Garlic Beef with Ssamjang, Stir Fry Vegetables and Noodles

Welcome back!!  Well, we were forced indoors as the entire nation went into COVID-19 lockdown.  What better time to restart the blog.  I hope you missed it because I did.  Work, life, work, life keep getting in the way, but working on new dishes has kept me moving.

I wanted to start with something simple and outside.  The perfect weather makes the grill scream at me, and a quick marinade makes for a nice dinner.

With a quick move away from the usual Vietnamese fare, I ventured into a Korean type of beef.  Using some finger sized cuts of sirloin, I made an easy marinade and accompanied it with some stir fried vegetables and noodles.

Marinade
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup onion, minced
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 T mirin
2 T garlic, minced
1/2 T sesame oil
1 T black pepper
1 T korean chili powder (or red chili flakes)

Garnish- mint, sesame seeds, or anything you think might go well with grilled beef!  I made a Korean dipping sauce called ssamjang.  

Ssamjang
1/2 cup doenjang (Korean soybean paste)
3 T gochujang (Korean chili paste)
3 T sesame oil
1 T honey
1 T sesame seeds
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 t red chili flakes

Mix all ingredients very well

This amount is good for about a pound of beef.

Mix everything and whisk until sugar dissolves.  Pour over the beef and marinate for at least 2 hours up to about 8 hours.  Using a grill or a cast iron pan, cook the beef until it has a nice dark glaze on the outside.  Garnish with torn mint leaves.  This would go well with rice, but I had some vegetables to cook, so that recipe follows.

Stir Fried Vegetables and Noodles

Stir fry sauce- 

2.5 T brown sugar

1.5 T fish sauce

1 T soy sauce

Mix until sugar dissolves, set aside.

For one pound of various vegetables- I used red onions, mushrooms, squash, cabbage, broccoli, snow peas, asparagus, red bell pepper, but it is your choice!

One pound of cooked noodles, and I used spaghetti because that is what I had at the time.  This is a good way to move a small amount of various leftovers.

3-4 T vegetable or canola oil

2 T grated ginger

1 t red chili flakes

Heat wok or pan, add oil and stir fry vegetables until cooked through, add stir fry sauce, cook for another minute or two until glaze forms, add ginger and chili, and cook for another minute or so.  Add noodles, and working quickly, stir fry until hot.  If it seems a little dry, add a splash of water.   Remove from heat and splash with a few dashes of rice wine vinegar and a couple of twists of pepper.

Lately, my music of choice has been all over the place, so I needed something relaxing for the outdoor cooking session.  I went with Big Star.  If you are unfamiliar, check out the documentary.  The pioneering band of the early '70s laid a wonderful foundation for the '80s power pop phenom bands such as R.E.M., the Replacements, Afghan Whigs, and many, many others.

My recommendations as a quick introduction would be "The Ballad of El Good", "Thirteen", and "September Gurls".  A couple of other favorites are "Back of a Car" and "Feel".  The catalog is very small, and internal along with label issues led to a quick demise.  Check it out, as they deserve a look, and the documentary is very interesting.

Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Belly

Across the world, Asians began consuming this wonderful cut of meat centuries ago, possibly as early as 5000 B.C., and it is neither trendy nor unusual to find pork belly eaten throughout households of Asian-American families.  Scholars believe the Chinese were the first to domestic the wild boar and bring us the culinary use of pork.  Roasted whole pig adorns many tables during the Lunar New Year and other Asian celebrations.  The crispy outer layer of skin delights, and the entire animal is cherished for its sweet meat and wonderful hue.

Recently, a trend throughout America rages on in kitchens manned by everyday, workman chefs to the haute cuisine of the Napa Valley. Pork belly! Glance at almost any menu and the belly will hold a prominent spot as the pork option either in appetizer or entree form.

From Okinawa to China to Vietnam and back, the pig holds its place among the culinary treasures of the Orient. I would guess it is almost as wonderful as the "hand-carved alabaster bathing vessel" that Marcus Vindictus gifted to "Julius Caesar" in History of the World.   

