Even more chili-laced stuff to devour with your rice. Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-06-29 | In our ongoing series of "Over Rice Dishes" (a.k.a. Rice Killers, 'Send the rice down' dishes, or xiafancai), we'll swing over to the Sichuan province to look at a couple (perhaps) lesser known abroad Sichuan dishes.0:00 - Do we really need to explain why?1:01 - Zha cai3:12 - Yuxiang Omelette7:23 - Celery with Beef, aka The Dish11:01 - We'll do more, promiseLIANGBAN ZHACAI (凉拌榨菜, a Zhacai cold dish)* Zhacai (榨菜), 1 pack, 80g* Garlic (大蒜), 1 clove, minced* Cilantro (芫荽), 1 sprig, chopped* Toasted white sesame seeds (熟白芝麻), 1 tsp* Sugar, 1/4 tsp* Dark Chinese vinegar (陈醋 or 香醋), 1/2 tsp* Toasted sesame oil (麻油/香油), 1/2 tspUnpack the zhacai, mix with everything, and done. FISH FRAGRANT OMELETTE (鱼香烘蛋)* Egg, 4* To mix with the eggs: Cornstarch (生粉), 1 tsp Water, 1 tbsp Vinegar (醋), 1/4 tsp* Lao Gan Ma "pickled chili" OR Hunan Chopped Chili OR Sichuanese Pickled Erjingtiao (糟辣椒 or 剁椒 or 泡二荆条), 1 heaping tbsp or 20g, finely minced* Aromatics: Ginger (姜), half inch or 5g, minced Garlic (大蒜), 3-4 big cloves or 10g, minced Scallion (小葱), 1 sprig or 12-15g, separate the white and green, minced* Sauce: Soy sauce (生抽/酱油), 2 tsp Chinese dark vinegar (陈醋 or 香醋), 2 tsp Sugar, 2 tsp Salt, 1/4 tsp MSG (味精), 1/4 tsp Potato starch (生粉/土豆淀粉), 1/2 tbsp Water, 1/2 cupMince the pickled chili and aromatics (separate out the scallion green), mix the sauce, set aside.Mix starch with water and vinegar, crack in the eggs, whisk till foamy.Long yau: get your wok piping hot, shut off heat, add in 3 tbsp oil and give it a swirl. Heat the oil till a drop of egg can puff up immediately when added in.Pour in the egg, when the side is form, start pushing it towards the center for form layers, repeat this motion, meanwhile tilt and swirl the wok to cook the bottom evenly. Once no liquid egg is flowing, gently flip and fry the other side for about 2 minutes.Heat off, take the egg out on a serving plate, set aside.Add 1 tbsp oil to wok, heat on low, add in the pickled chili, fry till oil is stained red, then add in the aromatics, fry for 1 minutes. Stir the sauce, then add to the wok. Turn the heat to high, keep stirring. Once it come to a boil and thickens slightly, add in most of the scallion, stir. Heat off.Ladle sauce onto the omelette, sprinkle on the remaining scallion.MINCED BEEF WITH CELERY (芹菜碎牛肉, aka THE DISH)* Celery (western 西芹 or Chinese 香芹), 220g* Beef loin (牛里脊), 150g, minced* Marinade for the beef: Dark soy sauce (老抽), 1/4 tsp Liaojiu aka Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1 tsp Salt, 1/8 tsp Cornstarch (生粉), 1/2 tsp* Sichuan chili broad bean paste, i.e. Pixiandoubanjiang (郫县红油豆瓣酱), 1 tbsp or 15g* Aromatics: Ginger (姜), half inch or 5g, minced Garlic (大蒜), 3-4 big cloves or 10g, minced* Sauce for finishing the stir fry: Soy sauce (生抽/酱油), 1/2 tbsp MSG (味精), 1/4 tsp Cornstarch (生粉), 1 tsp Water, 2 tbspCut the beef into strips then a dice, then mince for 5 minutes. Mix with the marinade and set side.Peel off any fibrous outer layer with western celery. Cut into half, split the wider part into 3-4 strips and thinner part into 2-3. Cut into half cm dice. Mix with 1/4 tsp salt, purge for 10 minutes. Roughly chop the celery leaves, set aside sperately.Mince the aromatics and make the sauce.Squeeze the celery to expel as much water as possible.Long yau: get your wok piping hot, shut off the heat, add in 2 tbsp oil, give it a swirl to get a nice nonstick surface.Heat on medium high, add in beef, quickly break it up. Fry it until the color's changed and the beef is cooked.Heat off, scooch the beef to the side, add in 1 tbsp oil then the chili broad bean paste. Fry on low heat for ~1.5 minute till the oil is stained red.Add in the aromatics, fry for ~1.5 minute till fragrant, mix beef back in. Turn heat on high, quick fry then add in celery, another super brief fry, add in the stir fry sauce. Quick mix.Heat off, add in celery leaves, mix and out.
a simple peanut milk soup, from Yunnan Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-11-28 | Peanut Milk Soup! A classic throughout southern Yunnan, and a great way to complete a (potentially spicier) meal.0:00 - why eat this soup0:46 - thin version2:56 - thick version4:09 - cross cultural sillinessFULL WRITTEN RECIPE... is over on the Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/peanut-milk-soup______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
63 Chinese Cuisines: the Complete Guide Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-11-19 | People often say that there's eight Chinese cuisines. We counted 63 in the mainland, plus another 7 outside.We probably undercounted.This was our best shot.0:00 - How many cuisines again?2:00 - Methodology, and Guangdong10:20 - Guangxi11:27 - Guizhou12:34 - An aside on the definition of Chinese14:19 - Yunnan16:27 - Tibet18:03 - Sichuan and Chongqing19:37 - Hubei20:21 - Hunan21:23 - Jiangxi22:26 - Fujian23:59 - Zhejiang25:48 - Shanghai, Tianjin, Harbin, and Hong Kong27:48 - Jiangsu29:05 - South Anhui and Lu An29:42 - An aside on North China methodology30:50 - Anhui and Jiangsu North31:06 - Henan and Shandong32:10 - Shanxi, Hebei, and Beijing33:04 - Dongbei region34:31 - Inner Mongolia and the Northwest37:11 - Hainan37:52 - What's the point evenFULL, WRITTEN GUIDEIs over on Substack! With more detail than you ever knew you wanted! chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/63-chinese-cuisines-the-completeWU ZHENG'S THOUGHTSHis unvarnished thoughts on Northern cuisines can be found here:https://scarlet-appolonia-14.tiiny.site/and his IG: instagram.com/woksteampunk______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Big Plate Chicken Noodles, from Shanxi (运城大盘鸡) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-10-15 | Yuncheng-style Big Plate Chicken! A fascinating - and aggressively delicious - dish that is a great twist on the Xinjiang classic.0:00 - Big Plate Chicken is kinda weird0:41 - Introducing Yuncheng-style Big Plate Chicken2:55 - Chenmian prep, the day before7:31 - The braise10:28 - Chenmian pulling11:35 - Finish the braise12:01 - How to eat this thingFULL, DETAILED WRITTEN RECIPE... is over on the Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/big-plate-chicken-noodle-soupA MEA CULPA RE KNEADING TECHNIQUEIf you're coming to this description looking for a full, uncut video of the kneading process... I missed up. I thought I remembered recording one back when we made our previous Chenmian video, but apparently that was an Imgur album, not an uncut video. imgur.com/a/ajYMI2aReally sorry about that. Next time we have this sort of Chenmian in a recipe, we'll try to record an uncut video for you at that time, similarly hoping to remember to update this here.A XING'S CHANNELIn case you got lost or something, it's here: youtube.com/@ChineseFoodTour______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
What weve learned after 7 years of using MSG Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-10-05 | We've been using MSG in our recipes for seven years (give or take), so we thought it was high time for a retrospective - as well as a redo of our old Yunnan smashed cucumber salad.0:00 - fine lets talk about the health thing i guess5:05 - 7 year msg anniversary cucumber8:11 - The real origin of MSG hateFULL, WRITTEN RECIPEIs over on Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said. We cover some of the same ground we covered in the video, so definitely do click the 'jump to recipe' bit:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/celebrating-seven-years-of-msg______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Tenderize by Velveting: a Skeptics Guide Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-09-24 | People say that 'Velveting' is the key to the "Chinese Restaurant Stir Fry". So why doesn't the word exist in the Chinese language?0:00 - What is velveting?1:11 - A Guide for velveting4:11 - An unhinged rant8:13 - Too much Chris, where's Steph?FULL, DETAILED VELVETING GUIDEIs over on Substack! Check out more velveting information than you've ever wanted over here: chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/a-guide-to-velvetingThat said, might as well be helpful and copy it over here too...IN CASE YOU NEED IT RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOWFirst, thinly slice your meat against the grain. For most applications, aim for ~3mm thick ‘sheets’ of meat. From there, if you like, you can slice those sheets again into small slivers (or even once again into a small dice). Alternatively, you could also cube the meat into a half centimeter dice.Next, marinate the meat. Mix the meat in with the following ingredients, per ~200g:Salt, ¼ tspSugar, ½ tspWhite -or- black pepper, ⅛ tspLight soy sauce (生抽), ¼ tspDark soy sauce (老抽), ¼ tspShaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), ½ tspEgg white, ½ eggCornstarch, 2 tspBaking soda, ¼ tsp -or- Sodium Carbonate, 1/8 tsp -or- Kan Sui lye water, 1/8 tsp -or- Papain (Chinese Meat Tenderizer powder), 1/8 tspOil, to coat, ~1/2 tbspThe above is applicable to Pork and Deboned Chicken.For beef, also add in 2 tbsp of water and an optional 1 tsp of oyster sauce.Shrimp, tofu, organ, and fish all have their own considerations during prep – you can check out our shrimp guide here and our (old) tofu guide here. Fish, organ, and bone-in poultry we’ll need to cover sometime in the future.Finally, shallow fry the meat. I.e. “pass through oil”.Get a wok with 1-2 cups of oil up to ~150C, or until the oil can lightly bubble around a pair of chopsticks. You could also use a pot or a skillet with ~1cm of oil (enough to submerge the ingredient).Over a high flame, cook the ingredient until it visibly looks ‘done’, 30-45 seconds. Transfer to a spider or strainer to let the excess oil drip off before you add it to your stir fry.______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: 三月会 by 蛮虎乐队 youtube.com/watch?v=Z6gMzCpZbgw
