Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil
600g pork belly, skin on and cut into cubes
6 cloves garlic, pounded or mashed
1/3 cup sugar (or less to taste)
3/4 cup dark soy sauce (or less to taste)
1 1/4 cups water

Directions:

1. Heat a frypan until hot, add the oil, then the pork and fry until brown. Lower the heat. Add the garlic and sugar and fry until the sugar glazes the meat.
2. Add the soy sauce, mixing well. After a few minutes, add enough water to cover the meat and simmer until the meat is tender – about 30 minutes.
3. Serve with steamed or fried rice and a green vegetable.

Happy cooking!

Source: Connie Clarkson’s Asian Flavours

Post from: Blisstree

Meat-lovin’ Mondays: Tau Yu Bak (Soy Sauce Pork)

Ingredients:

250g beef sirloin, cut in 6 slices
1 tbsp kalamansi or lemon juice
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 tbsps oil
1 onion, sliced into rings

Directions:

1. Marinate the beef in kalamansi or lemon juice, soy sauce and pepper.
2. Heat the oil and pan-fry the beef until medium-rare. Transfer to a plate. In the remaining oil, saute the onion until tender. Garnish the beef with the onion rings.

If you want perfectly cut and thinly sliced beef, ask for beef schnitzel from your butcher or get them pre-packed at the supermarket. Click here for more cooking tips.

Happy cooking!

Source: The Food of the Philippines
by Periplus World Cookbooks

Post from: Blisstree

Bistek Tagalog recipe

Bo Kho (Beef Stewed with Tomato, Star Anise and Lemongrass) 

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless beef chuck, well trimmed and cut into 1½ -inch chunks
1 hefty stalk lemongrass, loose leaves discarded, cut into 3-inch lengths and bruised with the broad side of a cleaver or chef’s knife
3 tbsps fish sauce
1½ tsps Chinese five-spice powder
2½ tbsps peeled and minced fresh ginger
1½ tsps brown sugar
1 bay leaf
3 tbsps canola oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped fresh tomatoes or 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
Generous ½ teaspoon salt
2 star anise
3 cups water
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
¼ cup chopped fresh Vietnamese coriander or Thai basil leaves

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine the beef, lemongrass, fish sauce, five-spice powder, ginger, brown sugar, and bay leaf. Mix well with chopsticks to coat the beef evenly. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
2. In a heavy-bottomed 5-quart Dutch oven, heat the oil over high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches, add the beef and sear on all sides, then transfer to a plate. Each batch should take about 3 minutes. Reserve the lemongrass and bay leaf from the marinade and discard the rest.
3. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the onion and cook gently, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until fragrant and soft. Add the tomatoes and salt and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the mixture is fragrant and has reduced to a rough paste. Check occasionally to make sure the tomato mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan. If it does, stir well and splash in some water.
4. When the paste has formed, add the beef, lemongrass, bay leaf, and star anise. Give the contents of the pot a bit of a stir, and cook, uncovered, for another 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and penetrate the beef. Add the water, bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for 1¼ hours, or until the beef is chewy-tender (a sign that it is close to being done). To test for doneness, press on a piece; it should yield but still feel firm.
5. Add the carrots and return the stew to a simmer, adjusting the heat if needed. Cook, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, or until the carrots and beef are tender. (This stew may be made up to 2 days in advance. Let cool, cover and refrigerate, then bring to a simmer before continuing.)
6. Just before serving, do a final taste test. Add salt or a shot of fish sauce to intensify the overall flavor. Or, splash in a bit of water to lighten the sauce. Transfer to a serving dish, removing and discarding the lemongrass, bay leaf, and star anise. Garnish with chopped Vietnamese coriander or Thai basil leaves.

Happy cooking!

Post from: Blisstree

Vietnamese Beef Stew recipe

In light of the big game coming up, here are some party snack ideas for the Asian food lover:

TOKWA’T BABOY  

TERIYAKI CHICKEN WINGS

SQUID IN SWEET HOT CURRY SAUCE 

SAMOSAS 

From my own experience growing up, I can just imagine my dad and his friends enjoying these appetizing pulutan with ice cold beer!

Now, if these are not your thing, why not try these other tasty munchies:

TOSTITOS WITH SOUTHWESTERN CAVIAR 

PRETZELS WITH BEER DIP

TORTILLA CHIPS WITH HOT BEAN DIP

EASY MEATBALLS 

TOMATO PIZZA BREAD

BARBECUE WINGS 

Happy cooking!

Post from: Blisstree

Home-cooked Superbowl munchies

Here’s another familiar fair at the Chinese food stall — Beef in Black Bean Sauce. Thanks to my Essential Asian Cookbook, I have cooked and tested heaps of scrumptious dishes, I could probably start a fast food stall biz of my own now!

Ingredients:

2 tbsps canned black beans
1 medium onion
1 small red pepper
1 small green pepper
2 tsps cornflour
1/2 cup beef stock
2 tsps soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsps oil
1 tsp finely crushed garlic
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
400g rump or fillet steak, finely sliced

Directions:

1. Rinse the black beans in several changes of water; drain and mash them. Cut the onion into wedges. Halve the peppers, discard seeds and cut them into small pieces. Dissolve the cornflour in the stock, add the soy sauce and sugar.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok, swirling gently to coat. Add the garlic, black pepper, onion, red and green pepper, and stir-fry over high heat for 2 minutes, until it changes colour. Add the black beans, cornflour mixture and vegetables. Stir until the sauce boils and thickens. Serve with rice.

Happy trouble-free cooking!

Post from: Blisstree

Beef in Black Bean Sauce recipe

Once again, it’s Meat-lovin’ Mondays!

