisine too. This is the first time that i cook Bun Bo Hue and it was delicious and not difficult to prepare. I do not claim authenticity but this recipe is a keeper for me, sorry no pig's blood and all unusual salads to garnish like banana flower blossom or perilla. The pig's hocks and the Gio were so delicious that there were none left for photo session.

Ingredients:

Water - enough to cover the bones, hocks and shank

4 lbs beef bones, cleaned
4 lbs pork bones, cleaned
2 - 3 lbs pork hock and trotters, cleaned

2 lbs beef shank
4 stalks Lemon grass, bruised

1 whole peeled onion

1 small piece of ginger
2 tablespoon Bun Bo Hue paste
1 tablespoon Fish sauce
2 teaspoons Salt
5 - 6 pieces rock sugar
2 tablespoons Annatto seeds
Oil for frying annatoo seeds

2 pkts Rice vermicelli size xl

1 lb beef balls - recipe is Here

1 vietnamese meat paste - Gio - recipe is Here- cut into slices

Garnishing:
Bean sprouts

Thai Basil

Red cabbage - sliced thinly
Limes, cut into wedges
4 Red chilies, 2 finely sliced and 2 pounded
2 tablespoons Fish sauce

Method:

Pre-boil the bones, hock, trotters, Beef shanks until the impurity floats on top of the water. Usually 5 to 10 minutes.

Drain and rinse the bones, hock and trotters and beef shanks.

Put back contents into stockpot with enough water to cover and add in the whole peeled onion, ginger and lemon grass. Bring to the boil and reduce to simmer.

Simmer until shank and hocks are tender. Remove shank and hocks and soak in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes until cool.

Slice beef shank.

Add in rock sugar to the stock and continue to simmer until flavorful.

When stock is done, strain stock through a fine sieve and add in fish sauce, salt, bun bo hue paste.

Add beef balls to the hot stock.

Heat oil and when oil is WARM, add add annatto seed. Steep seeds in warm oil until the oil turns red. Strain oil into stock. (I was advised by the cashier at the asian store that annatto seed will burn easily and if too hot oil is used for steeping, the color will be yellow and not red.)

Blanch vermicelli according to the intruction at the back of packet.

To serve, Put vermcelli in a large bowl, top with pork hocks, beef shank slices, gio and beef balls. Pour hot stock over.

Garnish with bean sprouts, thai basil, sliced red cabbage, lime wedges and sliced chilies.

Mix pounded chilies into fish sauce and serve on the side.

Serves

Read More......

Rusty Nails/Crispy Beef

The chinese cooking term "Passing through" is a key technique in Shanghai and Szechuan cooking, where the meat is cooked by passing it through hot oil. This step makes chicken breast meat silken, transforms shrimp into toothsome creatures with a firm, almost crunchy texture, and renders paper-thin strips of pork and steak tender and juicy within. In passing through, the food is very briefly cooked in a pool of hot vegetable oil and then removed from the wok. To finish the dish, almost all of the oil is poured off from the wok, and the remaining oil is used to create the sauce. Finally, the passed through food is returned to the wok and stir-fried with the sauce.

While passing through is primarily a restaurant technique, it is worthwhile taking the time to master it because no other cooking technique can give the same results. Yes, the food is deep fried, but if it is done properly, it is not unhealthy. First, the food is always coated with a thin batter of egg white and starch, which helps keep the oil from seeping into the food.

To prepare for the passing through step in a recipe, place a metal colander on a plate near the stove to hold and drain the fried food. Use a deep-frying thermometer to test the temperature of the oil. Be sure to have a wide wire-mesh strainer for removing the food, and if there is to be a subsequent frying step (as in Crispy Beef), have a fine-mesh strainer handy to skim off any bits of fried batter. Use a large metal wok scoop or spoon to stir the food, as the mesh on the wide strainer could disturb the coating on the meat. Place a large bowl on a heatproof plate nearby to hold the excess oil.

