Claypot Pepper Pork Recipe (Thit Kho Tieu)

Caramel Syrup:
Yellow rock sugar into the pot and heat on medium heat. I looked it up, and it is okay to use stainless steel or a wooden spoon while doing this IF you are not melting the sugar with water. Supposedly, stirring it will make the sugar re-crystalize then its GG.



Once it gets to a nice caramel color (it’s hard to see when the pot is black), turn off the heat and pour in some hot water. The amount of water put in should be approximately half of the amount of sugar you put in. Make sure you are at a fair distance away from the pot because it will splatter. Keep stirring and put aside for it to cool down. Once room temperature, it should look like this:

Next, the Thit Kho Tieu.
Pork belly, green onion, thai chili pepper, sugar, salt, pepper, caramel syrup, and fish sauce. These simple ingredients made something that was so delicious.

I diced the green onion, half a chili pepper, and a few slabs of pork belly. Following the recipe, I added 1/4 tsp salt, 1tsp sugar, 1/4tsp ground black pepper, 3 tbsp fish sauce, and 1tsp of caramel syrup. Mix well and let it marinate for an hour in the fridge.

Cooking this dish was very easy. Quickly saute in a claypot with a little oil.

After sauteing, add 2/3rd cup of water ( I added more water in this recipe) and cook on simmer with lid off.

This will braise the meat and the sauce will reduce into this awesome delicious sauce. All it needs is a bowl of rice to go with it and it was DELICIOUS. The flavors were really balanced. Sweetness from the caramel syrup, heat from the chili pepper, and the fish sauce adds a distinct flavor that makes it all come together. Yum yum

Shanghai Soup Dumplings

My soup dumplings (left); photo from Bon Appetit (right)

THE RECIPE: Shanghai Soup Dumplings

I happen to live about 30 minutes away from a city called Arcadia. In my mind, "Arcadia" means "soup dumplings," because that city is the home of Din Tai Fung restaurant, where I go to eat delicious soup dumplings every chance I get. In the English language, the word "arcadia" means "any real or imaginary place offering peace and simplicity." This is an apt description. Ordering juicy pork dumplings (as they are called at Din Tai Fung) is an experience of peace and simplicity. But let me tell you, making them at home is not.

I'm typing from a prone position. I am exhausted. I might have to go to a chiropractor and I don't believe in chiropractors. Why, you ask? Why am I flat out and knotty? Because of these soup dumplings. They might be little bundles of deliciousness but they are also diabolical. You might remember that my mother called turkey diabolical, but Thanksgiving has got NOTHING on these babies.

This is was a wonderful dinner, a great treat for those of us that love dim sum, but fast and easy? Not at all. Not in the least. So do you want to keep reading? Because I'll tell you every step.

The ingredient gathering was a cinch. The aforementioned city of Arcadia has a plethora of Chinese markets including the chain Ranch 99. I picked everything up there, including a six pack of Chinese Sarspirilla on sale. I did not buy Chinese smoked ham due to a long line at the deli counter and a pressing, non soup dumpling-related engagement. I used Smithfield Ham, and it seemed to turn into stewed ham jerky as it cooked, infusing the soup with salt and fat. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The soup: I used chicken backs and wings to make the stock, in addition to all the other called-for ingredients. The soup cooked for about two and a half hours until the chicken began falling apart. It was then time to strain it. Boy, oh boy. I made a mess. I'll leave it at that. My sieve is not that big and so a delicate balance had to be struck: pouring, extracting liquid and then dumping the solids in small increments is actually quite hard; a lot of sloshing occurred. After the soup is strained, it boils down to 2 cups. Months and months ago Chris suggested making a jury stick to determine when things have boiled down to however many cups are called for. That's a great idea, and of course, one that I did not employ. My soup was probably closer to 3.5 cups.

Then you add some powdered gelatin to water, mix that into hot broth, and put it in the fridge to make an aspic. I then took the opportunity to explain what an aspic is to my fiancé: "meaty jello."

The filling: The filling smelled and looked terrific. Pork, shrimp, delicious (and salty) liquids are added and everything is mixed together. There is a fair amount of chopping involved in this stage, just so you know.

