bittergourd pork rib soup 苦瓜排骨汤

another dish i decided to make for the 8pax OPS primary school buddies dinner on 7.3.2017 was bittergourd pork rib soup 苦瓜排骨汤.

claypot bittergourd pork ribs 苦瓜排骨苦瓜排骨锅

claypot bittergourd pork ribs 苦瓜炆排骨 was what we ordered at Pak Loh Chiu Chow restaurant 百樂潮洲酒家 in hong kong,

during our recent hong kong eat & hike 20-24.2.2017.

it was good & tasty.

steamed pork ribs 2mar2017

for this i prefer to steam pork soft bones, rather than to boil with the bitter gourd soup. it delivers a more tender & smooth, tasty pork ribs.

i use my steamed pork ribs recipe here.

so just 2tsp fish sauce, 1 tsp light soy sauce, 1tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp corn flour & mix well into 250g minced pork & steam for 1hrs 10mins.

bittergourd pork rib soup 苦瓜排骨汤

i tried to reduce the bitterness of the bittergourd苦瓜, washing it with salt the day before & changing water several times.

i think more effective just to put into boiling water for few mins. will try that next time.

& additionally i use the intense chicken stock for the soup. so the soup was very tasty.

anyway, my friends all thought the bittergourd pork rib soup 苦瓜排骨汤 was very good.

c.h.e.f andy

light braised big & small intestines 

so i made a very good teochew light braised pork trotters on 5.3.2017 at the first attempt.

& i was making it again for a 8pax OPS buddies dinner on 7.3.2017. so i decided might as well do the big & small intestines as well.

i made braised big intestines once a 10pax RI buddies lueh chap lunch on 17.4.2014 (wow! time flies – that’s almost 3 years liao!), but NOT small intestines, so this the first time.

washed & soaked big & small intestines 

problem with doing intestines is the smell, or stench?? haha…

so i started the cleaning/washing one day before…it’s like rubbed with cornflour, inside, outside, washed, rubbed with salt, washed….

for big intestines i turned it inside-out so no problem to wash both sides.

for small intestines i ran water through, cut like 4in/6in lengths so easier to wash inside…

very troublesome la….

boiling to remove strong flavours 

still worried about smell, so boiled water then put in the intestines.

boiling to remove strong flavours 

maybe 5 mins. i think it very effective to remove the smell.

light braised big & small intestines

after that it is the same light braising sauce recipe as for my pork trotters.

so here it is again –

braising sauce recipe
650g pork trotters

3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp shaoxing wine
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sugar

=together about 100ml

fry-
3 star anise
1 cinnamon bark
2 clove
2 bay leaves
========
1 bulb garlic cloves
2cm cut ginger
1/2 medium red onion

light braised big & small intestines 

braise for 1.5hrs – 2hrs. for the 1st 1/2, add just 1/2 – 1 cup water, topping up & turning the trotters. that is to keep the marinade thick & intense to infuse the flavours. after that fill with water to cover the trotters & let it braise & slowly reduce to a thicker sauce, adding water as required.

light braised big & small intestines 

the result was quite excellent,texture was tender, no smell, great “pang” braise flavours.

braised items @ 振记粥面店, cheung chau market stall with big & small intestines

quite similar to the excellent teochew braises at 振记粥面店, a cheung chau island market stall recently.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• 1 big intestines
• 1 small intestines
• 3 star anise
• 1 cinnamon bark
• 2 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 bulb garlic cloves
• 2cm cut ginger
• 1/2 medium red onion

braising sauce-

• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar

=together about 100ml

Directions:

1. fry star anise, cinnamon bark, cloves, bay leaves, garlic cloves, cut ginger, red onion till fragrant.
2. rub with cornflour, inside, outside, wash, rubbed with salt, wash….for big intestines turn it inside-out so no problem to wash both sides. for small intestines run water through, cut like 4in/6in lengths so easier to wash inside…
3. to remove smell, instead of just scalding, boil water then put in the intestines, boil for few minutes…
4. add braising sauce. braise for 1.5hrs – 2hrs. for the 1st 1/2, add just 1/2 – 1 cup water, topping up. that is to keep the marinade thick & intense to infuse the flavours.
5. fill with water to cover the intestines & let it braise & slowly reduce to a thicker sauce, adding water as required.

light braised pork trotters 7.3.2017

i have done very good braises including ter kar (pig trotters), pig head (猪头肉) & ears, even large intestines.

among the best was several homecooked kueh chap meals, including a 10pax RI buddies lueh chap lunch on 17.4.2014 (wow! time flies – that’s almost 3 years liao!)