Heat the wok for a few minutes over high heat until it is very hot. If you flick water from your fingertips into the wok, the water should sizzle away on contact. Pour in enough vegetable oil to reach at least 1 inch up the sides of the wok - this will be about 4 cups in a 14 inch flat-bottomed wok, there are cases, due to the large quantity of food, use less oil, so that it reaches 1 1/2 inch or 2 inch up the sides of the wok. Don't skimp - any food that sticks out of the hot oil will not cook at the same rate as the rest of the food, and it will get soggy too. But i do skimp, i use 1/2 the amount of oil and cook the meat in small batches.

The temperature of the oil is the key to passing through. The oil should be hot enough to cook the food but not hot enough to brown it . 300 f to 325 f(Higher temperatures are reserved for true deep-frying, where the food will develop a crisp golden brown crust.) With the wok preheated, the oil will take only a few minutes to reach the proper temperature. Do not underestimate the value of a deep-frying thermometer. If you don't have one, you can gauge the temperature of the oil with a 1/2 inch cube of white bread: it should take at least a minute to brown in the hot oil. But unless you are an experienced cook, use the thermometer.

The protein food(meat, poultry, or seafood) will have been marinated in the egg-white/starch coating. Carefully add the food to the hot oil, one of two pieces at a time, taking care that you don't splash the oil. Add the food quickly, but do not dump everything in at once, and try to keep the pieces as separate as possible so they don't stick together. The food will sink to the bottom of the wok, where the oil around it will bubble, but not furiously. The temperature will drop when the cook food is added, so keep the heat on every high to help the oil return to its original temperature. When all the food has been added, stir the food gently or quickly, depending on the recipe, with the metal scoop(wok chan) to keep the pieces from clinging to each other. Cook until the pieces of chicken, shrimp, or fish turn white on the surface, about 45 seconds, or until pieces of beef or pork turn a light brown (which could take a bit longer, depending on the size of the pieces) Use the strainer to transfer the food to the colander.

In most cases, you will now (carefully!!!) pour the hot oil into the large bowl leaving 2 tbsps of the oil in the wok. If you have a subsequent frying step, be sure to heat the oil in the wok to required temperature before continuing.

My family calls this dish 'Rusty Nails' cos the fried meat looked like them. Sorry for the lengthy text but it is so important to know. Now for some action.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound tender beef/flank steak strips (1/2 in wide, 1/4 inch thick and length of 2 - 2/12 in.)

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

Sauce:

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp shaoxing rice wine

1 tbsp soya sauce

1 tsp cornstarch

Vegetable oil for "passing through"

1 cup cornstarch

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1 small onion - sliced

1 tsp sesame oil

1/4 tsp hot chilli paste(optional)

Chopped spring onions for garnishing

Method:

Mix the steak, baking soda, and 3 tbsp of water in a medium bowl. Cover, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight(The baking soda will tenderize the steak)

To begin the sauce, mix the sugar, vinegar, rice wine, soya sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat a large wok over high heat. Add enough vegetable to come about 1 1/2 inches up the sides of the wok, and heat it to 375f. Meanwhile, add the cornstarch and egg white to the steak, and mix well to coat the steak with the batter.

Add the steak to the oil, one piece at a time so it doesn't splash or stick together, and stir gently until it begins to look crispy, about 1 minute. Using a wide wire-mesh strainer, transfer the steak to a colander to drain. Using a fine-mesh wire strainer, remove any bits of fried batter from the wok.

Reheat the oil to 375 f, return the steak to the wok, and fry again until the beef is crispy all over, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a strainer to drain. Remove all but 1 tbsp of the oil from the wok.

Return the wok with the oil to high heat, add sliced onions, steak, sugar-vinegar mixture, sesame oil and hot chilli paste(if using). Stir fry until all of the ingredients are well-blended about 30 seconds.

Dish out and sprinkle with chopped spring onions.

Serve immediately with white rice.

Serves

Read More......

Alton Brown's Dry-Aged Standing Rib Roast

How not to cook this rib roast for our last Christmas Dinner after 167 reviews of which nearly all gave 5 stars. Read the reviews at Foodnetwork.