Many Vietnamese versions include coconut water or milk and caramel sauce.  I was researching something different, and I adapted this from Charles Phan's Vietnamese Home Cooking.

Caramelized Pork Belly

1-2 lb. pork belly skin on

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp fermented red bean curd

1 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 Thai chili

4 pieces star anise

4 inch long pieces ginger
4 cloves garlic, mashed

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the pork belly.  Cook for 5 minutes, and remove the pork. Using a fork, poke holes in the skin and rub with half the soy sauce.  In a heavy bottomed pot, on medium high, heat the oil, and add pork, skin side down.  Lower to medium and cover the pot for about 10 minutes.  While this cooks, mix the remaining soy, oyster sauce, fish sauce, red bean curd, and sugar to make our braising seasoning.  The bean curd should be mashed to form a paste.   

Flip the belly over.  It should be nice and brown.  Cook on the other side for an additional 4 minutes.  Remove the pork and place it in a pan.  Pour the pork fat into a jar and reserve. Cover the pork with cold water allowing the skin to bubble.  Remove the pork and slice into 1/2 inch or so strips.  

In our pot, add a couple of tablespoons of pork fat and sweat the garlic and ginger.  When fragrant, add the braising paste, star anise, Thai chili and cook for another minute, and add about 2-3 cups of water.  Add the pork, mix well, cover and simmer for about one hour and thirty minutes.  

Never boring and always reliable, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers excels much like our beloved pork belly!  This Hall of Famer provides a blueprint on American rock classics.  Their debut album gave us the hits "Breakdown" and "American Girl", which paved the way for standouts such as "You Got Lucky", "The Waiting", "Refugee", and the amazing duet with Stevie Nicks "Stop Draggin My Heart Around."  

Petty churned out hit after hit over the next few years.  Full Moon Fever and Into the Great Wide Open  overlapped with his work in the supergroup the Travelin Wilburys (which included Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne).  

A huge influence on many of today's rockers, Petty brings FM radio to life.  When the local station becomes boring, just move over to internet radio or go back to 1985 and check out this outfit as he performs Refugee.

Green Tea Smoked Duck

Aside from using proper ingredients, developing regional cooking techniques remain the basis of authentic cuisine. Regardless of a dish's origin--whether it be European, Asian, African, or any other part of the world--it will have certain native characteristics and a combination of flavors that differentiate it from other areas of the same country. When you decide to cook a dish from a particular region, you must be knowledgable about the processes of that region's cooking, such as the breakdown of the meat or fish or the methods of smoking, searing, and poaching as they all vary from one place to the next. All are involved in making food delicious, each in its own unique way. Experimenting with the boundless ways in which different cuisines are prepared keeps cooking interesting and new.

Most of my blog recipes develop as I am cooking dinner or just trying to fool around with a new technique. Imagine my excitement when I decided to submit a recipe for the Maple Leaf Farms Duck Contest! Alas, I didn't place (darn!), but this recipe will teach you how to break down a whole duck. Of course if you wish, you can just buy duck pieces. This dish involves a pressure cooker, a quick stir-fry, searing, and a few other processes that might not be used everyday.

Duck, usually considered a summer dish in Vietnamese cooking, pairs well with ginger, but I did not include ginger in this recipe.  However, you could always serve this with ginger nuoc cham  by just adding minced ginger to the recipe.  I make a pan sauce by reducing the duck leg braising liquid then straining it.  The sauce becomes rich, but it pairs nicely with the rice cake.  

I know, I know...it involves a lot of steps, but if you have the time, it is well worth it! The side items are simple and can be paired with many other dishes. If you try it, let me know what you think--I am always open to hearing how your final product turns out! Even though my recipe didn't place, I am proud of it and I enjoyed working out all the nuances!

As Halloween approaches, I included my thoughts on the Smashing Pumpkins who were vital in my development of this dish.

