More food
Ok, there were supposed to be a lot of photos, but I am having problems (duh) and only managed to upload this batch :(
So I made char siew, using the recipe from the Sunday Times on 17 August.
But before we go there, take a look at the mess as a result of the cooking :s This aluminum foil was at the bottom of the rack that the meat was roasting on. It was black, but it was sugary goodness! ;p
But this is the yummy end result:
I tried to do something a little different this time - by placing a white towel at the bottom to help provide some color contrast. Good idea? *hmz* Another view:
Review? This char siew was great! ;p Now that I know how to do it, I will NEVER eat those bought outside again! The whole dish cost me less than $8, considering that I went to buy a more expensive cut of meat from a butcher at the wet market. (I actually find the meat in the supermarket a lower quality, the color of the meat always seems a bit too pale for my taste, whilst this guy in the market has pork a slightly darker pink rather than pale white.)
Char Siew (adapted from the Sunday Times article, Hazel Low's original recipe for Char Siew Buo Luo Bao)
350g pork shoulder
3/4 tsp talk
2 tbs sugare
3/4 tbs vegetable oil
3/4 tbs hoisin sauce (Didn't have this, substituted with oyster sauce and dark soya sauce ;p)
2 tbs light soya sauce
3/4 tbs shaoxing wine (Had JUST ran out of this, used a potent homemade wine left over from my confinement ;p Its the GOOD and STRONG stuff)
110g honey
2 small shallots, finely chopped (I didn't have this, used 2 small red onions instead)
1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
1. Cut pork shoulder into 4cm wide strips (I used 4 finger width. Why on earth would I bring a ruler into the kitchen!?). Rinse and pat dry
2. Combine salt, sugare, vegetable oil, hoisin sauce, shaoxing wine, 85g honey and shallots. Microwave for 20seconds, mix well.
3. Place pork into marinade and leave (as long as possible! I left it in the fridge in a re-sealable bag for 2 days). Note: Remember to remove as much excess air as possible from the bag before the final sealing. I think this has something to do with bacteria and raw meat (I am guessing...)
4. Preheat oven to 230C (at least 30 minutes). Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and place a metal rack on the tray (to save my anal clean soul, I also opted to spray a thin layer of canola oil and my roasting rack set up)
5. Remove pork from bag, drip/ pat dry. (Reserve the marinade!) Roast for 15 minutes. Turn to other side for 15 minutes after.
6. Flip pork, brush with remaining honey (15g), roast for 3 minutes. Repeat with other side for 2 minutes.
7. Remove pork and leave to rest. (Applying the western principle here, I think this allows the molecules in the meat to rest and 'suck back' their own juices so that the meat will not turn out too dry.
8. Place marinade into non stick pan, and bring to a boil. (The original recipe includes adding a cornflour mixture into the marinade to thicken it but I skipped that).
9. Allow marinade to reduce into a slightly sticky glaze, pop char siew and sesame seeds in and coat thoroughly. Voila! Good with a bowl of steamed rice and vegetables!
=====
I bought a book from an online bookstore, in essence, its a book that promises that you only need 5 minutes a day to prepare a loaf of bread.
I initially had a few set up problems (their recipe calls for organic unbleached all purpose flour) and I am still figuring out the yeast issue (Different brands of yeast will respond differently in relation to the amount of flour/ water ratio.
The base of the bread stuck a little to my baking paper (recipe calls for something else :s)
http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/ Here is the link if you are interested ;p I have not really refined my recipe (and still working out the kinks) and will probably have more time these few weeks to figure stuff out.
So I made char siew, using the recipe from the Sunday Times on 17 August.
But before we go there, take a look at the mess as a result of the cooking :s This aluminum foil was at the bottom of the rack that the meat was roasting on. It was black, but it was sugary goodness! ;p
But this is the yummy end result:
I tried to do something a little different this time - by placing a white towel at the bottom to help provide some color contrast. Good idea? *hmz* Another view:
Review? This char siew was great! ;p Now that I know how to do it, I will NEVER eat those bought outside again! The whole dish cost me less than $8, considering that I went to buy a more expensive cut of meat from a butcher at the wet market. (I actually find the meat in the supermarket a lower quality, the color of the meat always seems a bit too pale for my taste, whilst this guy in the market has pork a slightly darker pink rather than pale white.)
Char Siew (adapted from the Sunday Times article, Hazel Low's original recipe for Char Siew Buo Luo Bao)
350g pork shoulder
3/4 tsp talk
2 tbs sugare
3/4 tbs vegetable oil
3/4 tbs hoisin sauce (Didn't have this, substituted with oyster sauce and dark soya sauce ;p)
2 tbs light soya sauce
3/4 tbs shaoxing wine (Had JUST ran out of this, used a potent homemade wine left over from my confinement ;p Its the GOOD and STRONG stuff)
110g honey
2 small shallots, finely chopped (I didn't have this, used 2 small red onions instead)
1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
1. Cut pork shoulder into 4cm wide strips (I used 4 finger width. Why on earth would I bring a ruler into the kitchen!?). Rinse and pat dry
2. Combine salt, sugare, vegetable oil, hoisin sauce, shaoxing wine, 85g honey and shallots. Microwave for 20seconds, mix well.
3. Place pork into marinade and leave (as long as possible! I left it in the fridge in a re-sealable bag for 2 days). Note: Remember to remove as much excess air as possible from the bag before the final sealing. I think this has something to do with bacteria and raw meat (I am guessing...)
4. Preheat oven to 230C (at least 30 minutes). Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and place a metal rack on the tray (to save my anal clean soul, I also opted to spray a thin layer of canola oil and my roasting rack set up)
5. Remove pork from bag, drip/ pat dry. (Reserve the marinade!) Roast for 15 minutes. Turn to other side for 15 minutes after.
6. Flip pork, brush with remaining honey (15g), roast for 3 minutes. Repeat with other side for 2 minutes.
7. Remove pork and leave to rest. (Applying the western principle here, I think this allows the molecules in the meat to rest and 'suck back' their own juices so that the meat will not turn out too dry.
8. Place marinade into non stick pan, and bring to a boil. (The original recipe includes adding a cornflour mixture into the marinade to thicken it but I skipped that).
9. Allow marinade to reduce into a slightly sticky glaze, pop char siew and sesame seeds in and coat thoroughly. Voila! Good with a bowl of steamed rice and vegetables!
=====
I bought a book from an online bookstore, in essence, its a book that promises that you only need 5 minutes a day to prepare a loaf of bread.
I initially had a few set up problems (their recipe calls for organic unbleached all purpose flour) and I am still figuring out the yeast issue (Different brands of yeast will respond differently in relation to the amount of flour/ water ratio.
The base of the bread stuck a little to my baking paper (recipe calls for something else :s)
http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/ Here is the link if you are interested ;p I have not really refined my recipe (and still working out the kinks) and will probably have more time these few weeks to figure stuff out.