How to Love Zha Cai Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-09-15 | Zhacai, the number one pickled vegetable in China. It's everywhere at Chinese grocers, so how do you actually eat it?0:00 - The easiest way to enjoy zhacai1:58 - Zhacai purchasing3:11 - Simple Zhacai with cucumber3:47 - Zhacai stir fry with egg5:12 - Zhacai beef over steamed rice noodles7:25 - Balancing Zhacai SalinityFULL, DETAILED RECIPES... are over on the Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/how-to-love-zha-caiIn the accompanying post, we also included recipes for Zhacai Pork Slivers as well as a basic Zhacai salad.______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Fixing Spaghettis Asian Soup Problem Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-09-03 | ... with weimian! Classic from Yangzhou - a dish with a simple twist that fits spaghetti like a glove.0:00 - What's Spaghetti's Problem?1:40 - The Solution2:41 - Making Yangzhou Braised Noodles5:44 - Okay, but what's ACTUALLY used in Yangzhou?FULL, WRITTEN RECIPE... is over on Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/fixing-spaghettis-asian-soup-problem______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Where are Thai Salads from? Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-08-24 | Is there any possible Chinese connection when it comes to the Thai salads? Let's take a ride on the Han river, see if there's any clues in Hakka Meizhou.0:00 - So this is pretty weird2:09 - Hakka Yam Beef4:36 - Thai Yam Beef7:00 - WTF's going on, our best guessFULL, DETAILED WRITTEN RECIPE... is over on Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/are-thai-salads-hakka-chineseABOUT THAT SIMMERED SUGARThe golden syrup in the yam recipe is a substitute for ‘simmered sugar’ (น้ำตาลเคี่ยว), a common ingredient in Thai street food dishes. The channel Gin Dai Aroi Duay has a recipe here:youtube.com/watch?v=cQJZicqIBowThe basic logic is to simmer palm sugar (or a mix of palm sugar and granulated sugar) in with water, a touch of fish sauce, and some sort of sour component – Gin Dai Aroi Duay uses tamarind, but I’ve often seen lime as well. ______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Gutter Oil: The Real Story Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-08-18 | 0:00 - The Viral Gutter Oil Phenomenon4:54 - The History of Gutter Oil10:43 - The Waste Oil Recycling Ecosystem19:19 - Is there Gutter Oil in 2024?25:34 - My advice______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Fujian Fried Rice (福建炒饭) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-08-07 | Fujian Fried Rice! Might not be from Fujian (wait what?), but it's hard to go wrong with egg fried rice smothered in seafood gravy.0:00 - What (and where) is Fujian Fried Rice2:10 - Making the Gravy6:03 - Overly sassy aside on Fried Rice Technique6:42 - Making Fried Rice via the Steaming Method8:19 - Meal Mise and what to do with GailanFULL, WRITTEN RECIPEIs over on Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/fujian-fried-riceIngredient list is a little long, so check it out over there.______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Why are some Recipes so Unscientific? Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-07-12 | "An inch of ginger". Okay man... what's that in grams?0:00 - The short answer1:01 - Why volume kinda sucks3:59 - Why weight also kinda sucks7:15 - How to learn to go by feel10:33 - An overly self effacing outroThe audio in this video was kind of rough in parts I know, so this video also exists in written form if you prefer over on the Substack (free as always):chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/inches-of-ginger-and-why-recipes______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystified
The “Tropical” Chinese Sensation of “Hainan” Coconut Chicken Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-07-05 | Hainan Coconut chicken hotpot! Is... not from Hainan?0:00 - A Hainan Vacation in a Pot1:06 - The Actual Origin, probably3:05 - Making it as a hot pot5:47 - De-hotpot-ifying the dish7:12 - Classic hot pot additions for this dish?FULL, WRITTEN RECIPE (INCLUDING THE CLAYPOT RICE)Is over on the Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/hainan-coconut-chicken-hotpot______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Crispy Mint Ribs (traditional Yunnan drinking food) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-06-26 | Mint fried ribs, i.e. 薄荷排骨! Classic dish from the Yunnan province, fantastic choice to go alongside a bit of Baijiu.0:00 - The Traditional Shengzha Technique1:25 - Make it4:32 - Eat itFULL, WRITTEN RECIPEIs over on the Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/crispy-mint-ribs______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Cantonese Rice Plates (碟头饭) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-06-19 | Dip Tau Fan! A lunchtime staple in Guangdong, in this video we'll teach you three reasonably easy (not-roast-meat) options (香菇滑鸡饭 滑蛋牛肉饭 餐蛋饭).0:00 - I love rice plates1:01 - The OG Cantonese rice plate2:02 - Saucy Egg and Beef5:50 - Saucy Chicken and Mushroom8:46 - Spam, Hotdog, and Fried Egg9:45 - Diptoufan-ify anythingFULL, WRITTEN RECIPEIs over on the Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/cantonese-rice-plates______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Tomato, Garlic, and Basil* in Chinas Noodle Heartland (荆芥拌面) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-06-11 | Jingjie mixed noodles! A homecooking classic from the Henan province, this noodle dish features a lesser known combination of (1) tomato (2) garlic and (3) basil.0:00 - wait what1:48 - Stewed Tomato and Eggs3:42 - Garlic water and seasoning4:15 - Fresh noodles, if you want6:47 - Assembly7:18 - Other seasoning choices?FULL WRITTEN RECIPE... is over on the Substack! Free as always, of course:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/basil-noodles-from-henan______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
What does Curry mean in Asia? Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-06-02 | Curry: a dish that belongs to everywhere, and nowhere. In China and Japan, it's served alongside Western food like Steak and Omelettes. Why?0:00 - Wait, isn't curry Indian?1:36 - Curry hits Hong Kong3:38 - Hong Kong Curry Recipe7:02 - Curry hits Japan8:32 - Japanese Curry Recipe11:32 - C'mon, Thai curry isn't Western...13:25 - Curry Powder Fried Seafood RecipeFULL, WRITTEN RECIPE...is over on Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/western-food-in-asia-curryHONG KONG CURRY POWDER RECIPEAs promised. Full video is available here: youtube.com/watch?v=ysKCfYPJ-gkIngredients:20g tumeric powder (姜黄粉)10g cumin powder (孜然粉)4g chili powder (辣椒粉)2g star anise powder (八角/八角粉)2g licorice root (甘草/甘草粉)1g ginger powder (姜粉)1g cinnamon powder (桂皮粉)1g white pepper powder (白胡椒粉)1g clove powder (丁香酚), 2g Chenpi dried aged tangerine peel powder (陈皮分) -or- orange peel powder -or- lemongrass powder8 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil Add the 8 tbsp of oil to a pan and get up to smoke point, then shut off the heat. Or about ~220C.Once the oil’s cooled down a bit, ~150C, toss in the spices. Mix, let it cool down (needs about a half hour or so), then jar that up.______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtu.be/GHaL5H-VYRg?si=DFPq1DD3ddIXnvir&t=898
Chinese Bagels (贝果) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-05-09 | Chinese bagels! A popular menu item at bakeries now in 2024...0:00 - wait what0:37 - The three 'layers' of Western bakeries in China1:20 - Is this just Japanese actually?2:35 - The dough4:41 - Cheese stuffing6:06 - Fun outlandish stuffings8:36 - Shaping, boiling, and baking10:03 - Seriously, do whatever you wantFULL, WRITTEN RECIPE... is over on the Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/chinese-bagels______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Make Congee like the Cantonese (Shunde style) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-05-02 | Shunde style congee, Shenggunzhou (生滚粥)! This is a relatively easy congee in the grand scheme of things, and is a great foundation to get creative. 0:00 - What is good congee?1:21 - The secret to Shunde style congee3:45 - The congee base5:21 - Fish congee6:07 - Meatball congee7:19 - Us being insane7:52 - What about sweet congee?FULL, WRITTEN RECIPE:...is over on Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/cantonese-congee-101______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystified Outro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Copycat Danshan Spice Mix (for those that cant find it) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-04-19 | Ok, this was something we 100% should have covered in our previous video. Apologies. (Yunnan dry chili dip 自制单山蘸水)0:00 - Whoops0:40 - Toast and grind chilis, spices1:39 - Mix everything togetherI've edited the original substack post to contain this recipe as well:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/danshan-the-yunnan-chili-dip-that... but might as well also copy it over here too ：）* Chili peppers, 20g. We used Erjingtiaos. Guajillos might be nice. Aim for something medium-spicy and fragrant* Sichuan peppercorns (花椒/青花椒), 1 tbsp. Preferably a green one* Fennel seed (小茴香), 2 tsp* White peppercorn, 1/2 tsp. Black pepper should also be ok* MSG (味精), 1 tsp* Salt, 1/2 tsp* Ginger powder, 1/2 tsp* Chicken bouillon powder (鸡粉), 1/2 tsp -or- an additional 1/2 tsp of MSG Slice the chilis into a wok, then toast the chili peppers over a medium low flame until roughly ‘chestnut colored’, ~5 minutes. Remove, and jiggle in a spider to get out some of the seeds. Set aside.Over a low flame, toast the spices until fragrant, ~2 minutes. Set aside.Grind half of the chilis into a flake, and half into a fine powder. You should be looking at roughly ~3 tbsp worth in all.Grind the spices into a fine powder. This should yield you ~2 tbsp.Mix everything together.______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
What (our) Cooking Videos dont show you Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-04-18 | In this video, we wanted to cover eight cooking habits that - for one reason or another - we don't show on camera.0:00 - Why not show everything?0:29 - Wok washing1:42 - Washing dishes as you go3:10 - Vegetable washing4:30 - Meat hand washing5:27 - Aromatics prep7:35 - Frying oil handling9:11 - Turning the flame off10:00 - VentilationNo recipe for this one (obviously), but we did go a bit further in depth in the Substack post :)chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/what-our-cooking-videos-dont-show______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystified Outro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Breakthrough in Spicy Chicken Technology 🚀 Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-04-01 | Laziji, Sichuan Spicy Chicken.Xianglacui, Guizhou Chili Crisps.For too long these dishes have been separate. Today, they finally merge into one glorious snack.0:00 - Presenting Chili Crisp Spicy Chicken4:19 - Making the Chili Crisps6:58 - Preparing the Chicken9:43 - Making the Stir Fry11:55 - Is this actually good?FULL WRITTEN RECIPEIs over on the Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/sichuan-spicy-chicken-with-edible(too many ingredients to copy the ingredient list over here, unfortunately)______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystified Outro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
