chinese cuisine 🧧
sweet red braised pork belly, best served with rice.
a traditional british comfort food filled with meat and vegetables.
moist sponge cake covered with toffee sauce and ice cream.
ingredient list:
- 1.3lb pork belly
- 1 cup shaoxing rice wine
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 5 slices ginger
- 2 pc star anise
- 2 bay leaf
- 20g rock sugar (or 1 tbsp reg. sugar)
recipe:
1. cut pork belly into 1 inch cubes. add into a pot with cold water, then boil over high heat.
2. skim off the froth with a spoon as its boiling. drain the meat in a colander, then rinse with water.
3. add the pork into a new, clean pot (about an 8in pot). pour in the rice wine and hot water, so that it barely covers the meat. add the soy sauces, ginger, star anise, and bay leaves.
4. bring liquid to a boil. cover with a lid, simmering over low heat for 1-1.5 hours, or until meat is fork-tender. stir the meat around a few times during the process.
5. uncover the pot and add sugar. turn the heat to high. boil fiercely until the broth reduces, covering just the bottom of the pot. make sure to stir occasionally.
6. turn off and remove from heat. serve with steamed rice and/or other dishes of your choice.
enjoy!
ingredient list:
- 1/2 cup oil, divided
- 1 fresh thai bird chili pepper, thinly sliced
- 6 dried red chilies, rougly chopped
- 1/2 tbsp sichaun peppercorn
- 3 tbsp ginger, minced
- 3 tbsp garlic, minced
- 8 oz ground pork
- 1 tbsp spicy bean sauce
- 2/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 lb silken tofu, 1in cubes
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp seasame oil
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1 green onion
recipe:
chili oil:
1. heat a wok over low heat. add half the oil, and add the peppers. stir occasionally, heating until fragrant (~5 min). remove from heat once done.
sauce:
2. heat the remaining half of the oil in the wok, over medium heat. add ginger, then wait a minute. add the garlic, frying that for another minute. turn the heat to high, adding the pork. break up the meat, frying it until it's cooked. add the sichuan peppercorns, stirring for about 20 seconds.
3. add in the spicy bean sauce and chicken broth, stirring well. let simmer for about a minute. while waiting, combine the water and cornstarch in a seperate bowl. add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce, stirring. let it bubble until the sauce begins to thicken.
4. add the premade chili oil, stirring into the sauce. add the tofu next, and gently coat the tofu in the sauce. let cook for 3-5 mins. add the seasame oil, sugar, and green onion, stirring until the green onion is wilted.
enjoy!
ingredient list:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 12 tbsp unsalted butter, slightly softened
- 2 tbsp cold water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup hot water
- 1/2 cup evaportated milk
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
recipe:
dough:
1. combine flour and salt in a bowl.
2. cut butter into small cubes, adding it to the bowl. break up the butter with your fingers. it should have a coarse crumb texture, with small chunks of butter.
3. add in the water, bringing the dough together with your hands. add up to 3 more teaspoons of water if necessary. the dough should be scraggly and dry once done. wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for 20 minutes (this is necessary so that the flour absorbs mositure!).
4. after chilling, roll the dough into a 6x15in rectangle on a floured surface. fold the top third of the dough down to the center, then the bottom third up and over that. give the dough a quarter turn, and roll out again into a 6x15in rectangle. fold the same way as before, cover, and chill for another hour.
filling:
5. make the filling while waiting. in a bowl, dissolve the sugar into 1 the hot water, and allow the mixture to cool to room temp. in a seperate bowl, whisk the evaporated milk, eggs, and vanilla together. add the milk mixture into the sugar water, whisking it thoroughly. strain this mixture through a fine meshed strainer, into a large measuring cup. there should be about 2 to 2 1/4 cups of custard.
bake:
6. preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). position an oven rack to the lower third of the oven.
7. roll the dough about 0.2in thick. cut into 4in circles to fit into tart tins. leave a lip going over the top of the cup. take the excess dough, re-roll it, and cut more circles until you have about 16 of them.
8. fill the tart shells 3/4 full, or to the point where the lip of the dough starts curving outwards (if you have a lot of lip).
9. add the pan to the oven. reduce the heat to 350°F (180°C). bake for 26-29 mins, until the filling is set.
10. remove from oven and let sit for 10 mins.
enjoy!