Break down the whole duck-

1. Using a large cutting board and very sharp knife, lay the duck breast side up with the legs facing you.  

2. Remove any giblets and neck, which should be inside the cavity, and place them in a baking pan.  

3. Grasping a leg, make a cut between the body and leg slicing through the skin while separating the leg from the body.  Disjoint the leg from the socket and make a cut through the area removing the leg from the body.  Trim any excess skin from the leg, and place it in the pan.  Repeat with the other leg.  

4. Turn the duck around with the breasts facing you, and gently run the tip of the knife along the breastbone while slowly pulling the breast away from the body.  Work with a nice short stroke and continue to slice the breast until it is removed.  Trim the skin, and remove the tender from the muscle, and place in the pan.  Repeat with the other breast.  

5. Grab the wing and disjoint it by bending it outward and away from you.  Cut between the wing and body, and repeat the method with the other wing; place them in the pan.

Preparation of Duck Legs

Brine-

2 tbsp fish sauce

4 oz. palm sugar

3 cloves garlic smashed

1 tbsp lemongrass minced

1 each red onion, sliced

1 each carrot, medium dice

4 cloves garlic, mashed

2 cups water

¼ cup soy sauce

2 tbsp mirin

3 tbsp unsalted butter, cold

1 each duck neck

2 each duck wings

2 each duck legs

To brine the duck legs:

1. In a mortar and pestle, blend all ingredients until it becomes a paste.

2. Rub the legs with the paste, and place them in the refrigerator for one hour.

To cook the duck legs:

1. In the bottom of a pressure cooker, place the neck and wings.  

2. Add onion, carrot, garlic, water, soy, and mirin.  

3. Stack the duck legs on top of everything and cook on high for 20 minutes, then let it release naturally.

4. Gently remove the legs and place on a plate, cover to keep them warm.  

5. Strain the liquids into a saucepan, and slowly reduce the sauce on medium heat, skimming the fat, until there is 2/3 cup.  Whisk in butter one tablespoon at a time.  Shut off the heat and reserve. Check seasoning, but it should be good.

Cure-

2 tbsp kosher salt

1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns

2 tbsp black peppercorns

¼ tsp insta cure salt #1

2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine

2 each duck breasts

Smoking Ingredients-

½ cup rice

½ cup loose green tea

½ cup brown sugar

2 pieces star anise

2 pieces cinnamon

To cook duck breasts:

1. Using a wok or pot, line the bottom with enough aluminum foil to fold over the sides about 4-5 inches.  

2. Place all of the smoking ingredients in the wok, and put a rack or handful of chopsticks on top to make a smoker.  Make sure the hood is on and kitchen is well ventilated.  Turn heat on high until it begins to smoke.  It will make noise and pop loudly.  

3. Once it begins to smoke, place breasts on rack, close the foil to seal the smoker, and leave on medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, then shut off and smoke the duck for another 5-8 minutes (depending on the depth of smoke you wish to achieve).  

4. Remove the breasts and gently score the skin. In a low to medium hot nonstick pan, place the breasts skin side down and render the skin until crispy.   The duck will be rare prior to rendering the skin, so this step should not cook the duck much further, but it is absolutely necessary that you render the fat.  Once the skin is crispy, remove the breast to a cutting board and rest.    

Crispy Rice Cake-

¾ cup sushi rice

1 cup water

¼ cup green onions, thinly sliced

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

2 tsp fish sauce

2 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp sesame oil

Baby Bok Choy and Brown Beech Mushrooms

2 cups baby bok choy, washed

1 cup brown beech mushrooms, bottom root removed

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 oz. palm sugar

2 cloves garlic minced

2 tbsp canola oil

To prepare crispy rice cakes:

1. Cook rice according to directions on the package, and when it is finished, fold in the remaining ingredients except the oils, spread about ½ think on a sheet pan and chill.  

2. Using a damp biscuit cutter or knife, cut into rounds or squares.

3. In a nonstick pan, heat up oil and brown the cakes on both sides.

To cook bok choy and mushrooms:

1. Heat oil in a skillet, add garlic and cook until it just starts to brown.  Do not burn!  

2. Add mushrooms and sear on both sides, then add bok choy and cook until lightly wilted; deglaze with fish sauce and soy.  

