Grandmas Chinese Recipes

RED COOKED PORK (HONG SHAO ROU): GRANDMA'S VERSION

Steps:

• Start by cutting up your pork belly.
• Then fill a pot with cold water and submerge your eggs. Put the pot on the stove and gently bring it to a boil. Once it's boiling, boil the eggs for 5 minutes. Take them out and put them into a bowl of ice water to cool for 5 minutes before peeling.
• After that's done, boil some more water in a large pot. Add the pork to the boiling water and blanch for about 3 minutes to get rid of excess fat and other impurities. Drain and rinse the meat.
• Make sure your wok is clean and dry. Over medium low heat, add about 3 tablespoons of sugar to the dry wok (no oil) and toss the sugar around. You'll see it start to turn an amber color. Let it melt until it becomes almost a syrup.
• Add the meat to the pan in 1 layer (still no oil necessary). Let the meat brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.
• Then add ½ cup shaoxing wine, 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 2 tablespoons regular soy sauce and a cup of water. Stir.
• Cover the wok and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour. Check it periodically to make sure that it's not too dry, adding a little water when necessary.
• By then, your eggs should be cooled off. Peel them and score them lengthwise to let the sauce into the crevices of each hard-boiled egg. Add them to the pan and gently coat them in the sauce, being careful not to break them up. Simmer for another 15 minutes (add water if needed) and then take the eggs out of the pan. Taste the sauce at this point for salt. If it needs a little more, add a dash of soy sauce 1 teaspoon at a time, until it's right. We found that you didn't need much more beyond the initial 2 tablespoons, but use your own judgment.
• Then add your tofu and stir in gently. Simmer for another 20 minutes.
• Give everything another stir and add your eggs back in.

GRANDMOTHER'S CHINESE CHICKEN WINGS

Steps:

• Place a 14-inch nonstick saute pan over high heat. Add the chicken and dry-sear to lightly brown the chicken. Add the sake, soy sauce, 1/3 cup water, brown sugar, mirin, oyster sauce, ginger, star anise, dried chile and cinnamon stick and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, about 12 minutes.
• Uncover and simmer until the pan is almost dry, tossing frequently to coat the wings, 10 to 12 minutes. Skim off the fat if you like, and serve, garnishing with scallion shavings and sesame seeds. I like to emulsify the chicken fat into the sauce by turning up the heat at the last minute to boil the fat into the other liquids.

MY GRANDMA'S CHINESE NOODLES

Steps:

• 1. brown chop suey meat in large pan until browned. fill pan with water and boil meat until fork tender. while boiling meat in small pan combine celery and onions and cook until transulcent and tender 2-5 mins. when meat is tender drain water add the celery and onions add 1 stick of butter and brown meat and veggies. add drained green beans
• 2. cook noodles according to package. drain noodles and return to pan add the other stick of butter to noodles and brown them.
• 3. add noodles to meat and veggies and add the 1 1/2 jars of beads of molassis and soy soy sauce. stir all together and serve

GRANDMA'S CHINESE VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• Place pork neck bones into a large pot; cover with water. Bring to a boil and skim scum off the surface with a slotted spoon. Drain.
• Return bones to the pot. Add 10 cups water, potatoes, tomatoes, onion, and carrot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer soup until flavors combine, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Season with sugar and salt.

GRANDMOTHER'S CHINESE CHICKEN WINGS

Steps:

• Place a 14-inch nonstick saute pan over high heat. Add the chicken and dry-sear to lightly brown the chicken.
• Add the sake, soy sauce, 1/3 cup water, brown sugar, mirin, hoisin sauce, ginger, star anise, dried chile and cinnamon stick and bring to a simmer.
• Cook, covered, about 12 minutes.
• Uncover and simmer until the pan is almost dry, tossing frequently to coat the wings, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Skim off the fat if you like(not recommended), and serve, garnishing with scallion shavings and sesame seeds. Andrew likes to emulsify the chicken fat into the sauce by turning up the heat at the last minute to boil the fat into the other liquids.