The Chili Mix that will change your cooking: Danshan-ify Everything Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-03-26 | Danshan is a much beloved Yunnanese chili dip that began to explode in popularity over the last couple years in China. In this video, we wanted to show you how you can use the stuff.0:00 - Introducing Danshan0:59 - Use 1, Dry Dips3:40 - Use 2, Wet Dips5:20 - Use 3, Base seasoning6:46 - Use 4, Cross Culture Silliness8:05 - What to look for when buying?FULL, DETAILED WRITTEN RECIPES...are over on Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/danshan-the-yunnan-chili-dip-thatToo many recipes to double up and list out the ingredients here, so definitely check out the post.Oh! And for the like six people that are reading this also from Bangkok, this is the Yunnan supermarket we like:maps.app.goo.gl/h2i2jWffzTatsszMA______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Sichuan Chili Oil Baozi (红油包子) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-03-16 | Chili oil Baozi! These are a tasty - and pretty interesting looking - sort of Baozi that you can find in pockets throughout Chongqing and Sichuan at large.0:00 - Why are these so pretty0:37 - 1, Make the filling3:25 - 2, 'Sour' dough wrapper6:19 - 3, Yeast wrapper8:07 - A Sichuan seasoning variantFULL WRITTEN RECIPE... is over on the Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/chili-oil-baozi______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Double-beef pot, from Xingyi (兴义牛肉干锅) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-03-03 | Xingyi beef pot! A fantastic dish from the Guizhou province, and just a great way of eating high quality beef. 0:00 - How do you eat great beef?0:59 - But why does Xingyi have great beef?2:33 - Decoding the cut3:26 - Prepping the Pot5:07 - Making the stock6:12 - Stir frying7:37 - Where can I get that cool pot8:20 - How to eat this thingFULL, DETAILED RECIPE:Is over on the Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/guizhou-beef-pot... that said, let's copy the ingredient list for the stir fry over here just in case that's helpful.INGREDIENTS LIST* For the seasoning powder: Red, fragrant chili, e.g. Guajillo, Erjingtiao (二荆条), Kashmiri, ~12g, toasted then ground Hot, spicy chili, e.g. Heaven Facing (朝天椒), Tientsin, Piri Piri, ~3g, toasted then ground Sichuan peppercorns (花椒), toasted then ground Fennel seed (小茴香), toasted then ground Toasted -or- roasted peanuts, ~1.5 tbsp, ground Five spice powder (五香粉), 1 tsp Chicken bouillon powder (鸡粉), 1 tsp Salt, 1 tsp MSG (味精), 1/2 tsp Sugar, 1/4 tsp* Beef, preferably picanha, chuck steak, or tri tip, 600g* Marinade for the beef: Salt, 1/2 tsp Dark soy sauce (老抽), 1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorn powder (花椒面), 1/4 tsp Oil, to coat, ~2 tbsp* Fingerling potatoes, ~400g. Or your potato of choice, though something waxier will work better for the pot (starchier potatoes like russets tend to get too soft). * Oil, for frying, 1/2 cup. Preferably a mix of 50% tallow and 50% oil.* Aromatics: Garlic, 5 cloves, smashed Ginger, ~1 inch, smashed Dried chilis, ~8* Chinese celery (芹菜), 60g -or- Cilantro (香菜), 1 sprig. Chopped.* Mint, to serve.* Additional salt and MSG to season the soup. Quantity will depend on how large your pot is. For our ~1/2 liter pot, we used 1/4 tsp salt and a pinch of MSG.______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystified Outro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Cantonese food, but Thai Ingredients? (Foreign Supermarket Challenge) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-02-22 | Our third installment of our ongoing Foreign Supermarket Challenge! This time, we had Dawei - Steph's Dad - try to make Cantonese food using produce from our market here in Thailand.0:00 - What's the Foreign Supermarket Challenge?0:40 - Going to a Thai market3:26 - The two challenges5:51 - Stir fried ant eggs10:00 - Cantonese coconut milk soup12:51 - How does it all taste?No written recipes for this one, but we've got a few more thoughts over on the Substack if you're curious:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/cantonese-food-traditional-thai-ingredients______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystified Outro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Sichuan Cold Dish-ify [Anything] Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-02-13 | Cold dishes! In this 101 video, we'll focus on the Sichuan province, and teach you three flavor profiles to toss your 'any ingredient of choice' in with.0:00 - Cold dish as a framework0:58 - Toasted Chili flavor4:32 - Sweet and sour flavor5:44 - Fish fragrant flavor7:55 - China is a big placeFULL, WRITTEN RECIPESAre, as always, over on Substack! Completely free, if it had to be said:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/how-to-chinese-cold-dish-ify-anythingThat said, might as well copy over the three sauces over here just in case that's helpful for you:SHAOBAN SAUCE* Sichuan Chili Oil (红油), 30g, ~2 tbsp* Toasted Chili Powder (煳辣椒末), 3g, ~1 tbsp* Soy sauce (生抽), 10g, ~2 tsp* Toasted sesame oil (麻油), 10g, ~2 tsp* Salt, 1/8 tsp* MSG (味精), 1/8 tspSIMPLE SWEET SOUR SAUCE* Rice Vinegar (米醋) -or- White Rice Vinegar (白醋), 20g, ~4 tsp* Granulated Sugar, 15g, ~3.5 tsp* Scallion whites, 15g, ~2 sprigs. Cut lengthwise into slivers.* Toasted Sesame Oil (麻油), 10g, ~2 tsp* Salt, 1/8 tsp* MSG (味精), 1/4 tspFISH FRAGRANT SAUCE* Lao Gan Ma Pickled Chili (老干妈风味糟辣剁椒) -or- Hunan Chopped Chilis (剁椒), 25g, ~1.5 tbsp. Minced.* Dark Chinese Vinegar (香醋/陈醋), preferably Baoning vinegar (保宁醋), 15g, ~1 tbsp.* Soy sauce (生抽), 10g, ~2 tsp* Granulated sugar, 20g, ~4 tsp* Scallion, 20g, ~2 sprigs. Sliced. * Garlic, 25g, ~5 cloves. Finely minced.* Ginger, 5g, ~1/2 inch. Finely minced.* Salt, 1/4 tsp* MSG (味精), 1/8 tsp______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystified Outro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Lao Gan Ma Fried Rice (老干妈炒饭) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-01-31 | Lao Gan Ma Fried Rice! A dish with a bunch of variations all across China, this sort was a specific Guizhou variant.0:00 - Where's this dish from?0:47 - But which Lao Gan Ma?1:35 - An aside on bacon2:00 - Steaming Rice for Fried Rice3:19 - Making Lao Gan Ma Fried Rice5:44 - Side Idea, Century Egg and Napa Soup6:15 - Is this just Guailu Freestyle Fried Rice actually?FULL WRITTEN RECIPEIs over on the Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/lao-gan-ma-fried-riceINGREDIENT LISTI'll copy over here though, just in case that's helpful:* Jasmine rice (泰国香米/粘米), 225g* Napa Cabbage (白菜/娃娃菜), 40g* Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), ~1/2 tbsp. To be swirled in when frying the cabbage.* Bacon, 3 strips* Optional, to fry the bacon: Water, ~3 tbsp Oil, ~1/2 tbsp* Aromatics: Garlic, 1 large clove, minced. Ginger, ~1/2 cm, minced. Scallion, ~1. White and green part separated. White minced, greens sliced.* Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), ~1/2 tbsp. To be swirled in after frying the aromatics.* Red, fragrant chili powder, 2 tsp. E.g. qinjiao, gochugaru, kashmiri. (Optional. Can also swap for 1.5 tsp paprika and 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper)* Lao Gan Ma Chili Oil with Black Bean (老干妈风味豆豉油辣椒), 2 tbsp* Soy sauce (生抽), 1 tbsp* Canned beans, 100g. Dealer’s choice. Kidney beans would be nice.* Seasoning: Salt, ¼ tsp Sugar, ½ tsp MSG (味精), ¼ tsp White pepper powder (白胡椒粉), ¼ tsp______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtu.be/GHaL5H-VYRg?si=u54533LOx2-GA8Ei&t=896
My Favorite Sichuan Hot Pot Recipe, from 1972 Chinese Cooking Demystified 2024-01-07 | Historical Sichuan hotpot was... a little different than it is today. And at home? It's actually our preference.0:00 - Why the old way is the easy way1:27 - The genesis of Chongqing hotpot3:40 - The cooking6:17 - The eating8:22 - What to toss in?FULL, DETAILED WRITTEN RECIPE...is over on the Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said.chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/my-favorite-sichuan-hotpot-recipeHOW TO MAKE A CHINESE-STYLE BEEF STOCK (as promised)Ingredients:* Beef bone with marrow (牛骨/带骨髓), sliced open, 1kg* Beef shin (牛腱), 500g* Ginger (姜), a 2-inch knob* Sichuan peppercorn (花椒), 1/4 tsp, optional* Water, 4LProcess:Add the bone, water, and shin to a pot and bring up to a boil, and down to a simmer. Skim. Add the Sichuan peppercorn and the ginger. After 90 minutes time, remove the beef shin. You can slice some up for the hot pot if you want, or simply portion and reserve for another use (e.g. turn it into a liangban Chinese style cold salad, or top some noodles, etc). After a total of six hours of boiling (you can go longer if you like), strain the stock. Set aside the 3 cups that we’ll be using above, and maybe 1 extra cup for refilling the pot during eating. Freeze the remainder.______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystified Outro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Do Borders Change Food? Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-12-30 | In this video, we wanted to look at a stewed green that you can find on both sides of the Mekong: Cho Phak Kat in Northern Thailand and Suan Pa Cai in Yunnan.0:00 - One dish, Two Systems2:33 - Fundamental 1, The Greens3:49 - Fundamental 2, The Sour4:46 - Fundamental 3, The Soup8:07 - Fundamental 4, The Finishing9:53 - The Eating12:03 - Is this all Burmese actually?FULL, WRITTEN RECIPEUnfortunately too many versions here to copy over the ingredient lists, so do check out the full recipes for *all* of these versions over on Substack. Totally free of course, if it had to be said:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/the-en-rice-ification-of-yunnan______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Cantonese Savory Tangyuan (咸丸) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-12-20 | Savory Tangyuan! A classic for Winter Solstice in pockets all around the Pearl River Delta, in this video Steph wanted to share a version from her Grandmother's ancestral hometown, Dongguan.0:00 - The culture of Savory Tangyuan1:20 - Soup Component 1, Dried Stuff2:47 - Soup Component 2, Fresh Meat4:15 - Soup Component 3, Vegetable5:10 - Making the Rice Balls7:45 - Making the Soup10:17 - Other Cantonese Solstice Traditions?FULL WRITTEN RECIPE... is over on Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said :)chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/cantonese-salty-rice-ballsBut ingredient lists are here, for reference:INGREDIENT LIST, TANGYUAN* Sticky Rice Flour (糯米粉), 400g* Salt, 1/4 tsp* Hot, boiled water, 280g* Room temperature water, ~160gINGREDIENT LIST, DONGGUAN-STYLE SOUP* Dried Shrimp (虾米), 20g* Dried Scallop (干贝), 15g* Dried Shiitake Mushrooms (冬菇), 5 pcs* Dried Squid (鱿鱼干), 30g* Lap Cheong Sausage (腊肠/广式腊肠), 1/2 stick* Chicken, bone-in, ~500-600g. * Marinade for the Chicken: Salt, 1/8 tsp White pepper powder (白胡椒粉), 1/8 tsp Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1 tsp* Pork shoulder, a.k.a. Boston Butt, 160g. We're calling for the shoulder for the purpose of international replicability, as it’s the most flavorful cut when it comes to mass-produced pork. If in China or somewhere with higher quality pork, use the loin (里脊肉/瘦肉).* Marinade for the Pork: Salt, 1/8 tsp White pepper powder (白胡椒粉), 1/8 tsp Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1 tsp* Fishballs (鱼蛋), 160g* Napa Cabbage (娃娃菜/黄芽白), 200g* Daikon (萝卜), 200g* Green Garlic (蒜苗) -or- Chinese Celery (亲自), preferably -or- Scallion, 30g* Ginger (姜), 1 inch. Cut into slices.* Oil, ~2-3 tbsp. For use while stir-frying.* Reserved soaking liquid from the dried shrimp, scallop, and shiitake. Will likely be about 1 cup total.* Water, 7 cups* Sugar, 1 tsp* Final Seasoning. Salt, 1/4 tsp Chicken bouillon powder (鸡粉), 1/2 tsp MSG (味精), 1/4 tsp Soy sauce (生抽), 2 tsp White pepper powder (白胡椒粉), 1/2 tsp* Toasted Sesame Oil (麻油), 1 tsp______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Spicy Noodles in Mashed Potatoes Sauce (New Street Food in China) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-12-09 | Mashed potato noodles, 土豆泥拌面!0:00 - Wait, what?1:16 - The Mashed Potatoes2:00 - The Youmian, Oil Noodles3:11 - Overview of other components3:58 - The Geng5:10 - The Chili Oil, ish6:07 - The Pickles6:34 - The Pork7:34 - The Garlic Water7:53 - Final Assembly8:40 - Where to go from hereFULL WRITTEN RECIPE... is over on the Substack! Completely free, again, if it had to be said.chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/spicy-noodles-in-mashed-potato-sauceThere's a lot of moving pieces so we'll keep most of the ingredient lists over there, but might as well scribble down the final portioning for one bowl for you all.WANG GANG'S CHILI OIL RECIPEAs promised:youtube.com/watch?v=6wlDqKt2ADoSimilar to what we do these days, we'll circle back to this in the future :)ONE BOWL OF MASHED POTATO NOODLES * Cooked Youmian Noodles, 100g* Mashed potato, 40g* Chili oil, 1.5 tbsp* Cooked Minced Pork, 30g* Carrot/Mushroom Soup, 40g* Crushed Roasted Peanuts, 1 tbsp* Chopped Zhacai, ½ tbsp* Sliced Pickled Daikon, ½ tbsp* Chopped Scallion, 1 tbsp* Chopped Cilantro, 1 tbsp* Garlic Water, 1 tbsp* Soy sauce (生抽), 1 tsp* Dark Chinese vinegar (陈醋/香醋), 1 tsp* Sichuan peppercorn powder, ¼ tsp* MSG, 1/8 tsp______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s
