Tag: East Asian
Xinjiang Cumin Lamb
Xinjiang Cumin Lamb
North Western China has a Muslim population of about 20 million; where lamb is quite popular. Cumin lamb is one of the more commonly eaten lamb dishes. Cubes of lamb are stir fried with onions, garlic, ginger, and dried red chilies. The lamb is seasoned with cumin, Sichuan peppercorns, and chili flakes; ready in under 10 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless leg of lamb cut into cubes
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
Spice Mix
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp chili flakes
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns
Stir Fry
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup dried Sichuan chilies
- 1/2 medium white onion sliced
- 6 garlic cloves sliced
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 1 cup cilantro roughly chopped
Garnish
- toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Marinate the lamb with the soy sauce, cooking wine and salt for 30 minutes.
- Pour out the liquid and coat the lamb in cornstarch.
- Heat up 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a sauté pan or wok over medium high heat. Add the lamb, sautéing for a minute a side. Remove from the pan.
- Pour in the rest of the cooking oil. Sauté the onion, ginger, garlic, and dried chilies for 1 minute.
- Add the lamb back into the pan. Season with the spice mix. Sauté for 1 minute.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the cilantro.
Salt and Pepper Pork Chop
Salt and Pepper Pork Chop
This might not be what you think of when you hear the work pork chops. Instead of cooking a pork chop whole, pieces are cut from a boneless loin, marinated, then tossed in cornstarch, and lightly fried. The pork pieces are tossed with fried garlic, jalapeños, and seasoned with white pepper and salt. So simple yet beyond flavorful. I like to serve the salt and pepper pork chops with Chinese coleslaw to help create balance with fried food.
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless pork chops cut into irregular pieces
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil plus more for frying
- 1 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
- 1/4 cup cornstarch plus 1 tbsp
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 jalapeños thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves sliced
Pepper Salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Marinate the pork with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil, 1 tbsp of cornstarch, cooking wine, and salt for 15 minutes.
- Add 2 tbsp of the cooking oil into a sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the jalapeños and garlic. Fry for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- Toss the marinated pork with 1/4 cup of cornstarch.
- Add a 1/4” of cooking oil to the sauté pan. Add half of the pork to the pan, making sure to not overcrowd the pan.
- Fry for 3-4 minutes a side until crispy.
- Drain the grease from the pork on paper towels.
- Mix together the salt and white pepper.
- Toss the pork with the garlic, jalapeños, and pepper salt.
Peking Duck
Peking Duck
Duck has been roasted in China since the beginning of time. The preparation for Peking Duck can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty; being the main course on imperial court menus. The first time a restaurant in Beijing offered Peking Duck to the general public was in 1416. It grew in popularity, being considered food for the upper class. By the mid 20th century Peking Duck became an international symbol of Chinese cuisine, becoming the favorite dish of many world politicians such as Richard Nixon, Fidel Castro, Helmut Kohl, to name a few.Today, Peking Duck can easily be made at home for a relatively inexpensive cost. The duck gets rubbed, stuffed with whole green onions, and left to dry out for up to 24 hours. It then steamed for about 90 minutes to loosen up the fat from the skin. It is then roasted for about a half hour until it is browned. It is then basted with a soy sauce/honey mixture then roasted at 500 degrees, turning almost red in color. The skin becomes extra crispy with the fat rendered out. Traditionally, Peking Duck is served in 3 parts. First, the crispy duck skin is served with a sweet bean sauce. Second, the duck breast is sliced and served in thin Chinese pancakes with duck sauce and spring onions. Third, the rest of the duck can be eaten as is. You can also just quarter the duck and serve it much like a roast chicken with duck sauce, steamed rice, and vegetables.
Ingredients
- 5 lb whole duck tail and wing tips clipped; giblets removed
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 green onions
- 1 orange sliced
Duck Sauce
- 1/2 cup plum jam
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp white vinegar
Instructions
- Mix together the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, white pepper and cloves.
- Season the inside of the duck with 1 tsp of the spice mix. Stuff the whole green onion inside the cavity as well. Mix 1 tbsp of the soy sauce with the rest of the spice mix and rub the outside of the duck. Let dry out in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Place the duck on a rack and steam for 90 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Poke holes with a knife all over the skin of the duck. Place the duck on a rack and roast for 25-30 minutes.
- Mix together the remaining soy sauce and honey and brush the entire duck. Turn up the heat to 500 degrees and roast for 5 more minutes.
- While the duck is roasting, mix together the duck sauce ingredients.
- Let the duck rest for 10 minutes before serving.