3. As it begins to reduce, add the sugar and toss until it melts and the vegetables are coated in sauce.

My memories of the 90s are filled with fantastic music!!  The Smashing Pumpkins impacted my life much like this duck recipe.  Filled with hope and joy, I was enthralled with the psychedelic, garage style of the Chicago band.  Gish hit the stores (HA! Something today's youth cannot remember!), and "I Am One" hit my stereo.  The music of my college years changed forever.  

Siamese Dream followed then Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and the end was near.  Like a fading comet, my join with the Pumpkins was ending.  Maybe it was me, but I started losing interest.  However, I rekindled my fascination with Billy Corgan's music while working on this dish.  "1979", "Cherub Rock", "Hummer", and "Tristessa", to name a few, brought back wonderful feelings of excitement.  

However, not winning the contest was a bummer!  "Life's a bummer, when you're a hummer!"  Oh well, enjoy the recipe and turn on some rock!

Sweet and Sour Pork

The standard Chinese-American buffet appears to populate every corner of America. Overcooked chicken wings, frozen egg rolls, pizza, macaroni, and other odd creations fill the steam pans and bellies of numerous diners. Many of these dishes correlate to the general public's perception of Chinese/Asian cuisine. 

Among the more popular dishes is one most of us are familiar with- the bizarre, nuclear style of Chinese sweet and sour pork.  Glowing sauce and oddly fried orbs of pork that seem to find every buffet from Augusta to Boise. In the style of a Vietnamese caramelized pork, I twisted a few things around and came up with a nice version of our Chinese type dish but a much cleaner flavor.  

I must admit that the reddish-orange sauce of my youth bring back memories, but I think you will find this recipe extremely easy to recreate and tastier.  

Sweet N Sour Pork

2lb. pork shoulder cubed

 Marinade

2oz palm sugar

2tbsp soy sauce

1tbsp fish sauce

2tbsp black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2tbsp canola oil

1 red onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup pineapple, diced

4 roma tomatoes, quartered

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1 Thai chili, minced

smoked basmati rice (or regular basmati rice), Thai basil, Mint

Combine all the marinade ingredients and add pork.  Refrigerate for 2-4 hours.  Remove the pork from the marinade and reserve the liquid.  We will reduce it in our sauce.  Add oil to a skillet or wok and heat on high until it is very hot.  

Carefully add pork in small batches and sear on all sides until nicely browned.  When the pork is browned, remove to a plate and continue until you have seared each piece.  Then turn heat down to medium high and add onions.  

Brown the onions, then add the pineapple and garlic.  Be careful not to burn the garlic while browning the pineapple.  Add the tomatoes and cook until juices begin to run out, then deglaze with pineapple juice.  

Pour in the reserved marinade and the Thai chili, and reduced the liquid until it can coat a spoon.  Return the pork to the pan and toss in the sauce.  Serve with rice and herbs.   

Plate designed by Gerald Haessig

Chicken Curry

Mysterious spices traded amongst explorers and natives have long been the subject of legend and history. Fennel, tamarind, mustard seed, cumin, coriander, peppercorns, and many, many more varieties of spices were carried throughout the East and into far off magical worlds.  

With a mortar and pestle, the blending of these spices led to various curries. Some are wet while others are dry, and colors heightened by the various chilies continue to criss cross the world.  

The madras style yellow powder hails from the Tamil Nadu region of South India and includes an array of spices including turmeric (which gives the yellow color), fenugreek, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, tamarind, garlic, ginger, coriander, mustard seed, among others. Below is my version of a wonderful chicken curry in the Vietnamese style which includes plenty of french bread for sopping up liquid and on a bed of vermicelli.  Spicy, tart, sweet, and wonderfully rich, this is a mainstay of any Vietnamese household.  ENJOY!!!!



