Something From Nothing ~ Week 13

This week, I had the final "pork steak" from my big freeze-a-thon back at the end of January ready to go....I do try for a 60-day rotation on frozen meats...and it was time for this to be used up. The only real question of course, was....what do I make with it?  I chose a really challenging one for this weeks' post, and decided that this one piece of meat....

...was going to be dinner....AND an appetizer! How, you ask? Asian food! I knew there would be enough meat there to fill some pot stickers, but wonton soup, too? I must be nuts! On the other hand, I had these in the fridge, and they were rapidly approaching the "use me up or feel guilty about throwing me away" stage....

First, I removed the bone from the pork steak, all the fat, and cut it into chunks (kitchen scissors - yay!) I then scoured the pixie-pantry and refrigerator for suitable ingredients and found;

green onions, cornstarch, soy sauce and sesame oil, cabbage, garlic and ginger. We are in business!

After a minor chop, I threw the meat, scallions, ginger, garlic and cabbage into the food processor...

Then, about 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch, a teaspoon each of sesame oil and soy sauce...

Pulse this until blended, and the ginger and garlic are in small enough pieces...Now, prepare your work area for filling these yummy pockets of goodness. I got out a plate, and sprinkled on some cornstarch (so the pot stickers don't become plate-stickers hardy-har), a small ramekin of water for wetting the edges of the dough, the now-blended meat mixture, and of course, the wonton skins.

Now, take a regular teaspoon, and place about a half-teaspoon of filling into the center of the wonton skin and wet the entire border with your fingers after you dip them into the bowl of water ...like so...

Fold it over to make a little triangle....

Then, crimp the top in a decorative, but more importantly, well-sealed manner. Like this little packet of goodness!

As you finish each one, place them on a plate dusted with cornstarch, and cover with a damp paper towel, so they do not dry out. Here's all my little soldiers..lined up and saluting!

Now, take the remainder of the filling, and as you fill the wonton skins, pull all the corners up into a little pouch, squeeze hard to seal, and press down slightly. You will now have wontons, as well as pot stickers!

Continue until all the filling is used up, and place on a plate in the same fashion as your pot stickers.  Here are mine...

After I took this photograph, I immediately froze half the batch...for a busy, work night Chinese take-out meal without the cost, or paper boxes, or even a reservation!

I got out a few more ingredients that I had on hand to make the wonton soup. They are;

Carrot, scallions, dried shittake mushrooms, broccoli, chicken base, bamboo shoots, cabbage, and the soy sauce and sesame oil from earlier.

I soaked the mushrooms for about 10 minutes in really hot tap water, then sliced everything in a similar manner. This keeps everythings' cooking time the same, and looks attractive in the soup bowl. 

Now, fill a 3 quart saucepan three quarters full with water, and only add about 2 Tablespoons of chicken base. Asian soups have very light, delicate broths. Add a Tablespoon each of soy sauce and sesame oil.  Everyone but half the scallions, the broccoli, and the wontons goes into the broth.

Cover and simmer on medium low for about ten minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Then add your wontons and simmer for ten minutes longer. Finally, add the broccoli and garnish with thinly sliced scallion. Simmer for 5 minutes and turn it off....keep it covered while you finish the pot stickers. Here's the fun part - while the soup is simmering, place 1/2 cup of water and one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a skillet. Add your pot stickers, cover and steam for about ten minutes.

Then remove the lid (medium heat), and as the water evaporates, the oil remains, and gets those lovely crispy brown bottoms going on the pot stickers. This takes about five to ten more minutes...they are done when the water has all evaporated, and the bottoms are brown and crispy, but not burnt. Pick them up and check them, if you need to - it won't harm a thing!

Don't worry about the water looking a little "milky" - that's just from the cornstarch on the bottom of the wontons.  Now, pour some soy sauce into a bowl, add a little vinegar, scallions and sesame oil, and you've got your dipping sauce. The results?  Just amazing. Have a look!

And...

And...

An appetizer, and lovely, warming wonton soup. All from that small piece of protein, and a few bits and bobs from your pantry and refrigerator! I won't tell you how incredibly good it was, because I can already hear your car tires squealing as you race to your local Chinese take-out. Stop it at once! Go MAKE it!

What is your favorite Asian dish, that you duplicate as well as, or better than the local take-out?

Eat well, my friends and stay tuned for our next Something From Nothing, and see what those naughty, naughty little Kitchen Angels have been up to.

Love and kindness to all,

Pixie

Something From Nothing ~ Week 9

It is a bizarre twist of fate in life, when one is faced with something one cannot predict, or control. As a cook, I'm all about "control". Controlling ingredients, flavors, appearances, etc. One of my culinary heroes, Anthony Bourdain says that "cooking is about control ~ eating is about submission".  Not only do I agree - I also sometimes slip into the Chefs' pity-party of NOT getting surprised by the flavors, textures, and wonderful-ness of any given dish - because I've been there, sampling and tasting for correctness all along.  This is not my favorite foible of being a good cook. One has a hard time going to a restaurant, for instance....disappointment at the outcome, and the price one had to pay for it, inevitably follow.  On to this weeks' creation. 