Whats Cantonese HOME cooking like? [English Edition] Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-11-28 | With this video, we wanted to try to show you what the world of Cantonese home cooking is like - away from the restaurant wok burner.0:00 - The Cantonese food stereotype1:15 - The basic logic of the meal2:04 - Element 1, Vegetable5:48 - Element 2, Meals8:35 - Element 3, Soups13:29 - Element 4, Rice and such16:56 - What are some specific differences with restaurants?FULL WRITTEN RECIPEPlus a discussion on Cantonese restaurant cooking vs home cooking is (as Steph promised in the outro) over on the Substack! As always, completely free:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/what-is-cantonese-home-cookingCANTONESE LANGUAGE VIDEOHere, for those that prefer :)youtube.com/watch?v=lHq9ib1foCw______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtu.be/GHaL5H-VYRg?si=Hqp81G3WxBa4aacA&t=896
How to cook homestyle Cantonese food [Cantonese Edition] Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-11-28 | Thought it might be fun to do this video in Cantonese as well - that is, what is Cantonese home cooking? The Canto version is more chit-chatty and mostly for fun. We did have fun filming it, it's nice to make a video in Cantonese once in a while, hope you like it too!0:00 - 关于粤菜之刻板印象1:30 - 家常菜常见组成2:30 - 青菜6:26 - “主菜”或肉菜9:04 - 汤14:20 - 送饭D嘢17:26 - 饭店与家常之区别English language video is here, in case you got lost :) youtu.be/Ns8AtQVwrLYFULL WRITTEN RECIPEPlus a discussion on Cantonese restaurant cooking vs home cooking is (as Steph promised in the outro) over on the Substack! As always, completely free:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/what-is-cantonese-home-cooking______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtu.be/GHaL5H-VYRg?si=Hqp81G3WxBa4aacA&t=896
Will we ever go back to China? Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-11-12 | Just a little update explaining some of our longer term interests - hopefully this can explain some of what we're doing here :)0:00 - Yeah, in 3 years 7 months0:59 - Chris rants about culinary nationalism3:36 - Why Thailand is relevant to our interests actually8:46 - Why bother learning language?______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystified
How to (easily) Noodle Soup at Home Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-10-27 | Soup noodles don't have to be an intense affair - this video will teach you how to make a simple homestyle bowl of noodles (without reaching for the ramen packet).0:00 - Why some (famous) noodle soups are so hard1:23 - Approach 1, Stir fry then soupify2:53 - Recipe 1, Qiangguomian5:09 - Approach 2, Flavorful Jiaotous6:05 - Recipe 2, Xuecai Rousi9:14 - Quick word on Fresh NoodlesFULL WRITTEN RECIPE & COMPLETE SOUP NOODLE GUIDE... is over on Substack! Lots of information in this one, hope you enjoy (free as always, if it had to be said):chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/noodle-soup-101__________INGREDIENT LIST, QIANGGUOMIAN* Pork, 70g* Marinade for the Pork: Salt, 1/8 tsp White pepper, 1/8 tsp* Napa cabbage (娃娃菜), 70g* Fresh shiitake mushroom (鲜香菇), 30g* Spices to infuse the oil: Star anise (八角), 1 small pieces Sichuan peppercorn (花椒), 1/4 tsp Dried chili (干辣椒), 2 small chilis* Aromatics: Ginger (姜), half inch. Minced. Garlic (大蒜), 2 cloves. Minced. Scallion (小葱), 2 sprigs. White and green part separated. Whites minced, greens sliced.* Liaojiu a.k.a Shaoxing wine (料酒), 1/2 tbsp* Soy sauce (生抽), 1/2 tbsp* Dried noodles (干面条), 100g -or- (preferably) fresh noodles, 160g* Water, 3 cups* Five spice powder (五香粉), 1/4 tsp* Seasoning: Salt, 1/4 tsp Chicken bouillon (鸡粉), 1/4 tsp MSG (味精), 1/8 tsp* Toasted sesame oil (香油/麻油), 1/2 tsp* Optional: Dark Chinese vinegar (香醋 or 陈醋), 1/2 tspINGREDIENT LIST, XUECAI PORK TOPPING* Xuecai pickled cabbage (雪菜) -or- Sichuanese Yacai (碎米芽菜), 30g* Pork, 70g* Marinade for pork: Salt, 1/8 tsp Sugar, 1/8 tsp White pepper (胡椒粉), 1/8 tsp* Soy sauce (生抽), 1/4 tsp* Liaojiu, a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1/4 tsp* Cornstarch (生粉), 1 tsp* Water, 2 tbsp* Oil, 1 tsp* Sugar, 1/4 tsp. To season the xuecai when stir frying.* Aromatics: Ginger (姜), 1/2 inch Scallion (葱), 2 sprigs* Liaojiu, aka Shaoxing wine (料酒), 1/2 tbsp* Soy sauce (生抽/酱油), 1/2 tbsp* Water, 3 tbsp* Slurry of cornstarch (生粉), 1/2 tsp mixed with water, ½ tbsp* Dried noodles (干面条), 100g -or- fresh noodles, 160g* For the soup base: Hot, boiled water -or- stock, 2 cups Soy sauce (生抽), ½ tbsp Lard, ½ tsp Sugar, ½ tsp Salt, ¼ tsp Chicken bouillon powder (鸡粉), 1/8 tsp MSG (味精), 1/8 tsp________And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=895s
Sichuan Sweet Water Noodles (甜水面) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-10-15 | Sweet water noodles! A (perhaps underrated?) Sichuan noodle dish, this classic features some... really thick noodles.0:00 - What makes these noodles special?1:17 - How to make Stick Noodles4:15 - How to make Sweet Water5:47 - Other components, plus a lazy chili oil7:00 - Mixing the noodles, plus other variationsFULL WRITTEN RECIPE... is over on Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/chengdu-sweet-water-noodlesThat said, let's link Wang Gang's chili oil recipe and give you guys the ingredient lists below:WANG GANG'S CHILI OIL RECIPEIs here, as promised: youtube.com/watch?v=6wlDqKt2ADoNote that he uses a mix of Zidantou chilis and Qixing chilis in the above video. You would swap the Zidantou to any red, fragrant chili (preferably a medium spicy one) and the Qixing chilis to any spicy chili.NOODLES, INGREDIENT LIST* High gluten flour (preferably a Chinese noodle flour or an Italian 00) 200g * Salt, 4g (~¾ tsp)* Water, 100g* Oil, 1 tbsp (not in the dough – this is to coat after boiling)'SWEET WATER', INGREDIENT LIST* Soy sauce (生抽), 100g (~100mL)* Slab sugar (片糖) -or- jaggery -or- dark brown sugar, 25g* Spices: star anise (八角), 1 pcs; sand ginger (沙姜), 2 pcs; cinnamon (桂皮), ½ stick; Tsaoko a.k.a. Chinese black cardamom (草果), 1 pcs. Note that Sand ginger is annoyingly sometimes labelled ‘dried ginger’ in English on some packages – use the characters to confirm. If you cannot find it, substitute with dried ginger or dried galangal. If you cannot find Tsaoko, you can substitute it with Indian black cardamom.LAZY CHILI OIL, INGREDIENT LIST* Red, fragrant chili powder, e.g. Shaanxi Qinjiao, Korean Gochugaru, Kashmiri Chili Powder, 2 tbsp.* Optional: spicy chili powder, e.g. cayenne pepper* Oil, ¼ cup* Lao Gan Ma chili crisp, ¼ cupONE SMALL SNACK SIZED BOWL, INGREDIENT LIST* Cooked noodles from above, 100g* Chili oil, 2 tbsp* Sweet water soy sauce, ½ tbsp* Garlic water, ½ tbsp. * Crushed toasted peanuts, 2 tsp* Toasted sesame oil (麻油), ¼ tsp* Sichuan peppercorn powder (花椒面), ¼ tsp* Sugar, 1/8 tsp* MSG (味精), 1/8 tsp______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!http://www.patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=895s
The Qian Technique Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-10-05 | Brown sauce, white sauce; stir fry sauce, mother sauce. The internet is collectively convinced of their 'thing-ness'. Are they right?0:00 - Is Brown Sauce Really a Thing?1:50 - What is Chinese "white sauce"?3:26 - Making white sauce5:27 - What is Chinese "brown sauce"?7:06 - Recipe for one possible seasoned soy sauce8:16 - Making a brown sauce9:34 - Thickening before storage?FULL WRITTEN RECIPEAs before, the full written recipes for the two dishes are over here on Substack (free, if it had to be said):open.substack.com/pub/chinesecookingdemystified/p/wtf-is-chinese-brown-sauceINGREDIENTS FOR THE SEASONED SOY SAUCE* Dried Shiitake Mushroom (冬菇), 2* Water, 2 cupS* Ginger, 1 inch. Smashed.* Scallion, 1 sprig. Tied in a knot.* Soy sauce (生抽), 1/6 cup tsp.* Oyster sauce (蚝油), 2 tbsp* Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1 tbsp* Dry Seasoning: Sugar, 1 tsp; Chicken Bouillon Powder (鸡粉), ¼ tsp; Salt, 1/8 tsp; MSG (味精), 1/8 tsp______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!http://www.patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=913s
Make a stir fry, cook rice on top (箜饭) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-09-25 | Kongfan! A fantastically easy rice dish that you might not see outside at restaurants so much, but is a mainstay in rural Sichuan.0:00 - Why doesn't China use the Pilaf method?1:28 - Introducing Kongfan3:30 - Ingredient and Rice Prep4:16 - Making the Rice7:10 - Why haven't I ever heard of this dish?FULL WRITTEN RECIPE...is now on Substack! Go here for detailed instructions:chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/sichuan-kongfan-a-chinese-pilaf-sortINGREDIENT LIST...I'll also copy over here though:* Jasmine rice (粘米/泰国香米), 250g.* Smoked Larou (烟熏腊肉/四川腊肉) -or- Pancetta -or- Country Ham, 80g* Green beans (四季豆), 250g* Potato, 500g. Something starchy like Russets or Yukon Gold* Scallions, ~2 sprigs.* Oil for frying, lard preferably, 3 tbsp. If you’re using Pancetta (which’s less hard and renders out more oil), you will likely only need ~1 tbsp.* Seasoning: Salt, 1 tsp Five Spice Powder (五香粉), ¼ tsp White pepper powder (白胡椒粉), ¼ tsp.* Water for steaming. Enough to reach ‘halfway’ up your ingredients______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!http://www.patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtu.be/GHaL5H-VYRg?si=8Ah_5-M26dR_HBmy&t=895