Tai Hua chicken marinate (大华鲁鸡汁)

i have been using the ready bottled tai hua braising sauce, as it saves time & effort, and experimentation.

braised items @ 振记粥面店, cheung chau market stall

braised items @ 振记粥面店, cheung chau market stall

recently we had excellent teochew braises at 振记粥面店, a cheung chau island market stall

the braise was very “pang” – fragrant, very tasty. this the typically teochew lighter colour braise.

so i wanted to give it a try myself, to make my own light “pang” braises.

light braised pork trotters 5.3.2017

i managed to do this the very first try on 5.3.32017, and recorded on facebook rightaway the recipe i used-

braising sauce recipe
650g pork trotters

3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp shaoxing wine
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sugar

=together about 100ml

fry-
3 star anise
1 cinnamon bark
2 clove
2 bay leaves
========
1 bulb garlic cloves
2cm cut ginger
1/2 medium red onion

braise for 1.5hrs – 2hrs. for the 1st 1/2, add just 1/2 – 1 cup water, topping up & turning the trotters. that is to keep the marinade thick & intense to infuse the flavours. after that fill with water to cover the trotters & let it braise & slowly reduce to a thicker sauce, adding water as required.

light braised pork trotters 5.3.2017

test for the texture you like.

i like it gelatinous with some bite, and this method of 1/2 infusing, 1/2 steaming ensoures the trotters are moist & tender & gelatinous, not dry & sinewy.

light braised pork trotters 5.3.2017

light braised pork trotters 5.3.2017

a true beauty to behold!

light braised pork trotters 5.3.2017

i am planning to do the korean jogbal using this braising method. 족발jogbal uses the upper hock not the lower trotters.

this colour is just right for족발jogbal, which preferred texture is firmer so cook for shorter time & is served dry not with sauce.

light braised pork trotters 7.3.2017

i did this light braised pork trotters & also the large & small intestines for 8pax OPS buddies dinner on 7.3.2017. i addd some pig skin also to make best use of my braising sauce.

all my friends enjoyed this.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• 650g pork trotters
• 3 star anise
• 1 cinnamon bark
• 2 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 bulb garlic cloves
• 2cm cut ginger
• 1/2 medium red onion

braising sauce-

• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp heap sugar (2tbsp)

=together about 100ml

Directions:

1. fry star anise, cinnamon bark, cloves, bay leaves, garlic cloves, cut ginger, red onion till fragrant.
2. clean trotter (& pig skin) with salt, scald to remove scum, and add to wokpanand fry for few minutes.
3. add braising sauce. braise for 1.5hrs – 2hrs. for the 1st 1/2, add just 1/2 – 1 cup water, topping up & turning the trotters. that is to keep the marinade thick & intense to infuse the flavours.
4. fill with water to cover the trotters & let it braise & slowly reduce to a thicker sauce, adding water as required.

hand tear chicken手撕鸡7mar2017

one quite unique dish we had during our recent really fun 4pax OPS primary school buddies hong kong eat & hike trip 20-24.2.2017 was hand tear chicken手撕鸡.

手撕鸡 had tear chicken @ minsheng daipaidong 民声冰室

手撕鸡 had tear chicken @ minsheng daipaidong 民声冰室  was very impressive. chicken was sweet, tender yet not soft & had good bite, a bit stringy yet not sinewy or chewy. very good i think.

hand tear chicken手撕鸡7mar2017

i googled the recipe & made a 手撕鸡 hand tear chicken myself at home after my return. it was not bad as a first attempt. i had the texture but not yet the taste, my marinade needed some improvements/adjustments.

hand tear chicken手撕鸡7mar2017

i repeated it for a 8pax OPS friends dinner on 7.3.2017.

this time the marinade was good, & my friends all liked it. 🙂

hand tear chicken – poached chicken

my preparation/recipe is similar to that for poached chicken 白斩鸡.

