Twice Cooked Pork

    Here is a very easy and delicious introduction to Szechwan cooking. Pork is simmered first in one piece, a day or two in advance, then it is sliced and stir-fried with green peppers and hot seasonings. You end up with a bonus of pork broth for soup, too.

INGREDIENTS:  

·         1 pound boneless lean pork, in 1 piece.

·         2 tbsp dry sherry.

·         1 quarter-size slice fresh ginger, crushed with the side of a cleaver.

·         3 whole green onions.

·         2 tsp hot bean sauce or 2 small, dry, hot Chile peppers, crumbled and seeded(if desired)

·         4 tsp sweet bean sauce or hoisin sauce.

·         1 tbsp soy sauce.

·         1 tsp sugar.

·         2 small green peppers or 1 green and 1 red bell pepper.

·         3 tbsp salad oil.

·         ½ tsp salt.

·         2 cloves garlic, minced.

·         1 tsp fresh ginger minced.

·         Spring onions to garnish.

PREPERATION:

·         In a 2-quart pan, place pork, sherry, and the slice of ginger.

·         Cut 1 of the green onions in half and add to pork.

·         Add enough water to barely cover; bring meat to simmering.

·         Cover and simmer until meat is tender when pierced with a fork (about 45 minutes).

·         Remove meat from broth and chill.

·         When a meat is cold, cut in 1 ½ by 1 ½-inch pieces 1/8 inch thick.

·         The fatty parts of the meat are considered a delicacy, but remove them if you wish.

·         In a bowl, combine the hot bean sauce or chilly peppers, sweet bean sauce, soy, and sugar.

·         Seed green peppers and cut in 1-inch squares.

·         Cut the remaining 2 green onions in 1-inch lengths.

·         Heat a wok or wide frying pan over high heat.

·         When a pan is hot, add 2 tbsp of the oil.

·         When oil is hot, add peppers and stir-fry for 1 ½ minutes, adding a few drops water if pan appears       dry.

·         Sprinkle with salt, stir once, and then remove peppers from pan.

·         Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to pan.

·         When oil begins to heat, add garlic and minced ginger.

·         Stir once, then add pork and stir-fry for 1 minute.

·         Add bean sauce mixture and toss until pork coated with sauce.

·         Return peppers to pan along with onion.

·         Stir and cook for 30 seconds to heat through.

·         Garnish with spring onions. Makes 3 to 4 servings.

Pork Stuffed Clams

Small clam shells make neat serving containers for this alloy of pork and clams. The easiest way to serve this as an appetizer is to place 3 or 4 shells on each small serving plate and provide small forks.

INGREDIENTS:

·        2 pounds small clams in the shell

·        1 cup water.

·        ½ pound boneless lean pork finely chopped or ground.

·        ¼ cup water chestnuts, finely chopped.

·        1 whole green onions, minced

·        1 tbsp each soy sauce, dry sherry, and cornstarch.

·        ½ tsp each salt and minced fresh ginger.

·        1 tsp sugar.

·        Dash of white paper.

PREPARATION:

·        Scrub clams well with a brush.

·        Place in a wide frying pan and add water.

·        Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until all the shells open (about 5 minutes).

·        Cool; drain off broth and save for soup.

·        Remove clams from shells; finely chop clam meat.

·        Separate each shell to make two halves.

·        Combine clams with pork, water chestnuts, onion, soy, sherry, cornstarch, salt, ginger, sugar and pepper; mix well.

·        Mound about 4 tsp clam pork mixture inside of each shell.

·        Arrange shells by the filled side upward on heat proof plates that will fit inside a steamer.

·        Cover and refrigerate for as long as 8 hours, but bring to room temperature before steaming.

·        To cook, place plate on a rack in steamer, cover, and steam over boiling water for 20 minutes or until pork is cooked throughout.

·        Serve the first portion while you steam the second.

·        It makes about 20 filled shells.