The result was really good and worth the wait. I did not use the terra cota pot as suggested and instead used - The Pampered Chef's Clay Casserole, which covered the roast perfectly cos i read the recipe wrongly and came home with a 4 lb rib roast instead of 4 boned-in rib roast. I am glad i made the mistake, cos 4 lbs was just nice for the family.




Ingredients:

1 (4-bone-in) standing rib roast, preferably from the loin end
Canola oil, to coat roast
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to cover entire roast
1 cup water
1 cup red wine
4 fresh sage leaves

Method:

Remove any plastic wrapping or butcher's paper from the roast.

Place the standing rib roast upright onto a half sheet pan fitted with a rack. The rack is essential for drainage.

Place dry towels loosely on top of the roast. This will help to draw moisture away from the meat.

Place into a refrigerator at approximately 50 to 60 percent humidity and between 34 and 38 degrees F. You can measure both with a refrigerator thermometer.

Change the towels daily for 3 days.

Place a 16-inch round azalea terra cotta planter into a cold oven. Invert the planter to become a lid over a pizza stone or the bottom of the planter.

The oven should be cold to start, to avoid any cracking in the terra cotta pieces. Turn the oven to 250 degrees F.

Remove the roast from the refrigerator and rub with canola oil. Remember to rub the bones with oil, as well.

Once the roast is completely coated with oil cover the roast with kosher salt, about half a teaspoon per bone.

Next, rub with freshly ground pepper to coat the surface.

Place the roast over a glass bake-ware dish slightly smaller than the length of the roast. This will catch the drippings needed for the sauce.

Finally, place a probe thermometer into the center of the roast and set for 118 degrees.

Put the roast and the bake-ware dish onto the pizza stone, cover with the terra cotta pot, and return to the oven.

Turn the oven down to 200 degrees F and roast until internal temperature is achieved.

Remove the roast and turn oven up to 500 degrees F.

Remove the terra cotta lid and recover with heavy-duty foil. Allow the roast to rest until an internal temperature of 130 degrees F. is reached.

Place the roast back into the preheated 500 degree F oven for about 10 minutes or until you've achieved your desired crust.

Remove and transfer roast to a cutting board.

Keep covered with foil until ready to serve.

Degrease the juices in the glass pan.

Place the pan over low heat and deglaze with 1 cup of water.

Add the wine and reduce by half.

Roll the sage leaves in between your fingers to release the flavors and aroma.

Add to the sauce and cook for 1 minute.

Strain and serve on the side.

Serves

Read More......

Black Peppered Beef Udon

This japanese style noodle - Udon is not only good for soup, fry it this way and you not go back to having it in soup. I have used udon to cook the Kuala Lumpur Hokkien Mee and it is so much better than the noodles i made.










Ingredients:

3 pkts 7.20 oz japanese style noodles - Udon
1/2 lb Beef fillet/sirlion - slice thinly across the grain
4 - 5 slices ginger
1/2 cup chopped chinese celery

Oil for frying beef and noodle

Marinate

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp light soya sauce
1 tsp dark soya sauce
1/2 egg white
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp shaoxing wine
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp tapioca starch
2 tbsp water
2 tsp cooking oil

Gravy

11/2 tbsp black pepper - freshly ground
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp cornstarch

Method:

Knead the marinate except the oil, thoroughly into the sliced beef and when well mixed, add in the oil and knead again. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Heat a pot of water and when water comes to a boil, put in the udon and turn off the heat. Let the udon sit in the hot water to keep warm.

Heat 1 cup oil and when it is hot, fry the beef by batches. Fry beef until 3/4 cooked.
Remove all the oil and leave 2 tbsp. Fry the ginger slices, then add in the warm udon and beef.

Stir fry, then add in the gravy ingredients. Cook until gravy thickens and add in the chinese celery.

Serve hot.


Serves



Read More......