This recipe pays homage to my humble culinary early days. As a new Air Force bride, I found myself in lovely Austin, Texas....and part of a community I never knew existed. My companions were Mothers, wives, and people who were unbelievably generous with their time and recipes.  Although this recipe is probably anything but authentic, it feeds a lot of people for a little money, and any protein (such as chicken) can be substituted for the pork. Sweet and Sour pork, here I come! Speaking of the pork, this is what I defrosted overnight....

A humble, not-very-attractive slice of pork shoulder....sold cheaply (under $3.00) usually called "pork steak", or some other such nonsense.  Let's look deeper, though. After one trims the fat, and cuts the meat into cubes, there is quite a bit of meat to work with there!  That is just what I did, using of course, my kitchen shears to trim the fat, and cut into relatively similar cubes....

Be warned - this is not a recipe you want if you are in a hurry. In fact, I did the trimming and marinating of the pork, as well as prepping the vegetables in the morning. A weekend day is perfect for making this dish. As with many Asian recipes, there is a lot of prep - and everything needs to come together with pretty precise timing....not a dish for novice cooks, or those unfamiliar with stir-frying in general. Having said that, it is a good recipe for those looking to sharpen the Asian cooking technique, and practice....especially if you assemble most of the components ahead of time.  On to the marinade...into the container goes 2 Tablespoons sherry or white wine, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, and some minced garlic and ginger.

Then, one scours the pantry and fridge to see what vegetables are ready....the only ones called for are bell pepper (green or red), celery, carrot, and onion....I have modified over the years to include things that we like in our stir-fry.....such as:

The bell pepper, half an onion, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts, as well as the carrot and celery. Not shown, a can of pineapple rings...which is important for its juice, as we will make the sweet and sour sauce with it. Cut these vegetables accordingly ~ which is to say, slice thinly, and on the diagonal, so that all cook evenly. I did just that, and placed in a container in the fridge for the day...

And yes, there was some liberal "taste-testing" of these beautiful vegetables...can you blame me? Fast forward to that evening...combine the sauce ingredients, and place in a saucepan on the back burner (don't be daunted by the amounts - I doubled the sauce ingredients from the initial recipe)...they are;

10 Tbsp. sugar

4 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. wine (I used sherry)

6 Tbsp. white vinegar

1/2 cup pineapple juice (from a can of pineapple rings)

6 Tbsp. ketchup

1/2 cup water with 3 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in it

It's not attractive (yet), but here is mine...

combined & ready to heat up toward the end of the cooking time.

The pork has been marinating all day, and has absorbed the flavors (and color) of the soy, wine, garlic and ginger. I pick out the garlic and ginger, and drain the meat in a colander..

Now we cook! Mix an egg with about 4 Tbsp. cornstarch, and add a little water...you want a nice, thick batter. Now is the time to get a beverage, bring the phone near, or do anything that will take you away from the stove - frying does not take well to lack-o-commitment. Here is the batter before and after mixing...

Now, heat up about an inch of vegetable, canola or peanut oil, and deep-fry the meat....I don't like using a lot of oil, and don't fry often....I put about seven pieces per batch into the batter, and fry until crispy and browned...

Place on a rack in a warm oven (I like it about 210 degrees). The rack will keep the pieces crispy, and help to drain any excess oil....here are mine..

I wanted some lovely, nutty Basmati rice for the dish - but refuse to pay nearly five dollars a bag for it - but I lucked into this recently....and normally I also shun anything "boil in a bag", but since this dish is so labor-intensive, I caved like a cheap deck of cards....and bought.....this!



Place in some boiling water, and forget about it for ten minutes...you have better things to attend to...such as, draining your vegetables that you prepped this morning...if any liquids have come from them, you will be steaming ~ not stir-frying.

Get a non-stick pan or wok super hot, and add just a teaspoon of oil. Throw those veggies in (along with a half a can of pineapple rings, cut appropriately), and keep them moving ~ this is essential...you want them crisp-tender, not mushy...and while you are doing this step, heat your sauce - about medium high, and whisk to combine...

Here are my veggies, ready for sauce, pork and rice, and the sauce, coming to a boil so that the cornstarch can thicken the whole thing...

The results? How did I know you want to see how the finished product comes together? Just a guess...plate with a lovely fragrant bed of your rice, the vegetables, some cubes of pork, and drown ahem, bathe the whole thing in the sauce....oh, and enjoy!



How was it? Really......really good. Now, as I said before, this may be anything but "authentic" but it is delicious, fulfills a stir-fry craving, did not cost more than about 6 dollars, has no MSG, and did not have to be picked up, in paper cartons, hauled home, or any of that bother.

Eat well, my friends, and stay tuned for some crab-tastic fun, a big announcement from Kitchen Angel, and a tribute to my first, and most important culinary influence...what made Pixie....Pixie? Love and kindness to all,

Pixie