Ben Hong

Uh oh, this is the year of the DOG.

Hmmm, I lurked on this thread for weeks trying to find one kernel of truth, one scintilla of rationale, one soupcon of logic as to why "sous vide" is demanding so much attention. Alas, my powers of perception may be failing me in my dotage. So could someone please explain to me the advantages of this style of cooking? Is there more to it than "boil in the bag"? Why would anyone take those extra steps in the cooking process to further denature what are perfectly good ingredients, much less increase the time factor? And, does the term "sous vide" mean that the death knell has tolled for "carmelizing" which was the buzzword of the past 10 years or so? Scads of fads, huh? Strange!

I have been invited to the Malaysian/Singapore Student Society at the local university for a buffet tonight. I want to see if they can cook as well as Teepee.

Re: salinity. The best answer I can give you is "according to taste". Lop yook is considered one of those salty meats that is used in small proportions in a dish or as a meal extender on the Chinese table. Lean towards the saltier side (dark soy and salt). Re: saltpetre. Not essential if you will be keeping lop yook refrigerated, but it is a nice safety measure if the stuff is to be kept in dry storage. Alcohol performs the same function, as a bactrerial inhibitor, and because it adds that characteristic taste to the finish product, I always use a bit. Re: sugar. After you mix the marinade but before you add the pork, taste it. The marinade should have a "heavy" taste that comes from the dark soy, and sugar and salt combination. Re: time. The longer the meat is marinaded the more intense the flavour. I usually leave mine overnght. Re: Temps and conditions. I used to hang the stuff in my sunporch late in the fall with the windows open at least a few hours each day. A cool basement would work as long as you use a fan to move air around it and it is less than 60 degreesF. Re: right feel. The lop yook should be stiff and dry to the touch like the stiffness if a dry pepperoni (but not iron bar stiff). Re: precision??? Ya gotta be kidding. Best recommendation is to buy some commercial stuff and use that as a benchmark. We Chinese use all five senses when we cook and the trial and error method What I tell you now may be heresy to some, but it is generally the right way. Re: Lop cheong or Chinese sausage. I prefer the commercial stuff, so why bother. [bGUNG HAY FAT CHOY

That CNY 2005 thread reminds me that someone still owes the group a picture of herself in that famous cheongsam. C'mon, ya got 30 hours left of this year.

And well.....??? lean over and tell your old Uncle Ben.

Whoops!

"Taiwanese"" are Chinese, so the usual rules apply.

Well, it does this Old Codger good to see all the happiness in this little "family" of ours. Sassybat, congratulations on you upcoming nuptuals, "duck caller" belated congratulations on your recent marriage, and to our Prodigal GastroGirl, welcome back. You returned just in time to see the advent of the New Year. I have never heard the term "angbao" used before as I (we) always used the term "hungbao". Is it because of dialects and accents or is it another term?

It's not what you bring, but the act that counts. Tangerines or oranges are perfectly good choices, even if they have a roomful. Just don't go empty handed. There are other token things like a platter of nuts, seed, preserved fruits, etc. that is very common at the time.

Mizducky, I am really enjoying your blog and please allow me to offer some hints. If you refer back to the Chinese Board about 3-4 months ago to the "five blossom" pork thread, you will see that the recipe I posted called for a) piercing the skin after the scald, b) deeply scoring the meat side of the meat to a depth of halfway through(allows for max. drainage of fat) c) apply the marinade to the meat side and then allow it to dry for a few hours skin side up(very important to have dry skin ) d) when roasting, slightly prop up the meat on one side so the fats can drain off (sitting oil on skin will prevent blistering, and you DO want blisters) e)my marinade usually includes a dollop of hoisin sauce , the s&s taste of hoisin will offset the greasy taste of the "five blossom pork" (my paternal grandfather coined the phrase).

I've never had Cantonese glue before, thank you very much. Jook is pretty difficult to screw up. My rice/water ration is 1/6, consisting of half 'n half unscented long grain and glutinous rices. Oh TP, you (and your mother) sure know how to trigger a man's salivary glands!!

Hmmm, I waited a week before asking this question. Why would anyone try to make Sha Cha sauce? People generally do not go through the trouble of making soy sauce, ketchup, worcestershire, HP, mam nuoc, etc. ...or do they?

Ah Dear TP, that's a story for another time. My Muse of the occasion, Diana , the Goddess of the hunt, has to visit before that's to happen.

Ah Leung. His modus operandi was to sell cookbooks to the neophyte and perhaps, dare I say, the non-Chinese. In my restaurant days, I sold a lot of s&s spareribs, stewed garlic ribs, chop suey, not very Chinese, but ...consider the era and the audience.

←

Coleman's or Keene's

Same way as you do the dried stuff without the reconstitution(soaking).

I've never had fried rice made with any kind of brown rice. I guess it ain't Chinese enough. Mais, tout a son gout.

Marlene, yes the tip of your finger should just be touching the rice and the water should be at the crease of the first knuckle. Johnny H, using a rice cooker is virtually foolproof (for some people) if you have already mastered cooking rice on the stovetop. Most rice cookers have a non stick pot, and the method does not give you a crust at the bottom, they are carefree (you don't have to anything after turning it on) and they eliminate the potential for burning the bottom of the rice. It took me 50 years, but 13 years ago, I switched and never looked back. One thing that a rice cooker doesn't give is that toasted aroma of the stovetop cooked rice. And, another thing I miss is the crunchy, toasty bottom crust ("noong" in Chinese), one of life's simple pleasures.

In eastern Canada (boonies) catering to clientele comprised 100% white folks long ago, the demand was for "fluffy, separate grained rice, fried or otherwise". So, we hit upon the idea of using Uncle Ben's converted crap. This "rice" is an abomination to us Chinese, but it was preferred by the clientele . You can literally use it in fried rice right after the rice cooker stopped...no overnight cooling, no work separating the grains. Pretty amazing stuff, the Jeep of rices, industructible and above all "good looking"

Oh, I see. My diagnosis is way too much water. Try this, after rinsing the rice add cooking water to a depth of the first knuckle of your index finger above the rice, if you are long of finger, a little less. Rice is cheap, so go with trial and error. Oh, another monkey wrench coming your way. The consistency of the cooked rice is sometimes affected by the age of the rice you buy. A lot of the Thai and finer rices come with the year of harvest noted on the bag. Buy the latest harvest, as rice dries out. New rice has better mouth feel and better taste. One of my fondest food memories is the harvest time meals my mother would make using freshly husked rice two hours after harvest. There is absolutely nothing that tastes like it, at least to this old coolie.

Marlene, it all depends on what you call clumpy and sticky. We Asians (especially Chinese) like our rice moist and clumpy, sticky. That is we don't aspire to Minute Rice fluffiness or Uncle Ben's looseness.

So... while in Hong Kong, why not try out the genuine Chinese "hot pot" which are available everywhere, instead of going out of the way to seek for a Hong Kongers' rendition of the Japanese Shabu Shabu? ←