2 lbs. of bone-in beef shank (or 1 lb. bone-in beef shank, + .5 to 1 lb. beef tendon)
2 tablespoon oil
3 slices of ginger
6 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 scallions (cut into 2-inch segments)
3 dried chilies
For sauce:
2 teaspoons Doubanjiang (spicy bean paste)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Shaoxing cooking wine
Broth:
6 cups water (to make soup broth)
Spice bag (or tea bag) with below:
3 star anise (small)
1/4 teaspoon of Sichuan peppercorn
1 stick cinnamon
2 bay leaves
Final Assembly
Wheat noodles
Bok choy (or spinach)
Pickled daikon
Beef shankTwo pieces cubed and boiled.SpicesAromaticsFresh noodles
INSTRUCTIONS
Make sauce of soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, spicy bean paste, and sugar. Mix thoroughly.
Cut the beef shank into one inch cubes.
Boil water in a pot. After boiling, add the beef and 1 tsp of Shaoxing wine. Let it come back to boil and boil 1-2 minutes. Strain in a colander and rinse thoroughly in fresh water.
In Instant Pot, turn on the sauté setting. Add the oil, sliced ginger, sliced garlic, scallions, and chilies. Stir until flavors release.
Add the meat to the pot.
Add the sauce (step 1). Stir fry for a few minutes.
Pour in 6 cups of water (or about half the pot, covering the ingredients)
Put star anise, Sichuan peppercorn, cinnamon stick, and 2 bay leaves in a spice pouch. Put spice pouch into pot.
Close the lid of the pot. Cook 42 minutes in the meat stew setting. Natural release for 25 minutes.
If using Le Creuset Dutch oven instead of Instant Pot for a firmer, but still tender, texture, simmer for 2 to 2.5 hrs (#2 on my electric stove).
Boil the noodles, and in the last couple of minutes, add the bok choy and blanch until tender.
Placed noodles in a bowl, add beef & broth, add veggies, and pickled veggies.
This recipe should make three servings (meals) for two people.
Good fried rice has firm separate grains. It is clean, light; with different flavors in each bite. No clumping. The secret is using white rice that has been in the refrigerator overnight, and using a non-stick skillet (not wok) to cook evenly without a lot of oil.
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1 cup frozen peas (pref. baby peas)
2-3 cups cooked rice, broken up with fingers
1/2 cup bean sprouts (optional)
2 medium scallions
Directions
Heat oil in the skillet
Add egg and allow the set for 20 seconds, then scramble, and break into small pieces. Transfer egg to small bowl.
Add more oil to skillet.
Add peas and garlic, and cook until garlic is fragrant (1 min)
Use this method for one or two ears of corn. For more corn, boil in a big pot.
Leave the corn in the husk. This will help trap heat and moisture, cooking kernels evenly.
Microwave on high for ~3.5 minutes (one ear) — add one minute for two ears.
Rest the ears for at least 5 minutes after cooking before husking. Use the husk as a handle. It may feel only warm on the outside but is extremely hot inside.
Winter melon soup is a soothing and comforting dish. Winter melons are grown in summer and harvested in late summer through early winter, making this a great summer/fall transition recipe!
There’s also a famous Chinese pastry—called “wife cakes”, or lao po bing (老婆饼)—with winter melon in the filling. Like other common Chinese pastry fillings (lotus seed paste, red bean paste, taro, etc.), if you cook down winter melon and add sugar, it makes an excellent sweet treat.
Winter melon can grow into a very big fruit, measuring over 15 inches in diameter and weighing in excess of thirty pounds. At the supermarket, you’re most likely to see them sold by the slice due to their extreme size. Although it’s called winter melon, it’s actually a summer vegetable. It is a type of fruit, but when mature, the fresh melon doesn’t taste sweet. It is mildly flavored, and has a similar texture to that of a watermelon. It’s typically used for cooking savory dishes, including soups and stews, with other flavorful spices. The white fresh part will turn very soft and absorb flavor easily as it’s cooked.
INGREDIENTS
1 (2-lb) wedge of winter melon (e.g. from Chang Fa, Food Depot)
Easy to make, and can last up to 6 weeks. When you’ve finished the beets, the brine can be brought back to a boil and reused. Or, use it to marinate hard boiled eggs. This recipe uses a 1 quart jar.
INGREDIENTS
2 large beets (~11 in. circumferance)
1 cup cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
1 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground mustard
5 whole peppercorn
Onion (optional)
Garlic (optional)
Cinnamon stick (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Cook beets in Instant Pot for 25 minutes high, 15 minutes natural release.
Cool, peel, and slice the beets.
Bring vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and mustard to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Take off heat to cool.
Add peppercorns and beets to clean glass jar. Pour the brine in, covering the beets.
Cover and set aside for several hours (up to 24), then transfer to refrigerator.
Peel gobo’s skin with peeler or scraper (back of kitchen knife). Diagonal cut into 2 inch length. Collect slices and cut into thin matchbox strips.
Soak the gobo in water (optionally add one drop of vinegar). Change water a couple of times until the water becomes clean. Leave the gobo in water until ready to stir fry.
Cut carrots into matchbox strips.
In a fry pan, heat oil to medium high and stir fry the gobo first. After a few minutes, add the carrots.
Add the seasonings, and cook until most liquid evaporates.
In mixing bowl, stir water into flour, and keep stirring with an egg whisk. Make sure water and flour are completely combined. Set aside for a few minutes.
Finely chop green onions and throw into mixing bowl with flour/water. Add pinch of salt and five spice seasoning. Stir until everything is combined.
Heat up cooking oil. Pour mixture into a pan. Pan fry over medium heat for 2-4 minutes, until one side turns golden brown. Turn over, and pan fry the other side about 2 minutes. Then turn heat up to high, and fry each side 1 minute for a darker color.
Transfer out and absorb extra oil with a paper towel.
