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Archives for May 2015

Xinjiang-style Lamb Skewers

May 30, 2015 by amateurgastronome Leave a Comment

While studying chemical engineering as an exchange student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, I would often look to the music collection at the campus library as a respite to the heat and frenetic pace of Hong Kong.  It was through this collection that I discovered Kitaro’s Silk Road recordings and became enamored with China’s Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.  This region which borders Afghanistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia Pakistan, and Tajikistan is home to a large population of Muslim Uighurs whose cuisine reflects a mix of Central Asian influences that make it want of my favorite cuisines.  Uighur food is gaining in popularity and small street stalls are popping up all over China’s largest cities serving lamb skewers or chuar. During summer evenings in Beijing, smoke from the charcoal grill of my local street stall would filter up to my apartment and at less than $.50 per skewer, they were always an irresistible treat. Luckily, they are super easy to prepare.  I have shared my own version for lamb skewers, but this works equally well with chicken or beef.  I like to toss the meat in all the seasonings ahead of time to allow the spices to really adhere to the meat, but if you are running short on time, it’s not absolutely necessary.

Xinjiang-style Lamb Skewers

2 lbs. boneless lamb (I like to use leg of lamb)

2 -3 Tbs whole cumin

1 Tbs sea-salt

1-2 Tbs whole coriander

1-2 Tbs minced garlic

1 Tbs chili flakes

1. Slice the lamb into small bite-size cubes.  I prefer cubes on the smaller side since I feel this allows for more of the surface to char while being grilled. Be sure not to trim off all of the fat.  You want some of the fat on the skewers to keep the meat from drying out.  In fact, when I asked my local street stall owner, he insisted that 1/4 of the meat should be fat.  Much of the fat melts away during cooking and when the liquid fat drips on to hot charcoal it smokes and adds a lot of flavor to the meat.  So please, don’t trim all of the fat off.  If using chicken, I prefer to use boneless chicken thighs which also have a higher fat content and stay moist on the grill.

2. Lightly pound the cumin, salt, and coriander in a mortar and pestle to break down the spices a bit.  This will release some of the flavors, however, you don’t want to completely pulverize the spices.  You want to insure that you have some whole pieces of spices.  They will form a delicious crust on the meat.  Mix the remaining spices with the lamb and toss to coat.  I sometimes add a little bit of olive oil if the meat looks dry or is really lean.

3. Threat the meat on to bamboo skewers.  Be sure not to leave gaps and try to make the skewers even so that the meat all cooks at the same rate.  It helps if you soak the skewers for an hour beforehand so that they don’t burn on the grill.

4.  Grill over medium to high heat.  Depending on the size of the skewers and the heat of the grill, this can take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes.

Enjoy!  I like to serve these with some steamed rice, yogurt, and salted tomato slices.

Shoyu Koji with Cucumbers

May 30, 2015 by amateurgastronome Leave a Comment

This isn’t really much of a recipe, but I think it deserves mention anyway.  Everytime I have this dish, it takes me back to the hot muggy summers in Kesennuma when all of the hotels opened up roof-top beer gardens and served simple grilled dishes and beer.  These beer gardens would be denoted by bright red lanterns, but before even approaching, the first signs of the beer garden would be the laughter and music streaming down.  My favorite beer garden would serve chilled spears of cucumber with miso and vinegar or occasionally a small dish of Shoyu Koji.  This in my mind is the perfect match to a frosty mug of beer.

Although these cucumbers are great with miso and vinegar, the miso can be a bit salty.  If you do decide to go that route, buy a good quality organic miso. I prefer the red or brown miso (Sendai style) which tend to be a bit more robust than the yellow or white misos that you will occasionally see.  Add just a few drops of rice vinegar to thin out the miso and add some acidity.

Although it can be difficult to find, Shoyu koji, the pre-cursor of soy sauce, is a bit sweeter and is my favorite.  Shoyu koji is actually a mix of fire roasted grains, soy beans, salt, spring water, and koji culture which is the starter for kicking off the fermentation of soy sauce.  Look for it in the refrigerated section of your local Asian market.  It is often hidden between tubs of miso and Japanese pickled vegetables (tsukemono).

 

Yunnan Pineapple Salad

May 17, 2015 by amateurgastronome Leave a Comment

Although Yunnan, a Southwestern province of China that borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam, does not have a cuisine that is very well known outside of China, it is becoming increasingly popular in Beijing and Shanghai, and it is only a matter of time before the West catches on to the unique flavors that Yunnan has to offer.  Yunnan is largely tropical and subtropical and borrows many of the same ingredients used in neighboring Southeast Asia.  In addition, Yunnan is home to many of China’s ethnic minorities insuring that a diversity of influences has helped shape its cuisine.  This refreshing salad exemplifies this diversity and mixes salty, sour, spicy and sweet flavors tthat will literally set your tongue on fire.  This recipe is my own attempt to replicate one of my favorite dishes at Yunnan restaurant In & Out in Beijing.  There is nothing better than this simple salad that takes less than 15 minutes to prepare on hot summer day.  The acidity of the salad also pairs really well with grilled meat skewers.

 

Recipe for Yunnan Pineapple Salad

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)

3 Tablespoons good quality fish sauce

1 Tablespoon sugart

3-4 red chilies, seeded and minced

1 pineapple – trimmed and cut into bite size wedges

3 Tablespoons fresh mint leaves, finely shredded.

1. In a medium bowl, mix the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and chilies, making sure that sugar completely dissolves.

2. Toss in the pineapple and fold in the mint.  If you arre going to make this in advance, mix the dressing and the pineapple and refrigerate.  Just before serving, toss in your mint so that it doesn’t discolor.

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