The wrappers: This recipe calls for pre-made dumpling skins and boy am I glad they did. Even though it caused beet and poppy sead ravioli flashbacks.

It all comes together: You might be reading this thinking, "I don't know Ms. Moloney, this doesn't sound too labor intensive." You're entitled to your opinion, but may I suggest you re-read the part about the cooking and straining the soup, and I'd also like to tell you that the labor ACCUMULATES. It was the assembly that almost killed me.

At this point your aspic is ready to be cut into small, jiggly cubes of "soup." This aspic will steam and become liquid—theoretically. I mixed the aspic in with the filling. My cubes were way too big but I made it work the best I could.

I then spooned the mixture into the center of each dumpling skin and then the real torture began. From what I understand it is well known that serious dumpling makers can pleat these puppies quickly and with one hand. I started by painstakingly creasing the dumpling skins together and then twisting the top. By the end I was kind of twisting the sides together to form a savory Hershey's Kiss-like structure. I made not quite 75 of these. That's a lot of filling and twisting. A lot. I'm feeling hopeless just thinking about it.

I got a cramp in my deltoid from hunching over the dining room table. I'm not kidding. And I got pork on my phone, but I have only myself to blame for that one.

When it was time to steam them, I lined my bamboo steamer with cabbage leaves and got to work. I was really nervous about undercooking them and poisoning my guests, so I let them go for about 12 minutes. They were delicious, tender, brightly flavored, salty but not too salty. But what they were NOT is juicy. There was no soup to be found. I tried cooking them for a shorter time. Still tasty, still not soupy.

Was it worth it? I'm not sure. They tasted GREAT. However, the next time I want soup dumplings...I'm going to Arcadia.

Chimichurri

10 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 cups flat-leaf parsley, minced (should yield 1/2 cup when minced)
2 tbsps dried oregano
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt
pepper, freshly ground
Combine the garlic, parsley, oregano, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Mix together. Whisk in the olive oil and the vinegar. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Let sit for at least 2-3 hours. Serve with grilled or roasted meats. Store refrigerated in a glass jar. Will keep for up to 1 week. Makes about a cup.

Peruvian Aji Sauce

 

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·       2 heads washed romaine lettuce

·       2 bunches of fresh washed fresh cilantro

·       1/2 bunch fresh parsley

·       5 fresh jalapenos or 5 serrano chilies

·       1/2 cup mayonnaise

·       1/4 cup vegetable

·       1/3 of an onion

·       3 garlic cloves

·       1 tablespoon lime juice

·       1 tablespoon kosher salt

·       1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Chop everything up as needed to fit into a blender.

Remove the thick stems from the Cilantro and Parsley bunches. Cut the hard stem/hearts out of the romaine lettuce. 

Combine ingredients in the blender and blend thoroughly until smooth. Add small amounts of water if it sticks and gets too thick to blend. It will be a bright teal to sea green in color when complete.  

Spread it on any kind of bread either by itself, or on top of butter, margarine or hydrolyzed vegetable oil spreads. It is very tasty and really wakes up bread or can be used as a dip with chips.

Lomo Saltado

Ingredients

• 12 ounces rib-eye steak, sirloin, tenderloin
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Garlic, cumin to taste
• 1/8 cup vegetable oil, plus more for deep-frying
• Handful precooked French fries
• 1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 medium tomato, sliced
• 1 jalapeno pepper cut into thin strips
• 3 to 4 teaspoons (red wine or balsamic) vinegar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 to 2 ounces beer
• 2 to 3 pinches chopped parsley leaves/ Cilantro 
• Steamed white rice, for serving

Directions

Cut the steak in long pieces 1/4 by 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Season the steak with salt, pepper and garlic, to taste.

In a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, heat enough oil to come halfway up the sides of the pot, to 350 degrees F. Add the fries and fry until golden. Remove them to paper towels to drain.

