Thai Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce

Recently, I've been getting together on a regular basis with several friends for theme nights. I think it is a marvelous way to branch out into other cuisines. Here is a recipe that I picked out of a Gordon Ramsay book that I got as a birthday gift. While the recipe used pork, I decided to try it out with beef and I was pretty happy with the results. There will definitely be more blog entries to come with recipes that I have pulled out of this book. I have been impressed so far by the recipes I have tried. Thanks again Mo for the great book!

adapted from Gordon Ramsay's "World Kitchen"
INGREDIENTS:

Beef Satays:
2 lbs Beef (cut in cubes)
1 can Coconut Milk
3 inch piece Ginger (grated)
2 stalks of fresh Lemongrass (white parts minced, or use 2 tbsp. of already minced Lemongrass)
2 tsp. Turmeric
4 tsp. Coriander
4 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Black Pepper
3 tsp. Sugar

Peanut Sauce:
2/3 cup Roasted Peanuts (unsalted)
3/4 cup Coconut Milk
4 tbsp. Red Curry Paste
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
2 tbsp. Brown Sugar
2 tbsp. Tamarind Paste

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, mix all of the beef satay ingredients together and toss to coat well. Cover and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour, preferably overnight.

Soak approximately 25 bamboo skewers in water to preven scorching during the cooking process.

Pulse the peanuts in a food processor until very fine, then pour into a bowl.

In a saucepan, heat up the coconut milk, then add the curry paste and cook until fragrant.

Add the peanuts, salt, sugar, tamarind paste, stirring frequently. Allow to simmer until the sauce thickens. If the sauce is too think, you can add a bit of hot water. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool.

Thread the marinated beef onto the presoaked bamboo skewers.

Heat up the barbecue, or griddle pan and add a bit of oil. Cook for approximately 2 minutes on each side. Serve hot with the peanut sauce for dipping.

Hong Kong Style Russian Borscht Soup

I often have "Russian Borscht" soup along with my meal when I go to a Hong Kong style cafe. I am sure it is a far cry from the authentic Russian Borscht soup that is supposed to be a hearty beetroot vegetable soup. Nevertheless, it seems to be a staple in Hong Kong style cafes, and I have always wanted to try making it at home.

I thought the soup turned out very good, and everyone who tried this soup seemed to enjoy it. I had made a large pot and expected to have lots of leftovers, but it was actually all gone by the next day.

INGREDIENTS:

4 strips Beef Brisket, Beef Bones or Oxtail
3 stalks Celery (diced)
3 Potatoes (cut in chunks)
1 Onion (cut in chunks)
3 Tomatoes (cut in chunks)
1 Carrot (cut in chunks)
1/2 Cabbage (cut in chunks)
4 cloves Garlic
10 to 15 White Peppercorns
3 Bay Leaves
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 lemon
salt, sugar, white pepper to taste
2 cups Beef or Vegetable Stock
approximately 2.5 L Water

DIRECTIONS:

Blanch beef brisket (beef bones or oxtail) for 3 minutes to remove blood. Trim away any fat from the meat.

Add beef brisket (beef bones) into a large pot of boiling water, together with beef stock.

Heat up wok and add a teaspoon of oil Sauté 1 clove of garlic, then add carrots. Once they are browned, add to the pot along with the heart of the cabbage, white peppercorns and bay leaves. Cook for 90 minutes, or until the meat is tender. Remove heart of the cabbage from the pot.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté 1 clove of garlic until aromatic. Add onion, celery and cabbage, then sauté until softened. Add these three ingredients to the pot.

Repeat process with the tomatoes, allowing tomatoes to be softened. Repeat process again with the potatoes, allowing potatoes to be browned before adding to the pot.

Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.

When all the ingredients become tender, season well with salt, sugar, white pepper and lemon juice to taste.

Serve hot in a bowl.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

It's been an incredibly busy holiday season for us, especially being baby's first Christmas! I got caught up trying to make everything perfect, particularly because I believe that it is important to uphold traditions with the little one around. Jory definitely got spoiled this Christmas by all of his aunties and uncles...he is one lucky boy!