So, do you enjoy eating or cooking with shrimp paste? If you are, then this is the dish to try. Others find bagoong or shrimp paste to be too salty so I suggest you limit your use according to your taste.

Ingredients:

500g pork, cut into cubes
3 cloves garlic chopped
2 onions, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 small pack bagoong
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 pork broth cube
3 tbsp oil
1/2 cup water

Procedure:

1. Fry the pork until golden brown then set it aside. Saute garlic, onions and tomatoes in oil, then add sugar and vinegar.
2. Simmer for 2 minutes then add the bagoong. Mix the pork and the water and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with steamed rice.

Happy cooking!

Post from: Blisstree

Binagoongang Baboy recipe

If you’re Filipino, this dish definitely rings a bell. Merely saying “Kare-kare” actually gets me into a homesick mood too. And boy, am I glad my mom’s here in New Zealand to cook us our all-time favorite. I’ve never bothered cooking it since I got here as the oxtail takes a long while to become tender. I just don’t have the patience for it, nor do I own a slow cooker.

So for today’s first run of Meat-lovin’ Mondays, I present to you.. Oxtail and Vegetable Peanut Stew:

Ingredients:

2.2 lb oxtail cut into 1 1/2″ lengths
1 pouch Mama Sita’s Peanut Sauce (Kare-kare) Mix dissolved in 1 cup broth
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp cooking oil
7 oz pechay (bok choy)
7 oz sitaw (long green beans), cut into 2″ lengths
10 cups water
1 oz sliced onion
7 oz sliced eggplant (optional)
bagoong (sauteed shrimp paste)

Procedure:

1. Boil oxtail in water. Lower heat and simmer until meat is tender leaving about 3 cups broth.
2. In a heavy saucepan, saute garlic and onion in oil. Add oxtail, stir fry and pour in dissolved Kare-kare mix. Add the remaining broth.
3. Stir and simmer until sauce thickens, then add the eggplant and sitaw. Simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Lastly, add pechay (bok choy) and simmer for 2 minutes until vegetables are done. Serve hot with bagoong and rice.

Happy cooking!

Post from: Blisstree

Kare-kare recipe

Read on and find out how this recipe got its name:

Ingredients:

500g fillet steak
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsps oil
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Procedure:

1. Cut the steak into bite-sized cubes. Place it in a bowl with the garlic, oil, fish sauce, sugar, salt and pepper, and mix well to combine. Cover and marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
2. Heat a heavy-based wok until very hot; add the beef in 3 batches and toss, by shaking the wok and turning the meat with tongs, until brown and seared on the outside but still very pink in the centre.

Serve immediately by piling the meat into the centre of a serving plate, decorate with lettuce, cucumber and red onion.

This is like the Vietnamese version of the salpicao. Hope you like it!

Happy cooking!

Post from: Blisstree

Shaking Beef

Here’s a flavorful dish which, in my opinion, I find quite uncommon to Japanese cuisine. The last time I had steak the Japanese way was when I dined at a Teppanyaki place. I guess I’ve always known Japanese food for its sushi, Gyoza, miso soup, Yakisoba, Sukiyaki and Tonkatsu.

So, if you’re bored with your trusty salt and pepper, why not perk up your steak with this delectable Japanese recipe:

Ingredients:

2 tbsps white Japanese sesame seeds
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 cm piece fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsps Japanese soy sauce*
1 tbsp sake
1 tsp caster sugar
500g scotch fillet, cut into 4 steaks
3 spring onions, to garnish
1 tbsp oil

Dipping Sauce:

4 cm piece fresh ginger
1/2 tsp shichimi togarashi
1/2 cup Japanese soy sauce
2 tsps dashi granules
2 tbsps water

Procedure:

1. Roast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over moderately low heat for 2 minutes, shaking the pan constantly, until the seeds begin to pop. Crush the roasted seeds in a mortar and pestle.
2. Place the crushed sesame seeds, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sake and sugar in a bowl and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Place the steaks in a shallow dish; spoon the marinade over the top and marinate for 30 minutes.
3. To make the Dipping Sauce: Cut the ginger lengthways into very fine strips about 4 cm long. Place the ginger, shichimi togarashi, soy sauce, dashi and water in a small bowl and whisk lightly until well combined.
4. Cut the spring onions lengthways into very fine strips about 4 cm long. Place the strips in a bowl of iced water and leave until they are crisp and curled; drain.
5. Lightly brush the oil over the steaks and then grill or fry them for about 4 to 6 minutes on each side — don’t overcook or the steaks will become very tough. Set the steaks aside for 5 minutes before cutting them into diagonal slices. Arrange the slices on serving plates and then drizzle over a little of the Dipping Sauce. Garnish with the spring onion curls and serve with steamed rice and the remaining Dipping Sauce.

*(e.g. Kikkoman Soy Sauce)

Happy cooking!

Post from: Blisstree

Steak in Roasted Sesame Seed Marinade recipe

Here is another new, tasty twist you can cook up using beef.  Thanks once again to my sister for this Thai recipe:

Ingredients:

2 pieces of beef schnitzel, cut into chunks
1/2 cup cashew nuts
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 spring onions, cut into 1 inch long
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 green bell pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 1/2 tbsp chili paste with soya bean oil
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 mushrooms, cut into thin slices
1 carrot, thin slices (1 cup)

Procedure:

Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and onion. Cook fro 2 minutes. Add chili paste. Add beef and stir until well cooked. Add fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and all other ingredients. Stir until well combined. Lastly, add cashew nuts and stir well. Serve with rice.

Maximum flavor, minimum effort! Don’t you agree?

Happy cooking!

Post from: Blisstree

Fried beef with cashew nuts recipe