Playdate Special: Three-spiced Roasted Pork and Gai-lan with Oyster Sauce

THREE-SPICED PORK

Chinese cooking can be fast and healthy, given that sautéing the ingredients with a wok for mere minutes result in a cuisine that retains much flavor and nutrient. However, the prep work involved, such as the slicing, dicing, chopping, and mincing of meats and vegetables, can be time-consuming. As a mother of two active kids under five, I perceive, perhaps incorrectly, that cooking Chinese is a daunting task. Consequently I find that I don’t cook Chinese as often as I’d like.
Pre-motherhood I did not either because I’ve never lived anywhere with a functional vent. Cooking with high heat requires a good working vent so that the oil and smoke don’t soil or stink up the house. Now that I have a new and fabulous kitchen complete with a new gas stove and range hood, I am ready to recreate some childhood favorites as well as figure out some shortcuts so that everyone can enjoy homemade Chinese food more often.

Result: all three moms ate much and were sated, while the kids, including one particularly cautious eater, gobbled up bowls of rice, slices of meat with gravy. Two kids actually dared to sample the “green trees”, i.e. gai-lan or Chinese broccoli.

Five spices powder is a traditional seasoning frequently used to braise meats in Chinese cooking. The ingredients typically consist of cinnamon, star anise, fennel, ginger, and cloves. Some variations include white pepper, licorice root, and so forth. I named the dish “Three-spiced Pork” simply because I had run out of the five spices. All I had was cinnamon, allspice, and cloves and figured they would suffice. The end result was something familiar but different.

Three-spice Roasted Pork

5 lb pork shoulder rib
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger root, sliced
3/4 cup sake, or dry white wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup sake, dry white wine (for the gravy)
1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Some water

The night before, trim the fat and place the pork in the marinade made of garlic, ginger, wine, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and spices. Refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350, reserve the marinade and roast pork for 1 hour or until done, depending on meat thickness. Half an hour before meat is done, add remaining wine to marinade and simmer. When the roast is done, mix enough cornstarch with water to form thickening agent and add to sauce to make gravy. Slice the roast and drizzle gravy atop the slice. Serve warm.

Gai-Lan or Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

1 pound gai-lan
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup oyster sauce
Some water

Trim the vegetable by cutting off the end of the stalks and pulling off the leaves. Place in a platter and microwave until cooked, about 3 minutes or less. Drizzle sesame oil over the broccoli. Dilute with oyster sauce with enough water to make a drizzling consistency. Pour over the broccoli and serve warm.

Read more...

Playdate Special: Valentine's Inspiration

When in a very famous restaurant, my choice always will be a risotto.

It requires patience, art and talent from the chef. I recalled one that I could never ever forget: pear and brie risotto from one of the finest restaurants in Leblon, a kind of Gourmet Ghetto of Rio de Janeiro. This was a long time ago, but not long enough for me to forget its perfect texture and taste. After some research, I found out very similar recipes but not any that would fit my crave for a perfect choice for a girls in lunch. For dessert, a classic shortcake cookie was cut with the help of little hands. How romantic!

Pear and Brie Risotto with Prosciutto Chips

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
3 cups arborio rice
1/3 cup white wine, the one to drink afterward
6 cups vegetable stock
1 1/2 ripe but not soft Bosc pear
2 tbsp Parmesan Gran Pardano, freshly grated
prosciutto di Parma
1/2 to 1 pound French brie cheese, chopped in cubes

In a heavy pot melt butter and the olive oil over high heat. Add shallots. When shallots begin to brown, stir in rice. Pour in wine and wait for the alcohol to evaporate. Lower heat and start dropping in the stock to gradually moisten the rice. Keep dropping the stock every time you see that the water is drying. Add the pears and go to a simmer. Carry on dropping in the stock and add Parmesan cheese.

Meanwhile, in a hot skillet, grill the slices of prosciutto di Parma until they are crunchy.

When the rice achieves a pearly appearance with an al dente texture, turn off the heat and fold the brie into the rice and integrate it slowly with a wooden spoon.

Serve the risotto in soup plates and garnish with the crunchy prosciutto broken into tiny pieces.

Read more...