Chinese Feasts & Festivals. S. C. Moey
are round, symbolic of coins and money. All of these are placed within the “hand,” represented by the foreleg of pork. The Cantonese traditionally serve this dish to wish themselves good luck and good fortune on the second day of the Chinese New Year when they hold a noon feast to “open” the year.
1 pork foreleg (3½ lbs/1½ kg)
1 tablespoon oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 dried black Chinese mushrooms, soaked until soft, stems discarded
1 cup (15 g) dried black sea moss (fatt choy), soaked until soft, then rinsed well and squeezed dry
6 dried red dates(hongzao) or ½ teaspoon sugar
3 cups (750 ml) water
½ teaspoon salt
Sprigs of coriander leaves (cilantro), to garnish
MARINADE
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon black soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 Sear the pork in an ungreased wok over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, turning over once or twice. Remove from the wok and set aside to cool. Combine the Marinade ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Pour the Marinade over the pork and rub it in with your fingers until the pork is evenly coated. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2 Heat the oil in the wok over high heat. Stir-fry the garlic until fragrant and golden brown, 30 seconds. Add the pork and Marinade, mushrooms, black sea moss, red dates or sugar and enough water to cover the pork. Bring the ingredients to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 1 to 1½ hours until the pork is tender and the gravy has reduced to half. Season with the salt and remove from the heat.
3 Transfer the pork and other ingredients to a serving platter, and pour the gravy over it. Garnish with coriander leaves (cilantro) and serve hot. If preferred, the gravy may be thickened with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water and simmered for about 1 minute before adding it to the dish.
Serves 6 to 8
Preparation time: 20 mins + 30 mins to marinate
Cooking time: 1½ hours
Stir-fried Beef with Snow Peas
Cooked this way, beef is both tender and tasty. The addition of snow peas goes very well with the beef. Other vegetables may be added including: bell peppers, spring onions, asparagus, bean sprouts, leeks, tomatoes, kailan, cabbage, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, onions or celery. Combinations of these also work well.
1 cup (100 g) snow peas, tops and tails removed
2 tablespoons oil
1 clove garlic, minced
8 slices fresh young ginger
1 lb (500 g) beef steak, sliced into long thin strips
½ cup (125 ml) water
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in
1 tablespoon water
MARINADE
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 Bring 2 cups (500 ml) of water and ¼ teaspoon of salt to a boil over high heat in a small saucepan. Blanch the snow peas for about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat, drain and set aside.
2 Combine the Marinade ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Add the beef strips and mix until well coated. Marinate for 30 minutes.
3 Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat until very hot. Stir-fry the garlic until fragrant and golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the ginger and stir-fry for 1 more minute. Add the beef and the Marinade, and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until the meat changes color. Gather the beef mixture to the sides of the wok and add the water to the center. Bring the water to a boil, pour in the cornstarch solution and combine well. Stir in the beef mixture from the sides and add the snow peas. Stir-fry for 1 minute until the sauce thickens, and remove the dish from the heat.
4 Transfer the dish to a serving platter and serve hot with steamed rice.
Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 20 mins + 30 mins to marinate
Cooking time: 10 mins
Pot Roast Beef
This roasting style is very popular in the northern provinces and is often termed “red cooked”—a direct translation of the Cantonese word hung siew used to describe the cooking method. The meat may be served hot or cold, and the sauce is normally served separately. Leftover sauce can be saved and used to flavor stocks, stews, soups or meat dishes.
1 tablespoon sugar
3 lbs (1½ kg) stewing beef
2 cloves garlic, bruised
2 in (5 cm) fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 star anise pod
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1 cup (250 ml) soy sauce
2 tablespoons black soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 to 3 cups (500 to 750 ml) water
Sprigs of coriander leaves (cilantro), to garnish
1 Caramelize the sugar by heating it in a pot over low heat until it turns golden brown. Add the beef and all the other ingredients (except the coriander leaves) and enough water to cover the beef, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 3 to 3½ hours or until the beef is tender. Remove the beef from the saucepan and reserve the sauce. Thinly slice the beef and arrange on a serving platter.
2 Reheat the reserved sauce over medium heat and simmer until it has reduced to about 1 cup (250 ml). Remove from the heat and pour the hot sauce over the beef slices. Garnish with coriander leaves (cilantro) and serve hot with steamed rice.
3 Alternatively, leave the beef and the sauce to cool for 1½ to 2 hours in the saucepan, turning the beef over once. Remove the beef from the pan and thinly slice. Arrange the beef slices on a serving platter, garnish with coriander leaves (cilantro) and serve cold with or without the sauce.
Serves 6 to 8
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 3½ hours
Spicy Sichuanese Lamb
Sichuanese recipes literally contain a lot of “ammunition.” Dried chilies are liberally used although the quantity can be varied to taste. The chilies are normally not eaten as they are too fiery—they are used only to flavor the sauce—and you should warn your guests to set them aside.
1 lb (500 g) lamb steaks
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
5 dried chilies, broken into 2 to 3 parts and deseeded, soaked until soft, then drained
1 spring onion, sliced diagonally, to garnish
MARINADE
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons soy sauce