i used 1/2 chicken. made chicken stock using bones of 1 chicken & 1 cut large carrot. added 1 bulb garlic cloves, 1 medium red onions quartered, few stalks of spring onions, 2cm cut ginger. boiled chicken (immersed) for 12 mins, off fire & poached for 25mins.

hand tear chicken – poached chicken

then quenched in ice water to stop cooking.

hand tear chicken – poached chicken

hand tear chicken – poached chicken

& put in the fridge to dry.

for this hand tear chicken手撕鸡, i feel that the dry should be more taut & dry & stringy, so i left it in the fridge for longer, about 5hrs.

roasted sesame

i pan-roasted 3tbsp sesame seeds.

hand tear chicken手撕鸡2mar2017

then separated the skin, cut/tear in rectangular pieces, & tore the chicken flesh in strips.

 

hand tear chicken手撕鸡2mar2017

& then mixed in first the condiments, then the roasted sesame seeds.

for the condiments – i used 2tsp fish sauce, 1tbsp light soy sauce, 1tsp oyster sauce, 2tsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp goma sauce.

hand tear chicken手撕鸡2mar2017

then covered with the skin & added some more roasted sesame

 

hand tear chicken手撕鸡2mar2017

and 当当 voila, the hand tear chicken手撕鸡.

the flesh is moist & tender & nicely/lightly flavoured with the concdiments & roasted sesame, quite flavourful.

for me, it was an interesting dish, a change certainly, may not be my most favoured style for chicken preparation,

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• 1/2 chicken
• 1litre chicken stock (using bones of 1 chicken & 1 cut large carrot)
• 1 bulb garlic cloves
• 1 medium red onions quartered
• few stalks of spring onions
• 2cm cut ginger

for condiments mix-

• 2tsp fish sauce
• 1tbsp light soy sauce
• 1tsp oyster sauce
• 2tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp goma sauce.

Directions:

1. make 1 litre chicken stock using bones of 1 chicken & 1 cut large carrot.
2. add 1 bulb garlic cloves, red onions, spring onions, cut ginger to 1litre chicken stock in a deep ducth oven & bring to boil
3. cover & boil chicken for 12 mins, off fire & poach for another 25mins
4. quench in ice water to stop cooking
5. put in the fridge to dry for 5hrs
6. separate the skin, cut/tear in rectangular pieces, & tear the chicken flesh in strips
7. mix in first the condiments, then the roasted sesame seeds.
8. plate the dish, cover with skin, & add some roasted sesame

steamed pork ribs 2mar2017

my FB post on 2.3.2017-

• now my steamed pork ribs about perfect=about 250g ribs…2tsp fish sauce 1 tsp light soy sauce 1tsp sesame oil 1 tsp oyster sauce 1 tsp corn flour steamed 1hr

returning from our recent really fun 4pax OPS primary school buddies hong kong eat & hike trip 20-24.2.2017, i made the HK claypot rice 腊味饭 a few times with the duck liver sausages i bought in hong kong.

steamed pork ribs 25feb2017

i thought it might be quite plain with just sausage, so i steamed some pork ribs and added to the claypot rice.

steamed pork ribs 25feb2017

i had wanted to make the dimsum restaurant styled steamed pork ribs anyway.

steamed pork ribs 7.3.2017

it was easy to make. as my FB post said, just-

1. wash with salt & scald 250g pork ribs (i used pork soft bones which is the ones served at dimsum
2. add 2tsp fish sauce, 1 tsp light soy sauce, 1tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp corn flour & mix well
3. put in a small receptacle & steam for 1hr (i did not want the condensed steam to dilute the sauce.

& that is the perfect pork ribs (or pork soft bones). the steaming makes the pork ribs very tender & moist.

this not quite the dimsum restaurant pork ribs as i did not have & did not use black beans.

but it is just as good anyway la!

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• 250g pork soft bones
• 2tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp corn flour

Directions:

1. wash with salt & scald 250g pork ribs (i used pork soft bones which is the ones served at dimsum
2. add 2tsp fish sauce, 1 tsp light soy sauce, 1tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp corn flour & mix well
3. put in a small receptacle & steam for 1hr (i did not want the condensed steam to dilute the sauce.