Drunken Chicken

            Because it cooks by steaming, this chicken stays tender. The longer it marinates in sherry, the drunk it becomes. Traditionally the meat is left on the bone and hacked into small pieces, but for easier eating, bone the chicken before you marinate it.

Ingredients:

1.      1 ½ Pounds chicken breasts,

2.      2 tsp salt,

3.      2 whole green onions,

4.      2 thin slices fresh ginger. Crushed with the side of a cleaver,

5.      ½ cup dry sherry.

Preparation:

·          Split chicken breasts into half.

·          Rub with salt, cover, and chill it for 2 hours.

·          Pour off any liquid that forms, and place the chicken in a heat-proof bowl that will fit inside a steamer.

·          Cover with onions and ginger. Steam over boiling water for 30 minutes.

·          Remove from heat and let chicken and cooking juices cool.

·          Pull meat off bones in a large pieces and place in a plastic bag with cooking juices and sherry.

·          Seal bag and refrigerate for at least 1 day or as long as 4 days.

·          Turn bag occasionally to distribute marinade.

·          To serve, remove meat from marinade, cut in bite size pieces, and arrange on a serving dish.

·          Serve cool for up to 6-8 servings. 

Note (Add some chilly paste in marinade if you needed it a little spicy)

Barbecued Pork

     Barbecued pork is so delicious to eat and can be used so many ways that you may want to keep small portion of it on hand in the freezer. The Chinese serve it as an appetizer, and as garnish to provide extra flavour for fried rice, won ton soup, noodles, or stir-fried vegetables.

INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp each honey, sugar, and dry sherry
• 1 tsp each salt and Chinese five-spice.
• 3 quarter-size slices fresh ginger, crushed with the side of a cleaver.
• 3 pounds boneless lean pork.

PREPARATION:

·        In a pan, combine soy, honey, sugar, sherry, salt, five-spice, and ginger.

·        Heat for 1 minute to dis-solve sugar; cool.

·        Cut meat in 1-inch thick slices and place in a plastic bag.

·        Pour cooled marinade over meat, then seal and refrigerate for 4 hours or until next day.

·        Turn bag occasionally to distribute marinade.

·        Remove meat from marinade and place on a rack set over a foil-lined baking pan; reserve marinade.

·        Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

·        Turn pieces over and continue baking for 45 minutes, brushing occasionally with reserved marinade.

·        Cut in thin slices and serve hot or cold.

·        Makes about 2 ½ pounds barbecued pork.

Star Anise Beef Tongue

               The Chinese serve an appetizer cold plate with thin slices of cooked meat the way we serve cold cuts. The slices are cut in bite-size pieces are arranged in neat overlapping layers. This recipe for tongue and variation with pork are good choices to serve a fairly large group.

INGREDIENTS:

1.      3 pound fresh beef tongue,

2.      3 cups water,

3.      ½ cup soy sauce,

4.      3 tbsp dry sherry,

5.      2 tbsp sugar,

6.      3 quarter-size slices fresh ginger, crushed with the side of a cleaver,

7.      2 cloves garlic, minced, and

8.      2 whole star anise or 2 tsp anise seeds and two 2-inch cinnamon sticks.

PREPARATION:

·        Place tongue in a 4-quart or larger pan.

·        Add water, soy, sherry, sugar, ginger, garlic, and star anise.

·        Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, turning meat occasionally, for 2 hours.

·        Remove tongue and cool slightly; remove and discard skin and any fat, then return meat to pan.

·        Continue simmering, covered, until meat is fork tender for about 1 hour.

·        Lift out meat, cool, cover, and chill until cold.

·        Thinly slice meat across the grain; cut large slices in half crosswise.

·        Makes 12-14 servings.

STAR ANISE PORK:

·        Follow directions for star anise tongue, substitute pork for the tongue. A 3-pound piece of bone less pork butt or shoulder or, for neater slices, 2 or 3 pork tenderloins (1/2 lb. Each).

·        Cook pork butt or shoulder for 2 ½ hours or pork tenderloin for 1 hour or until meat is fork tender.