Rendang Minangkabau

More beef recipes and this type of rendang has been a craving since the 50's. As you all already know that i grew up in Seremban and the State is Negeri Sembilan. This state's is populated with Minangkabau - read about them in Wikipedia. This rendang is one of their cuisine which is so delicious, words cannot describe how good it is until you have tried it. In the good old days, there was a coffee shop besides the Plaza Theater and in this coffee shop was a Malay Food Stall which has the best Rendang. My classmate's family, ran this coffeeshop and i think it was called 'Kui Heng"(spelling?) Help!! any oldies from Seremban. This rendang has no spices but lots of aromatic herbs/leaves like tumeric leaves, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal, ginger, shallots and garlic, tumeric , chilly api and lots of coconut to make 'kerisek' and milk for cooking the beef in. When i was in Malaysia last, I made a batch of premixed with all the aromatics that was required and that was how i was able to make the rendang that i craved for. So sad, only one batch, have been looking for tumeric leaves with no success.

Have a look at this other rendang Kampong Johnson's Rendang



Ingredients:

A

2 lbs beef
2 cans coconut cream - 400 ml can
1 piece Asam keping
2 - 3 pieces tumeric leaves - tear up

B

Ingredients to be ground:

1/2 cup bird's eye chilies/chilly api
1 inch knob galangal, peeled
1 inch knob ginger, peeled
1 inch knob turmeric, peeled
2 stalks lemon grass (used only the bottom
white tender part)
1 lb shallots, peeled
1 whole bulb garlic, peeled


C

4 - 5 pieces kaffir lime leaves
1/2 cup Kerisek
2 teaspoons salt or to taste

Method:

To prepare the kerisik.

The best is of course, to get freshly grated coconut.

Spread this on plate in a thin layer and microwave it on high for 3 mins, stir and microwave again for 1 min. Repeat until the coconut is totally dry and starts to brown a little.

Or,

Use dessicated coconut in a can.

Transfer dessicated coconut into a heated wok (no oil, no water) and over a SLOW fire, fry until it is fragrant and browned. Keep stirring ALL the time. If you undercook, it won't release it's oil when pounded. If it's overcooked, it will taste burnt. This is a slow process and you will just have to be patient. I would say the color of the kerisik when it's ready is close to the color of the skin of toasted almonds (the regular almonds, not the small dark almonds).

While browned coconut is still hot, pound it until it is very fine and oil is released. A food processor won't do the job. You can either pound it in a (granite) mortar & pestle or use a spice mill. The paste will look smooth but not smooth to the touch and should feel only slightly gritty. Set it aside. You will know you have made perfect kerisik when after sitting for a while, the oil rises to the surface and the coconut paste 'sets' at the bottom. When you insert a spoon to scoop it out, it seems that the coconut paste has hardened but it's not. If you drop it by the spoonful, it will for about 2 seconds hold it's shape and then spread. This kerisik, if you care to taste it at this point, doesn't taste good - bland and just very slightly bitterish. It is however, very fragrant.

Kerisik keeps well refrigerated in an air-tight container - I'd say about a month or so. You will need to let it come to room temperature before using it, or it will break your spoon trying to scoop it out! I have also freezed kerisik successfully.

To cook the Rendang


Cut beef into 1/2 inch thick slices with the grain. Set aside.

Into pressure cooker, put ingredients A and B. Add enough water so that it is above the meat. Close the lid and pressurized for 15 - 20 minutes.

Remove lid when pressure is released totally.

Check meat to see if it is tender enough.

Return pot to the fire , add kerisik, kaffir lime leaves and continue simmering, stirring all the time, until meat is tender and gravy thick.

Stir in salt to taste.

Serves Read More......

Beef with Flat Rice Noodle/Sap Chow Ngau Hor

I just realised that i have not posted many beef dishes and this beef dish needs no introduction.

It is a must to order in a chinese restaurant, as they have so much 'wok hey' but cooking this at home is not such a tedious task.

Ingredients:

A pkt of fresh hor fun/flat rice noodle

1/2 lb Beef fillet/sirlion - slice thinly across the grain

1/2 cup drained canned straw mushroom - cut into slices

1/4 cup sliced carrot

1/2 lb Choy sum - wash and cut into 2 inch lengths - put on a plate and microwave for 2 mins.