HK claypot rice 腊味饭 25.2.2017

during our recent really fun 4pax OPS primary school buddies hong kong eat & hike trip 20-24.2.2017,

we bought some pork sausage & liver sausage (both duck liver & pig liver, & so we were all very keen to try these out at home) at-

1. fa yuen street market 花园街街市; and also at
2. shau kei wan wet street market.

腊味饭 claypot rice @ chuen mun kee 銓满记

that also prompted a friend to suggest dinner at a hong kong claypot restaurant.

so we found & enjoyed a delicious dinner with claypot rice at chuen moon kee 銓满记 at mongkok, which is near to our metropark hotel.

HK claypot rice 腊味饭5 25.2.2017

i did my HK claypot rice 腊味饭 on 25.2.2017, the next day after returning from hong kong on 24.2.2017. haha! ^^

it was easy to do…

HK claypot rice 腊味饭5 25.2.2017

i thought it might be quite plain with just sausage, so i steamed some pork ribs (and these were dimsum restaurant standard), and add to the claypot rice.

HK claypot rice 腊味饭5 25.2.2017

the HK claypot rice 腊味饭 was very good indeed, very “pang”, flavourful la!

HK claypot rice 腊味饭 7.3.2017

i did the claypot rice again on 2.3.2017 for a 3pax dinner with my sis & b-i-l, and again for a 8pax dinner for my OPS friends.

these hong kong liver sausages are just phenomenal, so “pang” – flavourful! the duck liver sausage is quite fantastic. the pork liver is good not as fantastic.

HK claypot rice 腊味饭 7.3.2017

everyone just loved the dish.

HK claypot rice 腊味饭 2.3.2017

the preparation/recipe is quite simple-

1. fry cut ginger with chicken fat (or 1tbsp oil) in claypot, add chopped garlic.
2. add a slice of salted fish, off fire, feel the aroma, remove whole slice of salted fish & set aside.
3. wash 1.5 cups rice (3pax) & fry in the claypot
4. (earlier) pour boiling water over 5 small chinese dry mushrooms in a large bowl, cover & leave for 4hours. now cut each mushroom in 5 strips (with or w/o stalk) and add to rice. fry a short while & feel the aroma.
5. add 1.5cups stock (i used chicken stock, can use mushroom water too) to rice & let it rest till you want to start cooking.
6. add whole pork & liver sausage (or cut into 2 or 3 large pieces like chuen moon kee 銓满记 (photo further up), and cook for 12mins.
7. add back the salted fish slice, & garnish with few stalks of coriander.

HK claypot rice 腊味饭 2.3.2017

& voila! so nice, so flavourful, so tasty la!

HK claypot rice 腊味饭 2.3.2017

for the 2.3.2017 preparation, i added 1.3 cups of water to 1.5cups of rice. (remember the washed rice has some wetness & the cut mushrooms also).

drizzling sauce for HK claypot rice 腊味饭 2.3.2017

& because i feel that this preparation is quite plain (having just sausage), i prepare the simple ubiquitous drizzling sauce (which is used to drizzle steamed rice 一口饭 & fun cheung 粉肠 at dimsum restaurants).

 

HK claypot rice 腊味饭 2.3.2017

HK claypot rice 腊味饭 2.3.2017  (with drizzling sauce)

this very easy to do, and very nice too, so just do it la-

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp (flat) sugar
• 1 tsp darh soy sauce
• 6 tbsp water

believe me, this is the sauce you want to make…a perfect condiment to your rice. & if rice is tasty enough, no need to use also.

HK claypot rice 腊味饭 2.3.2017

emptied each & every time la! ^^

HK claypot rice 腊味饭 25.2.2017

a friend asked on facebook whether to cut of not to cut sausage when steaming.

i don’t know also, but i think the sausage is tastier if you don’t cut it.

so for me, for this HK claypot rice 腊味饭 where the sausages are the centrepiece, i put the better quality sausage whole & cut afterwards.

for my usual chicken rice, where sausage is secondary just to complement the chicken, i use the cheaper sausage & cut the sausage to make the rice tastier.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups rice (for 3pax)
• 1.5 cups water
• 1.5cm cut ginger
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• chicken fat (or 1tbsp oil)
• 1 slice salted fish (bottled in brine)
• 2 duck liver sausage (or 1 large pork liver sausage)
• 2 pork sausage (or 1 large one)
• few stalks coriander

for drizzling sauce-

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp (flat) sugar
• 1 tsp darh soy sauce
• 6 tbsp water

for steamed pork ribs – see separate post

Directions:

1. for steamed pork ribs – see separate post
2. fry cut ginger with chicken fat (or 1tbsp oil) in claypot, add chopped garlic.
3. add a slice of salted fish, off fire, feel the aroma, remove whole slice of salted fish & set aside.
4. wash 1.5 cups rice (3pax) & fry in the claypot
5. (earlier) pour boiling water over 5 small chinese dry mushrooms in a large bowl, cover & leave for 4hours. now cut each mushroom in 5 strips (with or w/o stalk) and add to rice. fry a short while & feel the aroma.
6. add 1.5cups stock (i used chicken stock, can use mushroom water too) to rice & let it rest till you want to start cooking.
7. add whole pork & liver sausage (or cut into 2 or 3 large pieces like chuen moon kee 銓满记 (photo further up), and cook for 12mins.
8. add back the salted fish slice, & garnish with few stalks of coriander.

steamed minced pork in light soy sauce 7mar2017

so we had a most wonderful time together in hong kong 20-24.2.2017, 4 of us OPS primary school buddies.

& one meal that we enjoyed most was at minsheng daipaidong 民声冰室 on 23.2.2017.

one among several great dishes was a very simple (& simply delicious) salted egg steamed minced pork 咸蛋蒸肉饼 (the 2 photos above).

so that is one dish i want to make when i am back home.

steamed minced pork in light soy sauce 7mar2017

the key to this simple to prepare dish are (1) the light soy sauce (2) the minced pork.

i have very good light soy sauce, very “pang” fragrant like minsheng daipaidong 民声冰室.

for the minced pork, i chopped a frozen belly pork on 2.3.2017 & used a fresh ready packet minced pork on 7.3.2017.

the preparation/recipe was simple-

1. chop chilli, scallions (& some yellow onions – optional, i didn’t add) & mixed with 300g minced pork. i put the scallion on one side as one friend does not eat scallions.
2. add 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp olive oil & 1tbsp corn flour to minced pork & mix well
3. make a depression on the minced pork(as in photo above) to hold the egg yolk. my opinion is the salted egg contribute little to the dish. so i replaced with fresh egg which is healthier but also contributed little to the dish except a nice volcano presentation, and i always like the silky egg yolk, no effort so no harm to have it.
4. add 1 to 1.5 tbsp (to taste) light soy sauce & 1 tbsp olive oil & steam minced pork for about 12mins.
5. 1 min before completion, crack one egg, drop the egg white in the plate by the side of the minced pork, and the egg yoke on the depression to receive the egg yoke.
6. garnish with coriander.

steamed minced pork in light soy sauce 7mar2017

my friends commented during a 8pax dinner on 7.3.2017 that the dish was almost the standard of minsheng daipaidong 民声冰室.

i think the light soy sauce was almost as good, the ready minced pork not as good texture, & even taste???

steamed minced pork in light soy sauce 2mar2017

earlier i experimented the dish. there was no minced pork in the fridge, so i hand-chopped a defrosted belly pork. i think the hand-chopped frozen pork was better actually.

steamed minced pork in light soy sauce 2mar2017

hand-chopped has a rougher, uneven texture which i like better, and somehow even though it was a frozen meat, it actually went very well with the marinade.

steamed minced pork in light soy sauce 2mar2017

anyhow this was really easy to do, and a true comfort food that is most endearing & yet so easy to prepare.

steamed minced pork in light soy sauce 2mar2017

we all enjoyed all the dinner dishes including this minced pork dish at our 8pax dinner on 7.3.2017. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• 300g minced pork
• 2-2.5 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. chop chilli, scallions (& some yellow onions – optional) & mix with 300g minced pork.
2. add 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp olive oil & 1tbsp corn flour to minced pork & mix well.
3. make a depression on the minced pork to hold the egg yolk.
4. add 1 to 1.5 tbsp (to taste) light soy sauce & 1 tbsp olive oil & steam mince pork for about 12mins.
5. 1 min before completion, crack one egg, drop the egg white in the plate by the side of the minced pork, and the egg yoke on the depression to receive the egg yoke.
6. garnish with coriander.