Cheese katsu: panko-crusted meat with a cheesy inside I've had katsu before, those deep-fried pieces of meat. My personal preference is for chicken. However, I decided to try out this new dish, cheese katsu. Yes, it was pork, so the meat felt thicker and tougher. However, there's also a huge cheese factor dropped into the recipe. I actually liked the gooeyness of the cheese inside the meat. It was nice to have the conflicting softness of the cheese within a substantial meaty … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Szechwan braised pork
February 24, 2017 Leave a Comment
It's been a long time since I've gone for hot and spicy. With the cold and wet weather outside, though, I braved the fiery food. Szechwan braised pork: saucy pork belly Okay, so this actually was one of the dishes without a red hot chili pepper next to its name. The plus part? Lots of tender meat. The minus? Loads of fat. It was too greasy for my taste actually, but it's packed full of umami flavor. Here's a recipe for it. … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Char Siu Sou
March 4, 2016 Leave a Comment
Char siu sou: BBQ pork pastry Need an alternate to chicken pot pie? Try char siu sou! It's a savory meat pie with flaky crust. Also, I love the juxtaposition of barbecued pork in it, which adds a slight sweetness to the mix. You can find these delicacies on your local dim sum cart! Try a cheater's version (her words, not mine) of the recipe here. … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Pork Stew
October 16, 2015 Leave a Comment
Pork stew: braised pork belly over rice This is not your typical American stew. Its sweet and salty broth involves two different kinds of soy sauce. The meat that's used is also a lot more tender (think: bacon, but juicier). It really hits the spot in these cooler days of fall. I love the piping hot dish, often accompanied by some yummy hard-boiled eggs. There's also a hint of something a little pungent in the recipe (perhaps star anise or five spice powder?). Give it a try if you want … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Roast Pig
July 10, 2015 Leave a Comment
Roast pig: succulent pork with roasted, crispy skin Trying out the Kalua pork pizza last time made me think about roast pig. In Hawaii, I wasn't a huge Kalua fan because there is a Cantonese style of roasted pork (siu yuk) that I adore. (In fact, I can't believe I haven't blogged about it before!) The actual translation for the Chinese name is "roasted meat," but I've always seen pork used. Restaurants in Chinatown will even dangle whole pigs in their window cases to attract hungry … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday First: Kalua Pork Pizza
July 3, 2015 1 Comment
I ate my first slice of... Kalua pork pizza: tender smoked pork on pizza Summertime reminds me of lazy days at the beach. I remember going to Kauai for my honeymoon. The water there was amazing--so sparkling and toasty warm. A lot of people spotted sea turtles while snorkeling (but not me!). While there, I went to a luau. They served kalua pork, smoking a whole pig in the sand. It was wrapped in banana leaves and cooked over koa wood. Kalua pork is very tender, but it offers an … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Pork Belly Bun
October 17, 2014 2 Comments
Pork belly bun: steamed bun with slices of pork belly I've long been a fan of Peking duck--with the American version of wrappers. I don't like those authentic thin crepes that come with the dish. Instead, I enjoy soft steamed buns for holding my fixings. And what's not to love about a pork belly bun? I mean, the ingredients for an authentic Taiwanese bun are: Steamed bun (moist bread--mantou, which you can buy frozen from the Asian market and steam at your own leisure) Pork belly (gua … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Pork Sung Bun
February 7, 2014 1 Comment
Pork sung bun: bread that's coated with a layer of shredded, dry pork Pork sung is known by names like "meat wool" or "meat floss." It comes in distinctive fibers, like cotton candy for meat lovers. The pork melts in your mouth, providing an addictive salty/meaty taste. (There are also other varieties which use fish or beef.) Pork sung is made by stewing pork in a soy sauce mixture and then pulling apart the meat strands. Later, it is dried by heating in an oven and frying over a large … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Deep-Fried Char Siu
October 18, 2013 3 Comments
Deep-fried char siu: sweet roasted pork, fried Instead of traditional barbecue meats, I'm a big fan of the triumvirate of Chinese BBQ: roast duck, roast pork, and char siu. They're all very flavorful. Char siu, often marinaded with a bright red sauce, appears in those delicious buns (steamed or baked) that dominate the dim sum scene. I recently learned about a new way to cook them: deep-fried. Where has this dish been all my life? Move over state fair fried food (fried avocado, … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Taiwanese Sausage
June 28, 2013 Leave a Comment
Taiwanese sausage: a plump and tender sausageUnlike the dried and harder Cantonese version, Taiwanese sausages are juicier (probably because they use fatty pork). They hold a sweet flavor and may be called "fragrant" sausages. Fresh pork is used, and in Taiwan, local butchers will sell them. They can also be made directly at home. Taiwanese night markets also boast a special variety, known as the double sausage. This is a "small sausage wrapped in a big sausage," which consists of a smaller pork … [Read more...]