Mexican Ingredients, Chinese Dishes (Supermarket Challenge) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-09-13 | Steph (a Chinese home cook) goes to a Mexican supermarket in the USA... and sees what Chinese food she can cook with it.0:00 - The International Supermarket Challenge0:57 - Going to a Mexican Supermarket6:54 - Dish 1, Liangban Nopales9:13 - Dish 2, "Larou" fried Pacaya12:18 - Dish 3, Chorizo Hongsanduo14:53 - Taste Test and RankingSo the recipes here are *untested*. Many of the ingredients were eyeballed and adjusted when filming. So do take these as more rough ‘guideposts’ rather than instruction manuals per se.CHORIZO HONGSANDUO* Fresh chorizo, Mexican style, 300g* Tomatoes, ~3 medium, ~400g. Diced into ~1/2 inch cubes.* Medium chilis, e.g. Serranos ~150g. Seeds removed, diced into 1cm pieces. * Habanero, ~1/2 -or- Thai bird’s eye chilis, 7-8 -or- some sort of spicy chili to supplement. (optional). Also diced. * Garlic, 2 cloves. Minced* Ginger, ~1/2 inch. Minced* “Alcohol” (see note above), 1 tbsp. For stir frying.* Soy sauce, 1 tbsp. For stir frying.* Final seasoning: Salt, ¾ tsp Sugar, ¾ tsp MSG, ¼ tsp (available in US supermarkets under the brand name ‘Accent’) White (or black) pepper powder, 1/8 tspRemove the casing, mash the chorizo, and then fry it with a touch of oil (~1 tbsp) over a medium high flame. Once it’s rendered out some lard, add in the garlic and the ginger. Once those are fragrant (~30 seconds), add in the chilis. Fry for ~30 seconds, then swirl in the alcohol and add in the tomatoes. Mix, add in the soy sauce.Quick fry, and if it is as liquidy as the video, let it reduce down into a sauce (~5 minutes, high flame). Add in the final seasoning, and if still a little liquidy, also add in a slurry of a ½ tsp cornstarch mixed with a ½ tbsp of water.LIANGBAN NOPALES & CUERITO * Nopales, 400g* Boiled pork skin (Cuerito), 150g* Scallion, 20g, minced* Cilantro, 20g, minced* Garlic, 2 cloves, minced* Dried chili (e.g. Guajillo), 1 pc, cut into sections* Salt, 1/4 tsp. Plus more to taste* Sugar, 1/2 tsp* MSG (味精/味素), 1/8 tsp* White/black pepper (胡椒粉), 1/8 tsp* Soy sauce (生抽), 2 tbsp* Vinegar (陈醋/香醋), 1 tbsp* Lard (or any other good quality oil with a high smoke point), 2 tbspBlanch the cactus and rinse with cool water, strain and set aside. Do the same with pork skin.In a big mixing bowl, add in everything except the garlic and dry chili, quick mix. Put the minced garlic and dry chili sections on top, heat the oil up to 180C, splash it over the garlic and chili, mix everything well. Then serve.STIR FRIED PACAYA & BACON* Pacaya 400g* Bacon (or any cured/smoked meat), ~3 strips or 50-60g* Garlic, 2 cloves, sliced* Ginger, half inch, sliced* Dried chili (e.g. guajillo), 1 pc, cut into sections* Sichuan peppercorn (花椒), 1 tsp* Optional: fermented black beans (豆豉), 1 tbsp* Liaojiu, aka, Shaoxing wine (料酒), 1 tbsp* Soy sauce (生抽/酱油), 1 tbsp* Salt, ~1/4 tsp* Sugar, 1 tsp* MSG (味精/味素), 1/8 tsp* White/black pepper (胡椒粉), 1/8 tsp* Cornstarch (生粉), 1 tsp* Water, 1/4 cupCut the pacaya into smaller strips lengthwise. Blanch for 2 minutes, strain and set aside.Heat up the wok, add in 1 tbsp oil, fry the bacon on medium heat till it renders out some fat and starts to get lightly golden brown. Add in the aromatics, fry till fragrant. Add in chili, huajiao, and black beans, fry till the oil is slightly tainted red.Splash in your cooking wine. Quick fry, then add in the pacaya. Fry for about a minute or two, swirl in 1 tbsp soy sauce to the side of the wok, mix.Give it a taste, then add in the seasoning. Give it a final mix. Incorporate the slurry, then out.______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!http://www.patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtu.be/GHaL5H-VYRg?si=j8sd21Fa0uznI-ei&t=893
Chili smothered over lazy tofu, downed with rice Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-08-27 | Do you like tofu? Are you lazy?Tofu is obviously one of the world's great ingredients, but I mean... making it at home can undeniably be a rough project. This dish - lazy tofu - dramatically simplifies the process by nixing the whole tofu-making part.0:00 - The problem with homemade tofu0:45 - Introducing Lazy Tofu1:48 - How to Make Lazy Tofu4:30 - Lazy Tofu Chili6:18 - How to Enjoy Lazy TofuLAZY TOFU* Soybeans, 200g* Water, 1L* Hearty green vegetable, e.g. baby napa, collards, or kale, 750g* Lard (or your oil of choice), 2 tbsp. For frying* Seasoning: Salt, 1 tsp Sugar, 1 tsp Chicken bouillon powder (鸡粉), 2 tsp MSG (味精), ½ tsp White pepper powder, ¼ tspRinse the soybeans, then soak with cool water in the fridge overnight.Transfer the soaked soybeans to a blender, and blend with the one liter of water. You will likely need to work it in two batches. Set aside.Boil your vegetable of choice until completely soft and a chopstick can easily poke through it. For baby napa, this takes about five minutes. Rinse with cool water, and once cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess liquid. Transfer the vegetable over to a chopping board and finely mince (~1/2 cm). Squeeze the minced vegetable one more time for good measure, and set aside.In a wok (or any carbon steel, cast iron, or non-stick vessel), over a high flame toss in the lard (or oil). Give it a swirl, then add in the blended soybeans. Get everything up to a rapid boil.You will need to boil this for at least ten minutes to cook out the lectins in the soybeans. If it is reducing too fast, add in a bit more water as you go. Stir quite often, so as to avoid sticking. Once the mixture is thick and starting to ‘burble’, swap the flame to medium and add in the chopped vegetables. Cook for 1-2 minutes, and season.CHILI OIL TOPPING* Smoked larou (腊肉) - or - country bacon, 20g - or - bacon, 50g* Oil, preferably caiziyou, 1/3 cup* Garlic, 2 cloves, minced* Ginger, ½ inch, minced* A fermented chili sauce – e.g. Laoganma ‘Pickled Chili’ (糟辣剁椒), Hunan ‘Chopped Chili’ (剁椒), Sambal Oelek – 3 tbsp, minced* Optional, for color: a red, fragrant chili powder – e.g. Shaanxi Qinjiao (秦椒), Kashmiri chili powder, Gochugaru – ½ tbsp* White pepper powder, ¼ tsp* Dark Chinese vinegar (陈醋/香醋), 1 tspIf working from ‘standard’ western bacon, slice it into ½ cm pieces and add to your wok together with a couple tablespoons of water. Boil the water away over a high flame, then swap the flame to medium-low. Cook the bacon pieces until crispy, and the grease has rendered out. Evaluate the oil – this amount of bacon will likely have rendered out about two tablespoons, so supplement with four more tablespoons and continue the recipe.If working from larou or a country bacon, finely mince and fry in the ~1/3 cup of oil for about two minutes.Still on a medium-low flame, add in the garlic and the ginger and fry until fragrant, ~1 minute. Add in the chili sauce, and fry for ~2 minutes, or until the oil is stained. Add in the optional chili powder, and after a quick fry, season with the white pepper and the vinegar.CHILI OIL TOPPING, VEG VERSION* Oil, preferably caiziyou, 1/3 cup* Garlic, 2 cloves, minced* Ginger, ½ inch, minced* A fermented chili sauce – e.g. Laoganma ‘Pickled Chili’ (糟辣剁椒), Hunan ‘Chopped Chili’ (剁椒), Sambal Oelek – 3 tbsp, minced* Optional, for color: a red, fragrant chili powder – e.g. Shaanxi Qinjiao (秦椒), Kashmiri chili powder, Gochugaru – ½ tbsp* Zhacai (榨菜), Sichuan Preserved Vegetable, 40g (half pack)* White pepper powder, ¼ tsp* Dark Chinese vinegar (陈醋/香醋), 1 tspFry the garlic and the ginger in the 1/3 cup of oil over a medium-low flame, until fragrant, ~1 minute. Add in the chili sauce, and fry for ~2 minutes, or until the oil is stained.Add in the Zhacai and the optional chili powder, fry for ~30 seconds. Season with the white pepper and vinegar.______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!http://www.patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg
The 1500 year old sourdough that powers Dim Sum (老面) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-08-19 | 0:00 - Why Every Char Siu Bao recipe is sort of wrong, ish1:45 - Laomian is everywhere and nowhere6:42 - The five Chinese sourdoughs7:58 - Making fermented rice10:02 - Making the starter10:36 - Straight dough11:51 - Northern style Mantou14:42 - Flowering Mantou16:36 - Read the written recipe and the notes, seriouslyINGREDIENTSFor Laozao: Sticky rice (糯米) 200g Herbal yeast ball (甜酒曲) 1g (0.5% to the weight of dry rice) Water, 1 tbspFor the starter: Laozao from above (未灭活醪糟) 5g AP flour (中筋面粉) 30g Filtered water (纯净水) 15g - e.g. bottled water, water from the BritaFor the basic fermented dough (发面面团): Starter from above (老面/面种) 22.5g AP flour (中筋面粉) 150g Water 70g(Note: in the video we doubled the doubled the quantity in order to make 4 of each kind of Mantou, for 8 total. Feel free to scale all of the quantities up) For the 'standard' mantou: Basic fermented dough from above (发面面团), 220g Salt, 1.5g (or ~1/4 tsp, i.e. 0.7% to the weight of the basic fermented dough) Sugar, 4.5g (or ~1/2 tbsp, i.e. 2%) Baking soda (小苏打), ~1.32g (or ~3/8 tsp, i.e. 0.6%) Water, 5g (~1 tsp). To mix with the baking sodaFor the flowering mantou: Basic fermented dough from above (发面面团), 220g Salt, 1.5g (or ~1/4 tsp, i.e. 0.7% to the weight of the basic fermented dough) Sugar, 30g (or ~2tbsp + 1 tsp, i.e. 20%) Baking soda (小苏打), ~1.32g (or ~3/8 tsp, i.e. 0.6%) Water, 5g (~1 tsp). To mix with the baking sodaPROCESS, LAOZAO:Wash rice cooker and lid. Rinse your rice, add water to the requisite line in the rice cooker and soak for half hour, then cook.Once done, fluff up and let it cool down room temp or 35C. This will likely take ~1 hour.Shave out 1g yeast ball, press into a powder with back of spoon, then mix with 1 tbsp water. Sprinkle yeast ball mixture onto cooled down rice, mix well. Add room temperature water to loosen up rice if needed.Cover, let it ferment at a warm and clean place for 36hrs.PROCESS, STARTERTake out 5g fermented rice - aim for roughly half liquid, half rice. Mix thoroughly, then mix in the flour.Cover to fermented for 24hrs. Then the next day, begin feeding it every 24 hours.To do so, discard 40g and feed it with a mix of 15g water and 30g flour. Repeat every 24 hours. Continue for at least 3-4 days, or until it can double its size within 6-8 hours (ambient temperature around 26-30C). It may take longer if your climate is colder, so be patient and judge by the amount risen.Once the starter is live and active, you can maintain it just like a western sourdough by either feeding it daily, or keeping in the fridge and reviving it once every one or two weeks. PROCESS, BASIC FERMENTED DOUGHMix the starter with water and break into small pieces. Then mix in flour, and press to combine into a ball.Cover with plastic bag to ferment till doubled in size and it has lots of small air holes inside, about 6-8 hours. PROCESS, STANDARD MANTOU Your fermented dough should be about 220g, give or take. Move to a work surface, add in salt and sugar, roughly knead them in.Mix the baking soda with water, then smear a bit onto the dough and start kneading. Repletely smear the baking soda mixture till finished and the dough is white and smooth.Divide into 4 even pieces. Take one piece, press down with bottom of palm, knead towards the center and form into a ball, then pinch the ball close.Work through the pieces. Put them into your proofing/steaming set up, and let them proof over 30C water for 1.5hrs (or longer, use the finger dent method shown in the video to check if it’s ready).Take out the rack/steamer with mantou, bring water to rapid boil, put the steamer back, cover and steam on high for 8 mins.Shut off the heat, let it sit for 2 mins before taking out.PROCESS, FLOWERING MANTOUYour fermented dough should be about 220g, give or take. Move to a work surface, add in salt and sugar, roughly knead them in.Mix the baking soda with water, then smear a bit onto the dough and start kneading. Repletely smear the baking soda mixture till finished and the dough is white and smooth.Roll it into ~20cm log, cleanly tear at the center to break into two pcs, then tear the two logs into half again, totally 4 evenish pieces.For the ones on the edge with one 'torn' opening, put the torn side facing up, gently press and shape the bun so that the torn side face upward.For the ones with two 'torn' openings, pinch close one side, then put the closed side down and gently shape, helping the 'tear' stay upward.Work through the pieces. Lay a dry towel on your steamer first, then put the mantou onto the dry towel in the steamer. Proof over 30C water for 1.5hrs (or longer, use the finger dent method shown in the video to check if it’s ready).Take out the rack/steamer with mantou, bring water to rapid boil, put the steamer back, cover and steam on high for 8 mins.Shut off the heat, let it sit for 2 mins before taking out.