1/4 cup of sliced young gingers

Oil for frying beef and noodle

Marinate

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp light soya sauce

1 tsp dark soya sauce

1/2 egg white

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp shaoxing wine

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp tapioca starch

2 tbsp water

2 tsp cooking oil

Gravy

3 tbsp oyster sauce

1 cup chicken stock

1 tbsp cornstarch

Method:

Knead the marinate except the oil, thoroughly into the sliced beef and when well mixed, add in the oil and knead again. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Fry the hor fun/flat rice noodles like you would for Wat Than Hor

Heat 1 cup oil and when it is hot, fry the beef by batches. Fry beef until 3/4 cooked.

Remove all the oil and leave 2 tbsp. Fry the ginger slices, then add in the beef and choy sum. Stir fry, then add in the gravy ingredients. Cook gravy thickens and pour over the noodles.

Serve hot.

Read More......

Cheat's Murtabak

This is a very sumptuous , incredibly delicious and it was made the cheater's way, semi-homemade using store bought Roti Paratha. Roti Paratha/Canai comes frozen and there are 5 in a packet. It is inexpensive and all the Asian stores here sell them. Look for them in the freezer section and make sure that is is Made in Malaysia - the texture and taste is better. If you would like to make the roti from scratch, refer to http://lilyng2000.blogspot.com/2005/06/roti-canai-with-dhall-char.html

Ingredients:

5 pieces frozen Roti Paratha/Canai

Filling:

1/2 pound ground meat(of your choice)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 heaped tbsp curry powder

salt to taste

3 eggs

Method:

Cook the filling by browning the ground meat(add some oil, if the meat is very lean).

When the meat is no more pink, add in chopped onion and curry powder.

Stir and saute until aromatic and add salt to taste.

Cool before adding in the eggs.

To make the murtabak:

Heat a nonstick pan and place a piece of frozen roti on it.

As soon as it turns soft, put a few tbsp of filling in the center of roti(do not put too much, otherwise, the roti cannot be folded in a neat pack).

Fold in the sides to make a neat pack(refer to pictures above)

Add in a little oil for crispiness. Fry until brown on all sides.

Dish out and serve hot, it tastes great as is or served with pickled onions

To make pickled onions:

Red /yellow/white onions(red will give a pleasing color)

salt

sugar

vinegar

Slice peeled onions thinly and add salt, sugar and vinegar. Adjust to taste.

Let onions sit for at least 1/2 hour before serving.

Serves

Read More......

Kampong Johnson's Rendang

In 1966, October, President Johnson visited Malaysia and he visited this Kampong in Negeri Sembilan which changed it's name to Kampong Johnson in honor of his visit. A feast was cooked by the Kampong Folks and the most memorable dish was the Rendang with Jackfruit. Negeri Sembilan's rendang differs from the other states of Malaysia as it is cooked with Green Thai bird chillies instead of red dried chillies and aromatics like ginger, galangal, fresh tumeric, fresh tumeric leaves, lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves . It has no spices.

As the hot topic these days is the President, it makes me think of this dish which was so delectable and although i do not have all the aromatics but do have a packet of instant rendang mix which was not quite the same but did bring back fond memories of President Johnson's visit that day.

Ingredients:

500 - 600 gm beef - cut into 1/2 inch slices

1 can Jackfruit - drained

1 packet ChanHong Instant Rendang Mix(available online here http://mytasteofasia.com/)

1 400 ml can of coconut milk (70% saturated fat)

1 stalk lemon grass - crushed (optional)

4 - 5 kaffir lime leaves(optional)

2 tbsp kerisik

3 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

Using the pressure cooker, heat cooking oil and add in the contents of the packet of ChanHong Instant Rendang Mix and saute until fragrant.

Add in beef slices, lemon grass and coconut milk.

Add enough water to cover the beef.

Close the pressure cooker and cook on high for 10 - 15 minutes depending on the type and quality of beef used.

Release pressure and open the lid, add in kaffir lime leaves and kerisik and cook until sauce is thickened.

Add in the jackfruit and cook until it is cooked through.

Add salt to adjust taste.

Rendang is ready to be eaten.

Enjoy

Serves

Read More......