Roasted Spare Ribs

So I got some really nice looking pork spare ribs at the market the other day. I was going to make soup with the ribs, but decided to marinade them and oven roast them instead. I marinaded the ribs for 24 hours and roasted for 3 hours. It did take a while before I could get my hands on them, but it was so worth it. The ribs were delicious. The meat was so soft that it just falls of the bone, and the sauce that coated the ribs were finger licking good. This marinade can be used for either spare ribs or beef spare ribs.

Ingredients

2 lbs spare ribs

2 Tbsp grated garlic

2 Tbsp grated ginger

1/4 Cup hoisen sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce

3 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

Method

In a bowl combine all ingredents. Mix it well with a spoon then add mixture into a ziplock bag.

Add spare ribs into the ziplock bag, secure the bag and shake the ribs around so that every piece is coated with the sauce.

Place bag in a container and refrigerate for atleast 5 hours to 24 hours.

Ribs should be at room temperature before cooking.

Remove ribs from refrigerator, let sit for 30 minutes. In the mean time preheat oven to 325 degree.

After 30 minutes place ribs on an oven safe baking dish or pan. Cover with aluminum foil and roast for 2 1/2 hours, then remove foil and roast for an extra 30 minutes uncovered.

Serve while hot.

Honey Glazed Pork - Thit Heo Nuong

My husband and I, we used to go to this little Malaysian restaurant in Chinatown. It's in a little walk through tunnel that's kind of hard to spot. I think it's a place more for the locals. Anyways the food there is great. They got the best tasting Honey glazed pork chop I've ever eaten. You can literally smell the honey glazed the moment the server steps out of the kitchen, and not only does it smell wonderful, it taste so good. The meat is moist and tender and covered with sweet tasting honey glaze goodness. I miss eating at this restaurant. We use to eat at this place a few times a week, but ever since we moved, we hardly get the chance to go there anymore. So, what I did is try to come up with a recipe of my own. Instead of using pork chop I'm using pork tenderloin.

So far my recipe isn't the same as the restaurant’s, but it’s pretty close.

Ingredients

1 lb pork tenderloin

1/2 Tsp paprika

3 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar

2 Tbsp honey

Method

Cut meat into thin strips then pat dry, try to remove all excess moisture from meat.

In a microwave safe bowl add sugar, honey, and soy sauce. Stir mixture and place in a microwave for 2 minutes or until sugar melts. Add paprika and stir to combine mixture.

 Allow mixture to cool to room temperature, and then add pork strips.

Marinade meat for 3-5 hours or overnight before cooking.

Using a skillet, on low heat add 2 tablespoons of oil then add meat and cook until meat is thoroughly cooked.

Soy Bean and Sparerib Soup

My grandmother would always tell me to eat right, and not to consume too much fried food, chocolate, and definitely no caffeine. She’s always worrying that my body temperature will rise which is not good for the body. Chinese people believe that if the body temperature rises you can get all different kind of nasty problems like break outs, dried or crack lips, premature wrinkles, nose bleed, etch. I do not doubt what I’ve been told by my grandmother, so every once in a while I would make a pot of soup that has healing properties to help cool my body temperature.

I was going to make lotus root with spare ribs soup, but I ran out of red dates so I’m going to make soy bean soup with spare ribs instead.

Ingredients

2 Cups dried soy beans (soaked for 4-5 hours or overnight)
2 LB spareribs (par boiled)
3 Slices of ginger

Method

Tips

The dried soy bean needs to get soaked for a few hours before it can be use, that’ll help speed up the cooking process a bit. It’s also best to parboil meat before making any kind of soup. This is to prevent gunk floating on the surface of the soup, and also allowing the soup to be clear instead of cloudy.

In a soup pot add spareribs, soaked beans, and ginger. Then add enough cold water to fill the pot, but do not fill all the way to the top.

On high heat bring soup to a boiled then reduce heat to medium low and cook for 30 minutes, then cover lid and reduce heat to low, cook for another 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and server hot.

Canh Bi Do - Japanese Pumpkin Soup (Kabocha)



Pumpkins have always been my less favorite, and it's a shame because I know how delicious it can be. For years I've always stayed away from anything that involves pumpkin. I was not at all fond of the smell of raw pumpkin. Until maybe a year ago. I went to a good friend's home for dinner and she offered me soup. I drank the broth and I couldn't believe how great it tasted. The soup was out of this world delicious. It tasted a bit nutty, yet sweet and the fragant was unique. I asked her what was in the soup and she said pumpkin. I just couldnt believe my taste buds, of all those time I've stayed away from this delicious vegetable, well not anymore.

Today I will post a pumpkin soup recipe that's gaurantee to be fantastic.

Ingredient

1 Medium Japanese pumpkin - peeled and cubed
2 Small carrot - peeled and quartered
1 Small ginger knob - peeled and quartered
1 Lb sparerib - parboiled
salt to taste

Method

In a stock pot add 2 quarts of water or desired amount. Then add carrot, ginger, and sparerib. Cook soup on high heat until boil. Then add pumpkin and cook for another 15 minutes. Cover pot with a lid and reduce heat to medium low, cook for another 20 minutes before serving.

Garnish with spring onion if desire.

Spicy Kani Salad

Serving: 4

Ingredients

6 Sticks imitation crab leg meat
2 Cucumbers (skinned, seeded, and julienne)
1/4 Cup tobiko roe
2 Splash rice vinegar
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tsp sriracha sauce
3 Tsp sesame

Method

In a salad bowl shred crabmeat into thin strands, then add a few splash of rice vinegar and toss to combine. Drain any excess liquid then set aside.
Remove cucumber skin, julienne cucumber flesh and discard any seeds.
Add julienne cucumber strands and tobiko roe to crabmeat, then mix well to evenly distribute ingredients. Continue to add in the rest of the ingredients, and mix everything together.
Garnish with fish roe and sesame seeds.

Xoi La Dua - Vietnamese Coconut Pandan Sticky Rice

Ingredients

2 Cups Glutinous Rice (soaked for 5 hrs or overnight)
1 1/2 Cups Coconut cream powder
2 Tbsp Pandan extract
2 Tsp salt
3 Pandan leaves (fresh or frozen)
1 Cup shredded coconut
1 Cup coconut milk
Pinch of salt
1/2 Cup sugar (more or less depending on taste)
Green food coloring - optional
Roasted sesame seeds or roasted peanuts - optional

Things you'll need:

Steamer
Cheesecloth

Method

1 - Soak rice with 2 tsp of salt for 5 hours or overnight, to lessen cooking time.
2 - In a small pot bring coconut milk, sugar, and pinch of salt to a simmer. Remove from heat, set aside.
3 - Line steamer pan with two layer of cheesecloth. This is to prevent rice from slipping through the steam pan. Preheat the steamer by bringing the water to a boiled.
4 - Drain rice then mix in 1 1/2 cup of coconut cream powder, and 2 tbsp of pandan extract, mix well to incorporate ingredients.
6 - Add 1 to 2 drops of green food coloring to give rice extra color if desire. - optional.
7 - Cut pandan leaves into third, place leaves in steamer then add rice.
Use a spoon to spread the rice evenly on the pan, leaving a small empty space in the middle of the pan allowing steam to rise.
8 - Steam until rice is soft and sticky.
9 - Drizzle sticky rice with coconut milk. Remove from heat.
10 - Remove and discard pandan leaves.
Serve sticky rice with shredded coconut and crushed roasted peanut or sesame seeds.

Chuc Mung Nam Moi

Chuc Mung Nam Moi and Kung Hei Fat Choy!