Sweet & Spicy Baked Baby Back Ribs

I use very similar ingredients in my marinades, but to change up the flavors, I do try to change up the ingredients. Most of what I cook is based on ingredients readily available in the kitchen so dishes are never really the same every time. Sometimes when I'm shopping (which I don't do much of surprisingly!), I'll pick up ingredients that I wouldn't normally use in my cooking. I few months ago, I picked up a bottle of Clay Pot glaze with the intention of re-attempting to make Ca Kho To, a vietnamese dish prepared by braising catfish steaks in a clay pot. Of course, that never happened, so I decided one night while making baby back ribs, that I would incorporate the glaze in my marinade! It actually turned out pretty delicious and I've made it a few times since, each time - it turned out a little different.




 The first time I made it, I got a nice glaze and char on the ribs. I documented the second time making these ribs, my attempt to re-create the ribs pictured above... This is the marinade for 3 racks of ribs, so you'll want to adjust your seasonings and ingredients depending on how much you are cooking.  Prepare: 2 yellow onions, 10 garlic cloves, 6-8 stalks of lemongrass.  Wash the racks of ribs with salt and water. Let drain in a colander.  Cut them into pieces by bone-length.   Cut the lemongrass into 1.5-2 inch pieces and mince them in a food processor.   Add the garlic and onions, process until all three ingredients are minced.  Mmmmm. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ribs, lemongrass mixture, 1 cup of the clay pot glaze (1/3 cup for each rack of ribs), fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sambal chili paste, light brown sugar, hot pepper flakes, garlic salt and black pepper to taste. If you want sweeter - add more brown sugar and  clay pot glaze. For a more spicy kick - add more chili flakes.

Let marinade for 30 minutes or longer

While the ribs marinate, cook the vermicelli rice noodles   When you're ready to bake them, place them onto a baking sheet (marinade and all) lined with two layers of aluminum foil (will help prevent the pan for burning from the sugar. Sprinkle on some sesame seeds. Bake them for about 45 minutes. Flipping the pieces ever so ever so often. Then set to Broil-Hi to give the ribs an nice color and char, the marinade will thicken and coat the ribs as you continue to turn them to give each side time under the broiler heat. Each side will only need about 1-2 minutes if the broiler is set on Hi.   While the ribs bake, prepare the raw veggie/herb platter (Lettuce, cilantro, mint, bean sprouts, etc). Cucumber and mint would be must haves for this dish, but...I didn't have any cucumbers in the fridge.  Also prepare fish sauce to pour over your noodles. In a bowl, stir sugar and warm water until sugar is dissolved, add fish sauce, lime juice, crushed/mince garlic and thai chilies that's been cut into small pieces with kitchen shears.   They're done! ( I should have broiled it just a tad longer) If you want, garnish with more sesame seeds.   Serve with the rice noodles, raw lettuce and herbs, and fish sauce.
A great summer dish that can be prepared indoors! I'm sure it's would taste even better coming off the grill  or on some chicken wings... =)

Banh Pate So | Pork Pate Pastry

I was introduced to this pastry by my older brother years ago. During my TVB drama days, Anh Cuong would make weekly trips to the Vietnamese video store to rent the lastest drama series for me, mom, and Phuong. He'd also stop by the Vietnamese store and brought home this pastry for me ever so often when they had them.
It was introduced to me again by his now fiance, Chi Tammy, during their most recent visit here. Incorporating bits and pieces of different recipes I found on the web with some of Chi Tammy's techniques, I baked up some of my own fluffy and flaky yumminess!

18 small pastries:



Thaw a package of puff pastry (2 sheets)






As the sheets thaw, prepare the filling. In a bowl, mix together 1 lb. of ground pork, 2-3 tablespoons of pate, 1 medium onion - diced, 1 small carrot - shredded and cut into small pieces, 2 cloves minced garlic, and 1 green onion - cut into small pieces. Season with fish sauce, salt, and black pepper.


Also prepare the egg yolk wash - beat together egg yolk and toasted sesame seeds.


For small servings: Cut each sheet into 9 squares, fill half of the square with pork mixture, leaving the edge free to be sealed.


Fold over the other half and press edges down with a fork to seal. Brush the yolk over the top of the pastries. Place them on a non-stick baking sheet and pop them in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.


Serve while they are fresh out the oven.


2nd batch without egg-wash.



I forgot the step of slitting the top of the pies to allow steam to escape. With no place else to go, the steam escaped through the bad seal job, causing the openings hehe Not bad for the first attempt!

Clear Shrimp & Pork Dumplings | Banh Bot Loc

A must have dish at all the family gatherings - reunions, house warmings, death anniversaries, dinner to end the year and welcome the new lunar year, and so on.

This is my first time time making banh bot loc almost all on my own (mom helped form the dumplings). I think this might be my first banh post too, I'm not big on making any kind of banh because it takes so much time to prep all the ingredients. Here, I'm making it bare and boiled - most people I know prefer it this way, so do I. There's also the ones wrapped in banana leaves and steamed - which are more aromatic when cooked because of the banana leaves.

The shrimp and pork filling:


Cut shrimp into small pieces, season with fish sauce, chili pepper flakes, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.