Three Chops: Pork, chili, and [some color] Stir Fry Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-08-04 | A fantastic stir fry of (1) minced pork (2) chili pepper and... (3) some other thing. 0:00 - The three chops of Yunnan0:54 - Any way to skip the hand mince?2:28 - Hand mincing technique5:14 - Red Three Chops8:11 - Black Three Chops9:42 - White Three Chops10:45 - Possible shortcut? Use free laborHONGSANDUO* Pork Belly (五花肉) or Boston Butt (梅花肉) or a combination, 250g* Marinade: Salt, ¼ tsp Sichuan Pepper Powder, ¼ tsp White Pepper Powder, 1/8 tsp Five spice powder, 1/8 tsp Soy sauce (生抽), ½ tsp Liaojiu aka Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), ½ tsp* Medium chili (e.g. Serranos, 螺丝椒, 二荆条), 100g* Spicy Chili (e.g. Thai Birds Eye), ~7, optional* Ginger, ~½ inch, minced* Tomato, ~2 medium, 250g* Baijiu (白酒) -or- Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1 tbsp. For frying* Soy sauce (生抽), ½ tbsp. For frying* Seasoning: Salt, ½ tsp Sugar, ½ tsp MSG (味精), ¼ tsp* Water, 2 tbspHand mince the pork according to the video (or use ground pork if you prefer – at least 15% fat). Mix with the marinade and set aside.Dice the chili into ~1cm pieces and the tomato into ~1/2 inch chunks. Slice the spicy chilis, if using, and mince the ginger. Set aside.In a wok with about 4-5 tbsp of oil, fry the pork over a medium low flame and begin to break it up. Once it’s no longer one big meatball, swap the flame to medium-high and fry until the fat’s started to render out and the pork is just beginning to brown, ~5 minutes. Remove, and I like to do so with a strainer to let the excess oil drip off. You will likely be looking at ~1/3 cup of oil in your wok, so scoop out the extra, leaving ~3 tablespoons remaining to stir fry.No need to wash the wok. Over a high flame, add the tomatoes. Once they’ve started to release a touch of their liquid, add the ginger and the spicy chilis and fry until fragrant, ~30 seconds. Add back in the pork, then swirl in the wine. Mix, then add the chilis. Fry for ~30 seconds, then swirl in the soy sauce. Mix, and season. Optionally add the water if you’d like it saucier.HEISANDUONote: in the video, we recommended subbing the datoucai with either Meicai (梅菜) or Hunan Grandmother vegetable (外婆菜). If you can get the fresh Meicai, it will work as a direct substitute. I believe many supermarkets abroad would carry it, but all I could find online was the dried version (梅干菜). If using the dried version, you’ll need to reconstitute it first – roughly three hours if soaking with cool water, one hour if soaking with hot water. For the Hunan grandmother vegetable, instead of the ~1 minute fry at the beginning of the stir fry, you’ll want to fry it for ~3 minutes in order to get out the sourness of the pickle.I (Chris) also think you could sub with Sichuan Yacai, but Steph disagreed.* Pork Belly (五花肉) or Boston Butt (梅花肉) or a combination, 250g* Marinade: Salt, ¼ tsp Sichuan Pepper Powder, ¼ tsp White Pepper Powder, 1/8 tsp Five spice powder, 1/8 tsp Soy sauce (生抽), ½ tsp Liaojiu aka Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), ½ tsp* Medium chili (e.g. Serranos, 螺丝椒, 二荆条), 100g* Spicy Chili (e.g. Thai Birds Eye), ~7, optional* Ginger, ~½ inch, minced* Datoucai (大头菜) -or- alternative Chinese dried and fermented vegetable (see note), 125g* Baijiu (白酒) -or- Shaoxing wine (绍酒), 1 tbsp. For frying* Soy sauce (生抽), ½ tbsp. For frying* Seasoning: Sugar, ¼ tsp MSG (味精), ¼ tspProcess is roughly the same as above.Working with the Datoucai, first rinse off the salt, then finely mince. Blanch for 30 seconds.BAISANDUO* Pork Belly (五花肉) or Boston Butt (梅花肉) or a combination, 250g* Marinade: Salt, ¼ tsp Sichuan Pepper Powder, ¼ tsp White Pepper Powder, 1/8 tsp Five spice powder, 1/8 tsp Liaojiu aka Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), ½ tsp* Medium chili (e.g. Serranos, 螺丝椒, 二荆条), 100g* Spicy Chili (e.g. Thai Birds Eye), ~7, optional* Ginger, ~½ inch, minced* Salted eggs, 3* Baijiu (白酒) -or- Shaoxing wine (绍酒), 1 tbsp. For frying* Soy sauce (生抽), ½ tbsp. For frying* Seasoning: Sugar, ¼ tsp MSG (味精), ¼ tspProcess is roughly the same as above, though when stir-frying the salted eggs you’ll want to move on as soon as it’s *just* started to want to emulsify with the frying oil.______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!http://www.patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtu.be/GHaL5H-VYRg
Hotpot, but its steam instead (桑拿鸡) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-07-26 | Sauna chicken is a modern classic hailing from the town of Shunde in Guangdong - it's fantastically fun meal that's *technically* one pot, and relatively easy on the cook :)0:00 - What's sauna chicken?0:55 - Where did sauna chicken come from?2:14 - Equipment considerations and such3:15 - How to make sauna chicken6:43 - A quick dipping sauce7:06 - How to enjoy sauna chickenAs promised, an actually good video on de-boning a chicken leg:youtube.com/watch?v=XaXR9F8ceIsINGREDIENTSLong grain glutinous rice (长糯米), 200gDried Shiitake Mushrooms (冬菇), 4Lotus leaf (荷叶), 1Whole chicken leg, 1kg, ~3Marinade for the chicken: Salt, 1 tsp MSG (味精), ½ tsp Sugar, ½ tsp Cornstarch (生粉), 1 tbsp White pepper powder, ¼ tsp Soy sauce (生抽), 1 tsp Rice wine, preferably clear Cantonese rice wine (米酒), 2 tsp Scallion, 2, white part only, cut into ~1.5 inch sections Ginger, ~1/2 inch, julienned Peanut oil, preferably a virgin one, 2 tbspMarinade for the rice: Salt, ¼ tsp Sugar, ¼ tsp MSG (味精), 1/8 tsp Soy sauce (生抽), ½ tspTo make the broth: Ginger, ~1 inch, smashed Any excess skin from trimming the chicken Bones from deboning the chicken Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1 tbsp Carrot, ½, cut into ~1.5 inch chunks Hot boiled water, 1.5L Stems from the shiitake Soaking liquid from the shiitake Corn, ½ ear, cut in halfExtra sliced scallion green for garnishDipping sauce: Ginger, ~1 inch, julienned Scallion green, ~1, julienned Salt, ¼ tsp Sugar, ½ tsp MSG (味精), 1/8 tsp Soy sauce (生抽), 1 tbsp Toasted sesame oil (麻油), 1 tsp Water, 1 tbspPROCESSRinse your rice, then toss in a bowl and fill it with hot, boiled water from the kettle and cover. Ditto with the shiitake mushrooms and lotus leaf (no need to cover the lotus leaf). Soak all for one hour.While soaking, prep the rest of the ingredients. Separate the whites and the greens from the two scallions, cutting the former into 1.5 inch sections (for the chicken marinade). For the latter, julienne one for the dip and slice up the other for garnish. Cut the carrot on a bias (i.e. the ‘rolling cut’) into rough ~1.5 inch chunks. Chop the corn in half. Prepare the dipping sauce.Debone the chicken legs, reserving the bones and any excess skin from the process. Slice the chicken into ~1cm strips, and mix with the ‘marinade for the chicken’.By this time, everything should be done soaking. Squeeze the excess liquid from the shiitakes, and reserve the soaking liquid. Remove and reserve the stem. Slice the shiitake into strips and mix with the chicken. Drain the liquid from the lotus leaf, cut into the size of your steamer. Also cut a little hole in the center to allow the steam to come through.Drain the liquid from the rice, mix with the ‘marinade for the rice’.Now, you can begin the broth. To (whatever vessel you’re using), add ~1 tbps oil and fry the smashed ginger and any excess chicken skin over a medium flame. Fry until fragrant, ~1 minute, then add in the chicken bones. Fry those until they’re just beginning to brown, 1-2 minutes, then swirl in the wine. Add in the carrot, fry for ~1 more minute. Add the hot water, the shiitake stems, the shiitake soaking liquid, and the corn. Bring to a rapid boil over a high flame.Place the steaming rack with the lotus leaf over the broth, and spread the rice evenly on top. Cover, making sure that the lid is securely covering everything (depending on your set-up, you may need a heavier lid, or to wrap the set-up with a damp towel or two). Steam for 12 minutes on high.Add half of the chicken on top of the rice. Steam for 7 minutes on high.Garnish with sliced scallions, and serve with the dipping sauce listed above.______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!http://www.patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtu.be/GHaL5H-VYRg?t=912
Western food in Asia: Fried Spaghetti across three countries Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-07-18 | One of our favorite topics - Western food in Asia! This time, we wanted to show you stir fried spaghetti across three countries.0:00 - Three countries this time0:28 - The Chachaanteng Menu2:00 - Recipe 1, Hong Kong Black Pepper Spaghetti3:35 - Other Western Food Traditions in Asia4:53 - Recipe 2, Naporitan7:37 - Thailand's Modern Western Food9:23 - Recipe 3, Dried Chili Fried Spaghetti10:21 - What do they taste like?RECIPES FOR OTHER THAI SPAGHETTISSo generally speaking, my four 'go-to' channels for Central Thai/Bangkok food are (1) the ever-fantastic Hot Thai Kitchen (2) GinDaiAroyDuay (Thai, but description box recipes translated to English) (3) PlaoCooking (Thai, but ingredients/quantities are listed in English) and (4) COOKKIMAO. Of the four, Hot Thai Kitchen and GinDaiAroyDuai - the two more homecooking of the four - have Spaghetti recipes:Drunken Spaghetti:HTK - youtu.be/-QnY1YVFGW4GDAD - youtu.be/3KFFwwceXBQTom Yam Spaghetti:HTK - youtu.be/wglGBqgYWtkGDAD - youtu.be/nTtE8GbDPRsBLACK PEPPER SPAGHETTI 黑椒意粉* Dried Spaghetti, 100g* Flour (面粉), ½ tbsp* Onion (洋葱), ¼, sliced* Garlic, 2 cloves, minced* Shallot (干葱), ½, minced* Black pepper, 1 tbsp, freshly ground* Sauce: Dark soy sauce (老抽), 1 tsp Soy sauce (生抽), ½ tsp Oyster sauce (蚝油), ½ tsp Sugar, 1 tsp Salt, ¼ tsp MSG (味精), ¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce (喼汁), 1 tsp Water, 6 tbsp* Ham (火腿), 30g* Butter (牛油), 1 tbsp Cook the spaghetti until done. If holding for a bit, transfer to a plate and jiggle in front of a fan or AC to vent out some steam. Reserve.To make the black pepper sauce, first fry the ½ tbsp flour in 2 tbsp oil over a medium flame. Once combined, add in the onion and cook until slightly softened, ~1 minute. Add in the shallot and the garlic, and fry everything until the roux’s cooked through, 2-3 minutes more. Add in the black pepper and fry until fragrant. Add in the sauce, swap the flame to high. Once thickened, transfer to a bowl.Same wok, add another tablespoon of oil over a medium flame. Fry the ham until slightly darkened, ~1 minute, then add in the spaghetti. Stir fry for ~30 seconds, then mix in the sauce, and finish with a tablespoon of butter.NAPORITAN ナポリタン* Dried Spaghetti, 100g* Onion, 1/8, sliced* Hot dog, 1, sliced* Ketchup, 4 tbsp* Seasoning: Salt, ¼ tsp MSG, ¼ tsp Sugar, ½ tsp* Kewpie Mayo, 1 tbsp* Green bell pepper, ¼, sliced* Butter, 1 tbsp* Optional powdered parm & Tabasco to serveFor a Yoshoku restaurant style spaghetti… first boil the spaghetti until done, then thoroughly coat with oil. