Tag: main course
Smoked Char Siu Baby Back Ribs
Smoked Char Siu Baby Back Ribs
This recipe is another reason why we need to legalize marijuana federally, if not globally. Without it, I might not have came up with this concept. Char siu is my absolute favorite. So why not marinate ribs in char siu marinade and smoke them? It happened. All I can say is that this might be my favorite way to prepare ribs. It’s rather simple to do. It will take some patience since it’s really a 3 day process if marinating, 1 day of drying, and the next day to smoke. If you don’t have a smoker, you can bake these in the oven at 300 degrees for 2 1/2 hours, wrapped in foil. Then place the ribs under the broiler, brushing the ribs with the cooked marinade every 3 minutes until the top side is browned.
Equipment
- Electric Smoker
Ingredients
- 2 racks baby back ribs
Marinade
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 3 tbsp honey + 1 extra tbsp for glazing
- 3 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
- 3 red bean curd cubes + 2 tbsp of liquid
- 1 1/2 tbsp five spice powder
- 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 3 garlic cloves minced
Wood Chips
- 1/2 cherrywood
- 1/2 applewood
Instructions
- Mix all of the marinade ingredients together.
- Place the baby backs in a gallon sized storage bag. Pour in all of the marinade. Marinate for 3 days; flipping the bag over a couple of times a day.
- After the ribs have marinated, place on a rack and let dry out in the refrigerator for a day. Save the marinade. Let sit at room temp for 1 hour prior to smoking.
- Place the ribs in a preheated 250 degree electric smoker.
- Simmer the saved marinade with an extra tbsp of honey for 10minced until reduced. At the 2 hour mark of smoking, brush a layer of the marinade on the racks of ribs. Smoke for another hour, brushing another layer of the marinade on the ribs. Some for 1 more hour.
- Let the ribs rest for !5 minutes before serving.
Nasi Goreng
Nasi Goreng
Nasi goreng is Indonesian-style fried rice. The main flavor component of this dish comes from kecap manis, which is a sweet soy sauce. It is syrupy in consistency and not very salty. As the rice cooks in the kecap manis, it caramelizes. The fried rice is garnished with fried shallots, green onions, and is topped off with a fried egg.
Ingredients
- 6 oz boneless skinless chicken breast or protein of your choice; thinly sliced
Rice
- 2 tbsp shallot oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 red chili finely chopped
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 cups cooked day old rice
- 3 tbsp kecap manis
- 2 tsp shrimp paste
- fried eggs 1 per serving
Garnish
- fried shallots
- green onions chopped
Instructions
- Heat up a 1/4 cup of vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the shallots until crispy. Drain on paper towel.
- Using 2 tbsp of the shallot oil, sauté the garlic and chilies for a few seconds until aromatic.
- Add in the onion and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add in the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring in 1 tbsp of kecap manis.
- Stir in the rest of the kecap manis and shrimp paste.
- Stir in the rice; making sure all the grains are evenly coated. Cook for 2 minutes.
Indonesian Chicken Curry
Indonesian Chicken Curry
If you’ve never tried Indonesian food before, this is where you should start. This chicken curry is a marriage between Thai and Indian cuisine. The curry sauce will make you want to carry around a mug of it to drink, it’s so good. While there are a ton of ingredients, most of them get processed into the curry paste. You pretty much sauté the curry paste with the cinnamon sticks, lime leaves, and lemongrass. Brown the chicken in the curry paste and simmer in coconut milk and chicken stock. Serve the curry with steamed rice.
Ingredients
Curry Paste
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 4 dried red chilies
- 2 green chilies
- 1/4 cup cashews
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 large shallot minced
- 3 tbsp ginger minced
Chicken Curry
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 5 lime leaves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 3 stalks lemongrass
- 3 lbs whole chicken legs drums cut in 2; thighs cut in 3
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 4 tbsp fish sauce
Instructions
- Combine all of the curry paste ingredients.
- Using an immersion blender, blend until a smooth paste is formed. Set aside.
- Heat up cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the lime leaves, cinnamon sticks, and lemongrass for 1 minute.
- Add in the curry paste and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add in the chicken. Coat in the curry paste and brown for 5-6 minutes.
- Pour in 1 cup of coconut milk and the chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the rest of the coconut milk and fish sauce.
