Tag: Chinese
Lion’s Head Meatballs
Lion’s Head Meatballs
In China, there are many different versions of lion’s head meatballs. Some are braised in a soy sauce mixture; some are served in chicken broth instead of with rice. This version is browned in a sauté pan, then steamed. The meatballs turn out extremely tender and flavorful, considering a lot of the fat has been cooked out. Assembling the meatballs is quite easy, as long as you follow the steps of adding the ingredients in the specific order. The meatball mix is going to be a lot wetter than what most people are used to. Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to equally divide out the meatball mix. Gently roll them into large meatballs. If they are too wet, add a little more breadcrumbs.Since these meatballs are a lot larger then normal, they won’t cook through when they are being browned. That is all right. As long as they are browned on all sides, they will finish cooking in a steamer pot for the last 30 minutes. These meatballs can be stacked on top of each other if the steamer pot isn’t large enough to have a single layer. Serve the meatball with steamed rice.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork
- 4 tbsp water
- 4 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp ginger grated
- 3 green onions finely chopped
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup water chestnuts diced
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp vegeyable oil
Instructions
- Mix the ground pork with the water.
- Mix in the cooking wine, soy sauces, salt, sugar, ginger, cornstarch, and green onions.
- Mix in the eggs and water chestnuts
- Mix in the sesame oil and panko breadcrumbs.
- Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, scoop up the pork mixture and gently roll into meatballs.
- Heat up cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Brown the meatballs for 5-6 minutes on each side.
- Bring up a large steamer pot to a boil. Line with parchment paper. Add in the meatballs. Steam covered for 30 minutes.
Peking Chicken Fried Rice
Peking Chicken Fried Rice
Did you make that Peking Roast Chicken and only eat half of it? This is great way to turn leftover chicken and white rice into some of the best fried rice you’ll ever eat. This is the reason why I always make extra white rice. It is always better the next day turning it into fried rice. Using freshly steamed rice doesn’t work because it is too moist. By using it the next day, it has dried out a little bit, allowing it to absorb the sauce better.You can really use any type a vegetables or protein that you want when making this. Carrots, peas, bean sprouts, kale, and mushrooms are all great substitutes. My favorite way to finish this rice is to top it off with a fried egg per serving.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/8 tsp chili powder
Fried Rice
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 medium white onion diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper diced
- 3 green onions chopped
- 1 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 cup leftover peking chicken diced
- 4 cups leftover white rice
- fried eggs 1 per person
Instructions
- Mix the sauce ingredients together. Set aside.
- Het up cooking oil in a large sauté pan or wok over medium high heat. Add in the garlic, onion, bell peppers, and green onion. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add in the chicken. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add in the cooking wine. Cook for another minute.
- Add in the rice, making sure to break up all the clumps and to thoroughly mix in with the rest of the ingredients.
- Add in the sauce mix. Cook for 2 more minutes.
Kung Pao Tofu
Kung Pao Tofu
The purpose of my site is to get people excited about ethnic cooking. Chinese food is hands down my favorite ethnicity to cook. This recipe is what excites me. Better than restaurant quality Kung Pao tofu. Twice the amount that you would get for takeout for less then half the price. Once you have certain ingredients in your pantry such as soy sauce, chinkiang black vinegar, and shaoxing cooking wine, you can make these dishes for a fraction of restaurant prices; plus control over sodium, fat content, and whether it will be vegetarian or not.The best type of tofu to use for this dish is firm or extra firm. You don’t have to squeeze out the liquid when preparing this dish, since it’s going to sit in a marinade for 15 minutes anyway. The cornstarch will help create a nice crust when you sauté it. The most important thing when sautéing the tofu is to not move it. Let it be and develop that crust. Same when you flip them. Don’t touch it. Crust is good. If you’d rather use meat instead of tofu, marinate and toss in cornstarch the same way you did the tofu. You can use beef, pork, chicken, or shrimp as substitutes.
Ingredients
Tofu Marinade
- 1 brick extra firm tofu cut into 1” cubes
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 6 tbsp cornstarch
Kung Pao Sauce
- 3 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Kung Pao Tofu
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 2 tsp fermented bean paste
- 5 dried chilies
- 1/2 green bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
- 4 green onions cut into 1” pieces
- 1/3 cup roasted peanuts
Instructions
- Mix all of the sauce ingredients together. Set aside.
- Mix together the soy sauce and maple syrup. Pour in a ziplock bag with the tofu cubes. Marinate for 15 minutes.
- Pour out the marinade. Toss the tofu with cornstarch in a bowl.
- Heat up 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a large sauté pan or wok over medium high heat. Add in the tofu in a single layer. Let fry for 2 minutes without moving. Flip them over with a pair of tongs at let fry for 2 minutes on the other side.
- Set the tofu aside.
- Add in the last tbsp of cooking oil. Stir in the Sichuan peppercorns. Let cook for a minute until the oil smells aromatic. Discard the peppercorns.
- Sauté the garlic, ginger, bean paste, and dried chilies for 1 minute.
- Stir in the peppers and green onions. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the sauce. Give it a couple of stirs. It will thicken fairly quick.
- Stir in the tofu and the peanuts. Cook for 1 minute, then take off the heat.
- Serve with steamed rice.