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 4-5 hours, or up to overnight. Re-blanch for 15 seconds to re-heat before frying.For us, we simply boiled the spaghetti until done, and then transferred directly from the cooking pot.Either way, first fry the onion in ~2 tbsp oil over a medium flame. Once slightly softened, ~1 minute, add in the hot dog. Once the hot dog begins to curl, ~1 minute, scooch up the side of the wok. Add in the four tbsp of ketchup, fry in the oil for 1-2 minutes. Add in the spaghetti, stir fry for ~30 seconds. Add in the seasoning and the mayo, mix well. Add in the bell pepper, fry for ~15 seconds. Add in the butter and mix.DRIED CHILI SPAGHETTI สปาเก็ตตี้ผัดพริกแห้ง* Dried spaghetti, 100g* Bacon, 100g, sliced into ~1 inch sections* Water, ½ cup* Onion, 1/8, diced* Garlic, 2 cloves, minced* Spicy dried chilis, 8, sliced in half* Seasoning: Oyster sauce, 1 tbsp Fish sauce, ½ tbsp Sugar, ½ tsp MSG, ¼ tsp Black pepper, ¼ tsp Cornstarch, ½ tsp Water, 1.5 tbsp* Thai basil (or sweet basil), 3 large handfulsCook the spaghetti until done, ala the Hong Kong spaghetti above.To a wok or pan, add in the bacon and the water, and let it boil over a high flame. Once the water is evaporated, swap the flame to medium. After another 2-3 minutes, there should be a good bit of bacon fat to fry in. Add the diced onion and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until slightly golden, then add in the garlic. Once fragrant, add in the chilis. Once those are fragrant, add in the spaghetti and stir fry for ~30 seconds. Add in the seasoning and mix thoroughly to coat. Add the basil and mix for ~30 seconds to wilt.______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!http://www.patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtu.be/GHaL5H-VYRg?t=913
Shrimp: the Maximally Delicious Way (probably) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-07-07 | The best way to stir fry shrimp! At least, in our opinion.0:00 - Why obsess about prep1:17 - The most delicious way to prep shrimp4:29 - Shortcuts and Alternatives9:18 - Shrimp and Celery stir fry10:25 - Calling all requests!SHRIMP PREP* Shell on shrimp, 500g* Sodium Carbonate (碱面) or Kansui (枧水), 1/2 tspMarinade:* Salt, 1/8 tsp* Sugar, 1/2 tsp* White pepper powder (白胡椒粉), 1/4 tsp* Liaojiu aka Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1/2 tsp* Cornstarch (生粉), 1/2 tspNote: if passing through water instead of passing through oil, double the cornstarch to 1 tsp and also add in a half an egg white.PROCESS1. Peel the shrimp2. Butterfly (or slice in half lengthwise)3. Remove the vein (i.e. digestive tract)4. Rinse, then submerge the shrimp and mix in that 1/2 tsp sodium carbonate. Let sit for ten minutes. Rinse again, then let the shrimp sit under running water for ~3 minutes.5. Transfer to a paper towel. Lightly squeeze out any excess liquid. Move over to a rag or kitchen towel and roll it up to finish drying. Transfer to a bowl.6. Marinate with the ingredients from above - for at least two minutes, or up to 30.7. Pass through oil: add enough oil to be about to barely submerge the shrimp (3/4 cup to 1 cup in our wok). Heat it up to 160C, then drop the shrimp in. Fry until cooked, 30-40 seconds. Remove and drain the excess oil.If passing through water, let the water come to a heavy simmer/light boil. Drop the shrimp in and don't disturb for 20 seconds, then spread evenly and boil until cooked through (about 40 more seconds)SHRIMP AND CELERY STIR FRY* Prepped shrimp, from above* Celery (西芹), 3 stalks* Seasoning sauce: Salt, 1/4 tsp Sugar, 1/2 tsp MSG (味精), 1/4 tsp Cornstarch (生粉), 1 tsp Water, 1.5 tbsp* Shrimp frying oil (if applicable), 1 tspPeel the celery, then cut on a bias into ~two inch sections. In a wok with about 1.5 tbsp oil, stir fry the celery for about 45 seconds over a medium high flame. Add in the shrimp and give it a quick mix. Swap the flame to low, add in the seasoning sauce. Once it's thickened and clinging to everything, heat off. Drizzle in a teaspoon of the shrimp frying oil for sheen.______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!http://www.patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtu.be/GHaL5H-VYRg?t=913
What is Thai-Chinese food? The case of Olive Pork. Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-06-20 | Olive Pork: Namliap Musap (หนำเลียบหมูสับ) in Thailand, Wulan Chaorousui (乌榄炒肉碎) in China. Two similar - but different! - dishes... what gives?0:00 - Why is Thai-Chinese food so interesting?1:10 - Where is Thai-Chinese food from?2:52 - Who are the Thai-Chinese?6:11 - Is Bangkok cuisine Thai-Chinese or Thai?8:55 - A Chaozhou version12:08 - A Bangkok version18:07 - Tell me more about this porridge?INGREDIENTS, CHAOZHOU VERSION* Boston butt (梅肉), 300g* Dried Chinese black olive (榄角/乌榄), 35g* Red mild chili (红辣椒), 25g* Chinese celery (香芹), 30g* Ginger (姜), 5g* Marinade: Soy sauce (酱油), 1 tsp Liaojiu, aka Shaoxing wine (料酒), 1 tsp Cornstarch (生粉), 1 tsp*Final seasoning mixture: Chicken bouillon powder (鸡精), 1/4 tsp Sugar, 1/4 tsp Salt, 1/8 tsp MSG (味精), 1/8 tsp White pepper powder (白胡椒粉), 1/8 tsp Water, 1/4 cup Mince the pork, add in the marinade. Soak the olive with hot water for 10 mins.Mince the black olive, ginger, chili, and celery.Long yau, get wok piping hot, shut off heat, add in 3 tbsp oil, add in ginger and chili, fry till fragrant, then add in pork, break it up and fry it till color changes.Add in the olive, quick mix, then add in the seasoning mixture, fry till water is absorbed.Add in the celery, mix and out.INGREDIENTS, BANGKOK VERSION* Boston Butt (หมูสันคอ/梅肉), 500g* Tinned Chinese olives (หนำเลียบ/乌榄), ~16* Optional accompaniments: Thai Bird’s Eye chili (พริกขี้หนู/小米辣)Shallot (หอมแดง/干葱), slicesLime, small diceChinese celery (ขึ้นฉ่าย/香芹), choppedCashews, 50g* Garlic -or- Thai Garlic, 100g. For the topping, 50g; as an aromatic; 50g* Cilantro root (รากผักชี), 6* Seasoning:Dark Thai soy sauce (ซีอิ๊วดำ), 1 tbsp -or- 2 tsp molassas mixed with 1 tsp soy sauceOyster sauce (น้ำมันหอย/蚝油), 1 tbspSugar, ½ tbspWhite pepper, 1 tspMSG (ผงชูรส/味精), ½ tsp* Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (เหล้าจีน/绍酒), 1 tbspCut the pork into a dice, then hand mince for ~5 minutes until a rough paste. Rinse, smush, and mince the Chinese olives. Incorporate with the pork, then mince together for ~3 minutes until pasty.Prepare the optional accompaniments. For the cashews, fry for 6-7 minutes over a medium low flame until golden. Reserve the oil.Crush and mince the garlic. Reserve half. Take the other half and fry in the same oil as the cashews – medium flame, five minutes until *barely* golden. Heat off, fry for one more minute. Strain, reserve the oil.Pound the cilantro root.Add ~3 tbsp of the reserved oil to a wok and fry the reserved garlic over a medium-low flame until they begin to change color, ~2 minutes. Add the cilantro root, fry until fragrant. Up the flame to medium high, add the pork mixture, fry for ~10 minutes – periodically spreading the mince out to brown, and then mixing together. Once it’s *just* beginning to release a touch of oil, add the seasoning. Up the flame to high, swirl in the Shaoxing wine.Serve with the accompaniments, alongside either white rice or plain congee. RESOURCESMuch of the research in this video was based off of the following works:* The Crown and the Capitalists, Wasana Wongsurawat* A History of the Thai-Chinese, Bisalputra & Sng* Siamese Melting Pot: Ethnic Minorities and the Making of Bangkok, Edward Van RoyFor the recipe, I leaned on the following sources:* YouTuber COOKKIMAO was a big resource for this one. This is a great channel for a lot of stuff in the Bangkok/Thai-Chinese space: youtube.com/watch?v=Vz3g4kQWV2I * Another critical resource was Pantip user กานต์(วีระพัฒน์) with their pair of recipes – the first one is closest to what we did: (1) pantip.com/topic/41405203 (2) pantip.com/topic/41515335 * Our pork vendor at the marketBesides chit chatting with people at the market, my process was to try to absorb everything possible on the topic on both Pantip and YouTube. Searching the former in Thai and then using Google Translate gets you 90% of the way there. Then with the two big sources above we sat down with our Thai tutor to really understand them. But there are also small things that I picked up from various sources, and in my scattershot approach I’m sure there’s places I’m forgetting:http://topicstock.pantip.com/food/topicstock/2007/11/D6064299/D6064299.htmlpantip.com/topic/36113925youtube.com/watch?v=XcYQoyOZ3zg youtube.com/watch?v=l9bOhyLJA7Q youtube.com/watch?v=n22TeX-KJfw youtube.com/watch?v=7QmavzrFDmUyoutube.com/watch?v=K0-oRk3jXhg______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!http://www.patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=892s
Meat Dragon (the lazy persons bao) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-06-07 | Meat dragon, roulong! Fun name aside, this's a perfect 'introduction' of sorts to Chinese bao making, as there's absolutely zero pleating required.0:00 - What is a... meat dragon?0:51 - Making the dough1:47 - Making the filling4:48 - Rolling your dragon7:29 - Proofing and Steaming8:30 - Other sorts of fillings? Vegetarian dragon?INGREDIENTSFor the dough:* AP flour (中筋面粉), 230g* Salt, 1/4 tsp (0.5%)* Instant dry yeast (即发干酵母), ½ tsp or 2.3g (1%)* Water, 126g (55%)For the Sichuan peppercorn water:* Sichuan peppercorns (花椒), 1/2 tsp* Hot boiled water, 6 tbspFor the meat filling:* Pork, 30% fat (梅肉, 三肥七瘦), 200g* Dacong, a.k.a. Welsh onion (大葱), 25g (can substitute for the white part of some scallions)* Ginger (姜), 25g* Dry fermented bean paste (干黄酱), 15g* Sichuan peppercorn water from above* Liaojiu aka Shaoxing wine (料酒), 1/2 tbsp* Dark soy sauce (老抽), 1/4 tsp* Salt, 1/8 tsp* MSG (味精), 1/8 tsp* Chicken bouillon (鸡粉), 1/4 tsp* White pepper powder (白胡椒粉), 1/4 tsp* Toasted sesame oil (香油/麻油), 10gPROCESS*For the dough*:Combine all dry ingredients, drizzle in water, when it becomes grainy bits, press to combine into a ball. Transfer to a working surface and knead for 5-6 minutes till it becomes smooth-ish. Put back to the bowl, cover to raise for 1 hour.*For the Sichuan peppercorn water:*Soak the Huajiao Sichuan peppercorn with 6 tbsp hot water, cover to cool down.*For the meat filling*:Peel off the skin of Dacong Welsh onion and ginger. Cut the Welsh onion in half length wise and cut each half again into 4 sections. Then mince into 1/2 cm pieces. Mince the ginger.Cut the pork into slivers then a dice, then mince into a paste.Add in all the seasoning besides the Welsh onion and toasted sesame oil. (Remember to discard the Sichuan peppercorn kernels in the water.)Mix everything well, and stir in one direction for a couple minutes till the meat mixture gets sticky, then add in the Welsh onion and toasted sesame oil, mix well and set aside.