Cut the pork belly into small pieces, also season with fish sauce, chili pepper flakes, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.


Cut leeks into small pieces, fried in a little oil to release flavor. I love the smell of fried leek - smells so good! Remove the leek oil to a small bowl.


In the same pan, saute some shallots in a little bit of oil.


Add the pork. When the pork is cook, add the shrimp, leek oil, and sugar. The sugar will help it to caramelize.


When the shrimp is cooked and everything is nicely caramelized, add cut scallions and more black pepper. Set aside.
The dough, forming the dumplings, and cooking:


Forming the dough seems to be the toughest part. If it's too dry or too wet, it's hard to work with. For each bag of banh bot loc flour (tapioca starch) you use, you'll need 1 cup (give a little) of boiling hot water. Put some oil on your hands so it' won't get too sticky.


I attempted to use the Kitchen Aid mixer I bought for Phuong last year to make the dough, but....FAILED. It was sticky, I added more starch - it got dry, I kneaded some more water into it by hand - it was runny. I ended up making another dough, kneading it by hand. Mom shook her head when she found out I tried to make the dough in a mixer...


To press the rounds out faster, I put a ball of dough in between sheets of wax paper and press down with a glass cup.


Form the dumplings by spooning some of the filling onto the center of the round, fold in half, and seal by pinching the edge together.


In a large pot of, boil the dumplings until they float to the top.


While the dumplings are cooking, make a scallion oil: Heat up some oil and toss in cut scallions. Fry for a few seconds.


When cooked, drain and run the dumplings under cold water or dunk into cold water bath. Let drain. Toss in the scallion oil - which adds flavor and helps the dumplings from sticking to one another. Plate right away.


Serve with a sweet fish sauce (fish sauce, crushed garlic, sugar, water, cut chili peppers). I added fried shallots to mine because i like the texture and flavor.
Slightly overcooked the first batch...this one turned out better, but maybe I should have cooked it just a lil longer.
Yum.

Braised Pork Spare Ribs | Suon Heo Rim

I don't make this dish too often since I usually use what ever is available in the house freezer and fridge...and ribs are almost always never there. Made this a couple months ago just never got around to posting it. Savory sweet...


A slab of pork spare ribs cut into 1-1 1/2 inch pieces. Go with baby back ribs if you can since its much more tender. The Asian Market usually sells them already cut, but I bought mine from Meijers - so I butchered it myself with a nice heavy cleaver.


Put them in the pot that you will be cooking it in and add a medium onion cut into wedges, hoisin, sugar, fish sauce, salt, hot pepper flakes, minced garlic, mince ginger, and soy sauce.


Mix well and let marinade for 30 minutes.


Set over high heat for about 40 minutes or until it's nicely caramelized and cooked- adding water if necessary to prevent burning. Garnish with a dusting of black pepper and scallions (or cilantro). Serve with rice.

Baked Pork w/ Rice Noodles | Bun Thit Nuong

It's not often that I dine at a Vietnamese restaurant - but when I do, I'm ordering Bun Thit Nuong almost 4 of 5 times. It's just that good.

I was being lazy and didn't go out to purchase what I needed. Missing ingredients; cucumber, bean sprouts, and garlic. I substituted the garlic with garlic salt.



Par boil chunky pieces of pork shoulder. Rinse and slice into thin pieces. Marinade with 1 finely chopped onion, fish sauce, oyster sauce, garlic salt, black pepper, pepper flakes, sesame seeds, and sugar.


Instead of grilling the meat, I pop them in the oven. It lacks the barbecue flavor and aroma so sometimes I marinade the meat with Char Siu mix - I didn't this time since I didn't have any available. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread a thin layer of the marinaded meat onto the lined sheet.


Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Or until the meat is cooked and golden brown. Broil Lo for another 3 minutes.

Serve with vermicelli rice noodles, variety of lettuce and herbs, crushed roasted peanuts, and fish sauce.

A little heavy handed with the fish sauce for the marinade and it would've tasted better if there were cucumber and bean sprouts. Next time...

Ground Pork Stuffed Bitter Melon Soup | Canh Muop Dang Nhoi Thit

Bitter Melon: Yay? Nay? I love this stuff. Most preferred sliced thin in a shrimp broth. I was not a fan of bitter melon when I was younger. I usually just scooped out the meaty goodness and left the veggie back. Ever since I started cooking and eating more of it, I've grown to like it more.

How I make Canh Muop Dang Nhoi Thit:

Soak a couple bundles of bean thread noodles in hot water

Cut and remove seeds from bitter melons. I like to use a butter knife for this, quick and clean.

Dice shallots, dice garlic, cut scallions separating whites from greens.

Cut drained bean thread noodles into 1 inch pieces. Mix by hand: noodles, ground pork, shallots, garlic, fish sauce, salt, black pepper, and hot pepper flakes.

Infuse oil with scallion whites and more hot pepper flakes.

Add water and bring to boil.

While waiting for water to boil, stuff bitter melons with meat mixture. Roll extra mixture into meatballs (we love extra meat).

Add stuffed bitter melons into the pot of boil soup base, after 5 minutes add the extra meatballs. Let cook and serve with white rice.

Substitute with your choice of ground meat. Below is ground beef, preferred by my younger brothers.