Add 1/8 cup of vegetable oil to a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add the rib-eye. After the meat has browned add the onions and cook until they soften. Add the tomato, vinegar and the soy sauce. Pour in the beer and simmer until the vegetables are cooked through. Remove the beef mixture to a serving plate and top with the fries. Garnish with parsley and serve with white rice

Pan-fried Chicken Rice

A) Hainan Chicken

Ingredients :
1 whole chicken cut into 4 parts
3 oz. minced ginger
3 oz. minced shallots
1 oz. minced garlic
1 tsp chinese Five spice powder
4 oz. shaoxing hua tiao cooking wine ( OR other chinese cooking wine )
1 tbsp thick sweet soy sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey OR maltose
sugar and salt to taste

Method :
1) Marinade the chicken with all the ingredients for 20 minutes, preferably 2 hours.
2) Pan fry the pre-marinated chicken pieces skin down until nicely browned, flip over and pan fry an additional 5 minutes.
3) Cover and broil chicken for 10 minutes OR until cooked.
4) Remove cover, do a taste-test for the juices on the pan, add salt and sugar to taste if necessary.
4) Set chicken aside, let cool and cut the chicken into desired pieces.
5) Keep the sauce on the pan for later use.

B) Chicken Rice

Ingredients :
3 cups cooked white rice
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced shallots
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp chicken base powder ( optional )
1/4 portion of the sauce from the broiled chicken
1 tbp sesame oil ( OR butter )
1 pc. screwpine leaf ( optional )
1 tbsp shaoxing hua tiao cooking wine ( OR other cooking wine )
4 oz water
salt to taste

Method :
1) Saute the ingredients until fragrant.
2) Add the cooked rice in, stir fry for 5 minutes.
3) Add water in, mix well, and cover wok or skillet.
4) Set to low heat and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until serving time.


C) Chicken Rice Sauce

The sauce you kept aside after broiling the chicken.

D) Chili Sauce

Ingredients :
5 fresh red chilis
2 oz. garlic
salt and sugar to taste
lime juice ( 1/2 a lime )

Method :
1) Blend all the ingredients, then squeeze the lime juice in and mix well.

E) Garnishing

cucumber OR tomato slice
chopped cilantros

Hainan Chicken Rice

Serves 4 to 6 as a main course

For the chicken:
1 whole high quality chicken (about 31/2 pounds)
5 quarter-sized slices ginger, peeled or unpeeled, crushed with the broad side of a cleaver or chef's knife
1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon fish sauce

For the rice:
2 cups raw long-grain rice, such as Thai jasmine
4 tablespoons chicken fat (take from poaching liquid) or peanut oil
1-1/2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
4 fresh or thawed pandan leaves, tied together in one loose knot (optional)
Salt, to taste

Sauce option 1: Ginger sauce
2-inch chubby section ginger (about 2 ounces), peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Sauce option 2: Singapore chili sauce
2 or 3 large red chiles, such as Fresno, cayenne, or long chile, coarsely chopped
2 or 3 hot Thai chiles, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon hot chicken poaching broth

Sauce option 3: Sweet Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon light (regular) soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 -1/2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon Asian chili sauce, such as Sriracha

Sauce option 4: Salt, Pepper, Lime Dipping Sauce (an easy no-brainer)

Garnishes
1/2 English cucumber, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
1 tomato, thinly sliced or cut into wedges
4 or 5 sprigs cilantro, coarsely chopped

1. Rinse and pat the chicken dry with paper towel. Cut off the head, neck, wing tips and feet - extraneous parts that are on your chicken. Use a heavy cleaver to cut the neck and wings into halves or thirds. Aim to cut through the bone. Set aside.

2. Select a pot that the chicken snugly fits into with about an inch clearance between the top of breast and the edge of the pot. Fill it halfway with water and add the extraneous parts that you just cut up, along with the ginger, onion, and salt. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat and add the chicken.

When the pot returns to a boil, lower the heat to gently simmer. Bubbles should softly dance at the surface. Basing your cooking time on the chicken's original weight, poach for 10 minutes per pound (a 31/2-pound fryer takes 35 minutes). Use tongs to rotate the chicken halfway through to ensure even cooking.