*Wrapping and Steaming*:Take the dough onto a working surface, press it down evenly with your palm. Use a rolling pin to press a cross at the center of the dough, use that as anchor point as you roll out the dough. Roll out in one direction for length then twist 90 degrees and roll out a couple times for width.Keep rolling it out, periodically focus on the thicker four edges and try to shape it into a rectangle-ish shape. When the dough is evenly rolled out into a 40cm long, 25cm wide and 2-3mm thick sheet, evenly dot the fillings on the sheet.Smear the filling out as if you’re flattening a cake batter, leave 2 cm on for far end from you, and 3-4 cm on the remaining sides.Grab the far end, fold it over with a fold that’s about 1 inch, gently pat it down. Then repeat the fold and pat motion till you reach the side close to you without filling. Grab the log, twist outward 90 degrees. Grab the remaining dough sheet, tuck and fold it over onto the log, pinch at the center, and start pinching to seal towards both ends. Once the log is completely pinched closed, use a rolling pin and press down on both ends to seal the edges. Optionally trim the ends to make it look like dragon head and tail.Line a steamer with a dry cheese cloth or parchment paper with holes on it (so that steam can pass through). Transfer the log onto the steamer, arrange it in a curl. Cover and rest over 35C water for 20 minutes. After that, turn the heat to high, bring the water to a boil. Once steam is coming out from the steamer, turn heat to medium high, let it steam for 20 minutes.Twenty minutes later, heat off and let it sit inside for 2-3 minutes. Take the whole steamer out and transfer the meat dragon to a serving or chopping board. Cut along the curl into 4-5 cm wide pieces. Serve immediately. ______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!http://www.patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtu.be/GHaL5H-VYRg?t=892
Sichuan spicy beef pancakes (军屯锅盔) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-05-20 | Guokui! An absolutely classic snack throughout China, in this video we'll teach you a classic mala spicy beef version from Sichuan.0:00 - Wait, I thought Guokui was something else?2:24 - Making the Dough4:20 - Making the Yousu5:15 - Making the Spicy Beef 6:30 - Portioning and Wrapping10:00 - Frying11:19 - How to DevourINGREDIENTSFor the toasted Sichuan peppercorn powder:* Sichuan peppercorns (花椒), 1 tbspFor the dough:* AP flour (中筋面粉), 300g* Salt, 1/4 tsp* Instant dry yeast (即发干酵母), 1/8 tsp or 0.3g* Room temperature water, 30g* Hot water (70C), 150* Caiziyou (菜籽油), extra virgin rapeseed oil (菜籽油), 18gFor the Yousu:* AP flour (中筋面粉), 42g* Salt, 1/2 tsp* Five spice powder (五香粉), 1 tsp* Toasted Sichuan peppercorn powder (花椒粉), 1 tsp* Caiziyou (菜籽油), or lard (猪油), 42gFor the Beef Filling:* Minced beef (牛肉末), 90g* Ginger (姜), 10g* Spicy chili powder (辣椒面), 1 tbsp* Huajiao Sichuan peppercorn powder (花椒粉), 4 tsp* Doubanjiang fermented spicy chili paste (红油豆瓣酱), 5g* Salt, 1/8 tsp* Sugar, 1 tsp* MSG (味精), 1/4 tsp* Chicken bouillon powder (鸡精), 1/4 tsp* Light soy sauce (生抽), 2 tsp* Liaojiu aka Shaoxing wine (料酒), 2 tsp PROCESS*For the dough*:Add in salt on one side, yeast on the other side, add in room temp water aiming at the yeast, form into small flour ball, take it out.Add in the hot water, aiming at dry bits, then add in caiziyou rapeseed oil.Start kneading in the bowl, when it’s not hot to the touch, add back in the yeast and flour mixture ball, knead it together for about 5-6 minutes.Cover the dough with enough oil to coat the surface to prevent drying out. Cover and let it raise/rest for half an hour. Our ambient temperature is 30C, if your room temp is below 23/24C, let it raise for one hour.Put it in the fridge after the resting time’s up.When the dough is resting, prep the other ingredients.---*For the Sichuan peppercorn powder*:To a dry wok, toast the 1 tbsp Huajiao Sichuan peppercorn kernels on low flame till you can see oil splotches. Take it out and pound it into a fine powder.---*For the Yousu*:Put the flour in a heat proof bowl, add in all the seasonings, heat oil up to 180C, pour the oil into the flour and quickly mix it well. Be careful, the bowl will be hot. ---*For the Beef filling*:Put the minced beef, ginger, spices, and spicy broad bean paste onto the chopping board and mince it together into a paste, about 10 minutes.When it’s pasty, put in a bowl and add in all the remaining seasoning, mix well. ---Wrapping:Take the dough out from the fridge, punch a hole at the center, divide it into 6 even log pieces, about 80-85g.Keep the logs in the covered bowl, take one out, flatten it with your palm, then start rolling it out in both directions.When it’s about 50cm (20 inch) long, gently take one end, put it over one end of your rolling pin, lift it up and slap it on the work surface, slap once or twice and repeat on the other end, the finishing strip should be about 1mm thick.Take 1/6 of the yousu and smear into one thin layer, leave about 10cm on one end.Take 1/6 of the beef filling, smear it evenly, be careful not to tear the dough, leave same space as yousu.Take the end with yousu and filling, fold up a 4cm layer over, repeat with each fold about 3-4cm wide.When reaching the end with no fillings, start rolling it at an angle, tuck the remaining dough over one end of the log, twist the log, and guide the strip to “cover” that end of the log.Once there’s only ~5cm strip left in hand, twist it like you’re forming a noodle, gently pinch that “noodle-y” string onto the pancake, forming a simple swirl on one end of the log.Gently press the still opened side of the log into a bowl of untoasted sesame seeds to seal.Put the wrapped log back into the bag to prevent drying out, let it rest for 10 minutes, work through the remaining dough.---*Frying*:After resting, take out the pancake logs for frying, put on a work surface, sesame side facing up, flatten with palm to a thick disc. Use a rolling pin to roll out a couple times in one direction, twist the disc 90 degree, roll it out a couple times again, repeatedly roll it til it’s ~15cm in diameter.Use one end of the rolling pin to press along the edge of the pancake to thin out if you want crispy edge.Heat a dry pan to 130C, place the pancake sesame facing down, roast for 1 minute, flip and roast the other side for the same time. Remember to swirl for even heating.Add enough oil, about half way up the pancake, turn heat to medium low (oil temp ~120-130C).Slowly fry the pancake, swirl it from time to time, and flip every minute or so to fry it evenly.When lightly golden brown, take out and put vertically into a tray lined with paper towel. (Optionally further bake it in an 170C oven for ~3 minutes to expel oil)______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!http://www.patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystified
Basics: Beef and Broccoli (西兰花炒牛肉) Chinese Cooking Demystified 2023-05-08 | Beef and broccoli! In Guangdong a bit more classic of a combination might be Beef with Gailan, but especially these days beef with broccoli is as classic of a homecooking combination as any.A fair warning that this ‘6th anniversary’ video can get a little… sassy at parts. Please do not take anything in this video as a critique of any individual creator.0:00 - The purpose of this video0:56 - On handling broccoli1:45 - On handling beef5:08 - The whys and hows of restaurant stir-frying8:15 - Adjusting to a home-kitchen12:06 - Is this Better Than Takeout? A rantBEEF MARINADE* Beef – loin, flank, round (牛外肌肉), 175g* Salt, ¼ tsp* Sugar, ½ tsp* Cornstarch (生粉), ½ tsp* Black pepper powder (黑胡椒粉), ¼ tsp* Baking soda (苏打粉), ¼ tsp* Soy sauce (生抽), ½ tsp* Dark soy sauce (老抽), ½ tsp* Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), ½ tsp* Oyster sauce (耗油), ½ tsp* Water, 3 tbsp* Oil, ½ tbsp(you can optionally swap the baking soda with papain – if so, use 1/8 tsp; you can also add egg white – if so, add a half an egg white)Thinly slice the beef into 2-3mm sheets. Add all the other ingredients except the oil – mix very well, 1-2 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Add the oil, mix well.Marinate for at least 2 minutes and up to 60 minutes.PORK MARINADE* Lean pork (瘦肉) – e.g. loin, 175g* Salt, ¼ tsp* Sugar, ½ tsp* Cornstarch (生粉), ½ tsp* White pepper powder (白胡椒粉), ¼ tsp* Soy sauce (生抽), ½ tsp* Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), ½ tsp* Oil, ½ tbspThinly slice the pork into 2-3mm pieces. Add all the ingredients except the oil, mix well. Add the oil, mix well.SAUCY STIR FRY* Broccoli, one small head, ~250g post trimming* Marinated Beef or Pork from above* Oil for pre-frying: If passing through oil in a skillet, ~0.75 cups, or enough to fill a skillet to 0.5cm-1cm depth If ‘pre stir-frying’, 3-4 tbsp If passing though oil in a wok, ~2 cups, or enough to submerge a skimmer or a spider* Oil for cooking: 3-4 tbsp * Garlic, 3 cloves, minced* Ginger, ~1cm, minced* Liaojiu, a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1 tbsp* Soy sauce (生抽), 1 tsp* If you want a saucy stir fry, prepare: Water, 5 tbsp Oyster sauce (蚝油), 1 tbsp Cornstarch (生粉), 1 tbsp Sugar, 1 tsp Salt, 1/8 tsp MSG (味精), ¼ tsp* If you want a not saucy stir fry, prepare: Water, 1 tbsp Oyster sauce, 1 tsp Cornstarch, ½ tsp Sugar, ½ tsp Salt, 1/8 tsp MSG, ¼ tsp* Oil, for sheen, ~1/2 tbsp of the cooking oilCut the broccoli into small florets. Blanch for 90 seconds, then strain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process.If passing through oil in a skillet, heat the oil up to 190C, then add in the broccoli. Cook for 45 seconds, flipping a pieces here or there to help cook evenly. Strain, reserving the oil for stir frying.If doing a simple pre-stir fry, fry the beef (or pork) over a high flame for about 90 seconds, or until it looks obviously cooked.If passing through oil in a wok, heat the oil up to 165C, then add in the beef. Cook for 30-45 seconds, strain.If stir-frying in a wok, first longyau: get your wok piping hot, shut off the heat, add in your oil (3-4 tbsp) and give it a swirl to get a non-stick surface. Swap the flame to medium-low and immediately add in the garlic and ginger, fry until fragrant (~30 seconds). Swirl in the wine and give a quick mix.If stir-frying in a skillet, add in the oil and swap the flame to medium-low. Immediately add in the garlic and the ginger, fry until fragrant (~60 seconds). Swap the flame to high. Scooch the aromatics and the oil to one side of the pan. Add the wine to the other side of the pan and cover. Cook for ~10 seconds covered, jiggling the skillet, then uncover.Either way, add in the beef and give a brief fry, ~15 seconds. Then swirl in the soy sauce, and after a brief mix add in the broccoli. Swap the flame to medium-low add in the sauce. Once thickened, ~15-30 seconds, heat off and add the oil.______And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!http://www.patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystifiedOutro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพFound via My Analog Journal (great channel): youtu.be/GHaL5H-VYRg?t=912
