"Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
08/12/2017 at 20:36 • Filed to: None
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"Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
08/12/2017 at 20:36 • Filed to: None | 7
| 6 |
Based on my research, it seems to be a comfort dish that every Chinese grandma makes, so there are nearly as many versions. Here’s how I did mine - and it was praised:
A pudgy Jew cooking Chinese food for two Japanese women - how hard can it be?
For the marinade
· 1/2 lb. or a bit more ground beef / pork / veal / chicken
· 3 tablespoons sake
· 3 tablespoons soy sauce
· 1 tablespoon minced ginger (or 1/2 tablespoon ginger powder)
For braising
· 2 teaspoons cornstarch
· 1 teaspoon hot Japanese chili oil and a couple squirts of sriracha or the stuff in the photo below (Nadasoso Shimato Garashi) or both
· 2-3 tablespoons peanut oil
· 3 tablespoons (spicy black bean sauce)
· 1 cup finely sliced leeks, sweet onions, or white part of green onion (or combine).
· Package firm tofu (cut into ¾ inch blocks) - roasted tofu if you can find it.
· 1 cup chicken stock (reduced from 3cups if time)
· 1 teaspoon sugar or to taste
· (optional) 1 tablespoon green part of chopped green onion for garnish
Cooking
1. Combine ground beef, cooking sake, soy sauce, and ginger in a bowl. Mix well. Marinate for an hour or longer.
2. Combine cornstarch with 2 tablespoons warm water in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
3. Cut and prep tofu, leeks, and green onions / onions.
4. When oil is hot, add ground meat, then black bean sauce. Stir-fry over medium high heat with a spatula, until pork is evenly coated with bean sauce. Add leeks/onions and stir fry for another minute.
5. Spread tofu evenly on top of ground pork Add chili oil, and sugar. Pour in stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 10 minutes, until tofu becomes tender and the sauce has reduced by half. Taste the tofu with some broth (be careful, it will be very hot!). Adjust seasoning by adding salt. If the dish is too spicy, add another teaspoon of sugar. Gently mix well with spatula.
6. Mix cornstarch water again until fully dissolved and swirl it into the skillet. Gently stir a few times with a spatula, until sauce thickens. Turn off heat and transfer everything to a bowl.
7. Garnish with green onion and small amount of sesame oil. Serve warm over steamed rice or by itself as main.
DipodomysDeserti
> Steve in Manhattan
08/12/2017 at 21:15 |
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Looks delicious. My wife is a vegetarian and really into Asian food. Might have to cook this up sans the meat. Also,
“A pudgy Jew cooking Chinese food for two Japanese women”
That’s my America. I got lunch from a resturaunt today amd when I walked in they greeted me in Spanish. I responded with, “lo siento, pero hablo un poco Español,” (sorry, but I only speak a little bit of Spanish). They quickly transitioned to English and I was soon enjoying my chilaquiles. We are a cultural stew of awesomness.
uofime-2
> Steve in Manhattan
08/14/2017 at 11:38 |
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oh yes, there are definitely many version of this. To me, the meat should be pork (you can add some whitefish too if you’re being fancy!), the tofu should be soft and I’m a fan of extra crushed red pepper.
I have however had many other versions and rarely find one I don’t enjoy.
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Steve in Manhattan
> uofime-2
08/14/2017 at 19:17 |
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Agreed on the pork, but we had leftover ground beef, so there it went - I think this dish might be grandma’s attempt to use up leftovers. And I love firm tofu, so I’ll die on that hill.
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uofime-2
> Steve in Manhattan
08/15/2017 at 09:56 |
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That’s true of so many good dishes
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Steve in Manhattan
> uofime-2
08/15/2017 at 17:08 |
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SigOther has taught me a couple Japanese comfort food dishes that go together that way ... lots of rice, Spam, ketchup, onions, fried eggs ... and of course she grew up in Okinawa.
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uofime-2
> Steve in Manhattan
08/16/2017 at 12:23 |
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Cooking purists are so funny.
Just put good stuff together in interesting combinations with different techniques
Experience just tells you what combinations of ingredients and techniques will work the best.