Near the end of the cooking time, get a large bowl of ice water ready and set it near the stove. Use tongs to remove the chicken from the pot and plunge it in the ice water. Turn the chicken to expose it to the cold water. Drain and place the chicken on a plate. Let it cool completely before slicing. Leave it at room temperature if serving soon, or cover it in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bring it to room temperature before cutting.

3. Meanwhile, add the fish sauce to the broth. Boil the broth until it has reduced by one-third, or until its flavor has concentrated enough for your taste. Turn off the heat and, skim the fat - reserving it for cooking the rice. Strain the broth into another pan. Discard the solids. Cover and set aside while the chicken cools.

4. For the rice, rinse the rice and let it drain for 10 minutes in a mesh strainer positioned over a bowl. Meanwhile, bring the stock to a near simmer in a small saucepan, and then cover to keep it hot.

5. In a heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan, heat 4 tablespoons of chicken fat over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger and shallot and cook, stirring constantly, until no longer raw smelling, 1 to 2 minutes. Firmly shake the strainer of rice to expel any hidden water, and then add the rice to the pot. Stir constantly with a large spoon until the grains are opaque white and feel light, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat slightly, measure out 2 1/2 cups of hot broth and add the broth and expect dramatic boiling. Immediately give the pot a big stir, reduce the heat to medium to simmer, add the pandan leaves, then let the rice simmer vigorous.

Cook the rice for a few minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times, until most of the water has been absorbed and the surface looks glossy and thick; small craters/holes may form too. Decrease the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes to firm up and finish cooking. Uncover, fluff with chopsticks or a fork, and then cover. Wait 5 minutes before serving. The rice will stay warm for 30 minutes.

6. Make one, two or all of the sauces and set at the table:

For the ginger sauce, put the ginger, oil, salt, and 1 tablespoon of hot chicken poaching broth (take it from the pot) into a small electric mini chopper and process to a fine texture. Taste and add up to 2 more tablespoons of poaching broth. Transfer to a dipping sauce dish.

For the Singapore chili sauce, put all of the ingredients, the large red chiles, Thai chiles, garlic
Ginger, sugar, salt, lime juice and 1 tablespoon hot chicken poaching broth into a small electric mini chopper and process to a semi-coarse sauce. Transfer to a dipping sauce dish.

For the sweet soy sauce, combine the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and chili sauce in a dipping sauce container, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.

7. To serve, use a sharp knife to detach each wing at the shoulder joint. Separate the two wing sections and use a meat-chopping cleaver to chop them into smaller pieces. (Or, keep them whole.) Arrange them on one large serving plate or two small ones. Remove the breasts and leg and thigh quarters. Cut the meat off the bone and slice it into bite-size pieces. Add them to the serving plate(s) in a nice arrangement, skin side up for a beautiful presentation. (Guests may remove the skin while eating.) Finish by scattering cilantro on top.

Bring the broth to a near boil and taste, adding extra salt if necessary. Strain the broth into a large soup bowl and sprinkle with black pepper. Serve immediately with the chicken, rice, cucumber and tomato slices, and dipping sauces. 

Nuoc Mam Gung/ Vietnamese Ginger Fish Sauce

2 - 3 limes, juiced

2 tbsn. fish sauce

2 tbsn. sugar, to taste

2-inch piece of ginger, finely minced

1 red chili, finely diced (optional)

Cách làm nước chấm
2-3 muỗng canh nước cốt chanh hoặc tắc, 5 muỗng canh ớt tươi băm nhuyễn, 5 củ tỏi băm nhỏ, 1 muỗng cà phê muối bột, ½ chén nước luộc gà


Sweet chili Mayla Sauce:15 fresh(or dried) red chillies
5 cloves garlic
1tsp lime juice
3/4 cup water
1 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tbsp tamarind juice
1/2 cup sugar


Sauce for chicken (to drizzle on the chicken):
1 tablespoon garlic oil (or fry a few cloves of garlic in oil for few minutes. Extract oil and let the garlic steep inside the oil)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
5 tablespoons light soya sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar (to taste)
3 tablespoons chicken broth (from boiled chicken)