When I started to seriously get into cooking, I mostly taught myself by recreating my favorite takeout dishes. It was a low risk, high reward way to figure things out. So other day when I had a craving for some White Boy Special (General Tso’s Chicken w/ pork fried rice) I decided to check what I had available and make it at home instead. After checking my fridge, I switched it up and did a General Tso’s/chili black bean/Sichuan-style thing.
Read the rest of this entry » «Takeout Spicy Salmon»
I read somewhere online about this bacon & fried oyster pad thai at this spot and it got me thinking. THIS WAS REALLY TASTY, DUDES.
Read the rest of this entry » «Pork Belly & Fried Oyster Soba»
After my trip to London in October of 2011, I finally got to taste the famous Heinz beans in tomato sauce that everyone had raved to me about. We settled in for a nice full english breakfast one day at the Regency Cafe in Westminster where besides spotting a mutant (yes they exist) I finally got to have these beans. I imagine they are pretty prevalent across London unless the establishment is making their own. Basically, I was hooked. They are tangy, a little sweet and a perfect accompaniment to the eggs, meat and toast you’re eating (love the grilled tomato too) Anyway, recently my friend Gale actually surprised me with these beans and I knew I had to feature them. This recipe is really simple. To make the beans, follow the directions on the back of the tin (which are written in a very British style) and then serve them. Don’t mess with them at all. The meat of this recipe lies in the pork chop preparation. Basically, I believe that a sear and then a finish in liquid is one of the tastiest ways to cook pork. I’ve never had it sous vide so perhaps my standards are a bit low but for now, in my kitchen, I’ll go with my sear-braise method.
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Not much to say about this. It is Brussels sprouts with Indian-Chinese-ish flavors. It tastes okay.
To make the XO sauce, I followed the Momofuku recipe (with some adjustments); feel free to use store-bought. The tomato chutney is derived from Rice & Curry: Sri Lankan Home Cooking, but feel free to outsource production of that as well. Both are simple enough to make at home, though, and I would encourage you to make the attempt.
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This recipe seems elaborate, but it was actually the result of a bunch of leftovers from other recipes. The pork butt was purchased for porchetta (at work), the dashi, pork skin jus & Japanese mustard greens for pork ramen (at my leisure). Looking at these ingredients, I decided to give a classic Philly sandwich a try: roast pork & bitter greens on a seeded roll. The flavor profile has shifted East and the provolone has been omitted in favor of a slightly richer, more flavorful gravy for the pork but this is otherwise pretty straightforward. Totally satisfying lunch.
N.B. The pork skin jus is an adaptation from The Art of Living According to Joe Beef: A Cookbook of Sorts. For my money, it was the best cookbook released in 2011 and it has been a great source of inspiration in the kitchen.
Read the rest of this entry » «Japanese Roast Pork Sandwich»