Ca Ri Ga- Chicken Curry

2 lbs. chicken thighs (bone in)

Rub

1 Thai Chili minced

2 tbsp curry powder

1 piece lemongrass- white part minced

2 cloves garlic minced

grind together in a mortar and pestle until it becomes a paste

2 tbsp canola oil

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 piece lemongrass, white parts minced

1 piece ginger, 2 inches long, minced

1 lb fingerling potatoes, quartered

1/2 lb roma tomatoes, quartered

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 can coconut milk

2 cups chicken stock

1 tbsp sugar

1 lime
salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

garnish with Vietnamese coriander, cilantro, green onions, and lime

serve over vermicelli with plenty of French bread for dipping!!

Thoroughly coat the chicken thighs with the rub.  In a heavy bottomed pot, heat up the oil, and sear the chicken on all sides until nicely browned.  Removed the thighs from the heat and add onions, carrots, lemongrass, and ginger.  Sweat until tender and aromatic.  Add the potatoes.  Coat the potatoes in the oil and seasoning, then season with the curry powder and fish sauce.  Pour in coconut milk and chicken stock.  Bring to a simmer and add the chicken, tomatoes, sugar, and juice of a lime.  Cook for about 25-30 minutes until chicken is done but tender.   Adjust seasoning if necessary.  A dash of fish sauce or sugar might be the trick!  

Dumplings/Hue Fried Rice

Sitting around the dinner table with friends and family leads to great stories and wonderful times. During these evenings, I enjoy making various dumplings which allows everyone can sit back and share the meal and fun while snacking on a parcel of goodness.

These are more traditional Chinese dumplings, as the Vietnamese style dumplings are usually made with tapioca starch or rice flour. Frequently, they are wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.  I will be using gyoza wrappers and pan frying a batch, also.  Follow closely as we have two techniques and both are enjoyable!!  

I also included a very simple fried rice recipe which originates from the central Vietnamese region of Hue.  

Steamed/Fried Pork Dumplings
3 oz dried wood ear mushrooms

1.5 oz bean thread vermicelli

2 lbs. ground pork

3 shallots minced

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp light soy

2 tsp black pepper
1 pack gyoza wrappers
bowl of water

Dipping Sauce
Soy Sauce
Roasted Chili Paste

Red Oil Sauce
4 tbsp red chili oil
2-3 tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic mashed
1 tbsp szechuan peppercorns
Mix all ingredients thoroughly

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Place 1 tbsp of filling in each wrapper, and rub the edge with water then pinch closed.  When all dumplings are filled, place them in a steamer and cook for about 10 minutes.   Mix soy and chili paste and dip dumplings.  ENJOY!!!

Alternative method- Fill wrappers with 1 tbsp of filling and fold in half.  Add 1/4 cup of canola oil in a skillet and place on medium heat.  When the oil is nice and hot, add a few dumplings and pan fry until golden brown.  Repeat until all dumplings are cooked.

Potstickers- Place a medium pan on med-high heat.  When it is hot, lightly coat with oil, add about 6-8 dumplings.  Let them brown for a minute, then add 1/2 cup of water and cover.  Steam for another 2-3 minutes.  Repeat until all dumplings are cooked.

Hue Fried Rice

3 cups cooked rice

Shrimp blend

3 tbsp dry shrimp (soak in water for about 30 minutes)

2 shallots, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Thai chili, minced

1 stalk lemongrass, minced

Pulse in a food processor or blend well in a mixing bowl to form a nice paste

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 onion, diced

2 tbsp water or stock

3 tbsp nuoc mam

fried shallots, herbs (basil, mint, Vietnamese coriander, cilantro)

In a hot wok or skillet, add oil and onions.  Stir fry until soft, add shrimp blend and stir fry until fragrant.  Add the rice and toss until the blend is well incorporated.  When the rice is coated with the shrimp mixture add water and nuoc mam.  Toss until it is thoroughly mixed and hot.  Serve topped with fried shallots and fresh Vietnamese herbs.