I had meant to blog many times but then got sidetracked with something or another. I got this recipe from my friend C, who is the author of the blog, Kitchen Slave. She had recently hosted a housewarming at her house and these meatballs were one of the dishes that was on her menu. Since I noticed that she had not included the recipe to this dish on her blog, she personally forwarded me her recipe for this. I think it's a great little appetizer dish!

INGREDIENTS

3 lbs. Ground Beef
1 tbsp. Oregano
1 tbsp. Basil
1 tbsp. Ground Coriander
2 tsp. Salt
1 tbsp. Pepper
1 tbsp. Chili Powder
1/2 Cup Breadcrumbs
1 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1/4 Cup Milk
2 Eggs

Sauce:
1 bottle Barbecue Sauce
1 jar Grape Jam
1/3 Cup Honey
2 tbsp. Sriracha Hot Sauce
2 tsp. Ground Coriander
2 tsp. Chili Powder
2 tsp. Garlic Powder

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, oregano, basil, ground coriander, salt, pepper and chili powder.

In a small bowl, soak the breadcrumbs and panko breadcrumbs in the milk until it's wet but not too soggy, then add eggs and mix. Add to meat mixture and mix until everything is incorporated.

Be careful not to handle too much or they will become tough.

Form into balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes.

In a large pot, pour in all sauce ingredients. Cook over medium heat. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference.

Add cooked meatballs to the pot, coating the meatballs with the sauce.

When meatballs are coated and hot, they are ready to be served!

Vietnamese Beef Brisket

Mother in law's knee has been hurting for the last little while. This has made me feel quite guilty considering she has been running around trying to prepare items that I'm supposed to eat postpartum as per Chinese customs. Therefore, when she suggested that I make my mom's beef brisket tonight, I definitely could not let her down. I have to say though, that motherhood has definitely been tiring. With many other festivites coming up involving celebrating the birth of our beautiful little boy, I feel tired just thinking about the work involved although I am so grateful that there are so many people wanting to join us in celebrating his birth.

This recipe is one of my mom's specialties and a dish that I grew up with. Hopefully, you will enjoy it as well!

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. Beef Brisket
2 stalks Lemongrass
1 Onion (cut into chunks)
3 Potatoes (cut into chunks)
2 Carrots (cut into chunks)
2 Tomatoes (cut into chunks)
3 cloves Garlic (sliced)
2 cloves Shallots (sliced)
2 inch knob of Ginger (sliced)
4 tsp. Oil
1/2 Package (1 oz) Oriental Beef Spices (available at Vietnamese supermarkets)
1-2 tbsp. Curry Powder
3 Star Anise
3 Bay Leaves
1 can (6 oz) Tomato Paste
1-2 tbsp. Ketchup
1-2 tbsp. Salt
2-3 tbsp. Black Pepper
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 tbsp. Butter
2 tbsp. Fish Sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Boil water in a large pot. Add beef brisket and allow to cook until redness has disappeared. Drain and wash with cool water, then set beef brisket aside.

If potatoes are wet, dry potatoes with a cloth or paper towels. Heat up wok and add 1 tsp. oil. Add potatoes and stir-fry until browned. Remove from wok into a large pot.

Reheat wok and add 1 tsp. oil. Add onions and stir-fry until browned. Remove from wok into the large pot with the potatoes.

Reheat wok and add 1 tsp oil. Add carrots and tomatoes and stir-fry until carrots are a little browned and tomatoes are soft. Remove from wok into the large pot.

Reheat wok again and add 1 tsp. oil. Add garlic, shallots, ginger, lemongrass and stir-fry until fragrant. Add beef brisket and stir-fry. Add oriental beef spice, curry powder, salt, pepper, tomato paste and mix until the brisket is coated. You may want to add a little water. Once coated, remove everything from wok into the large pot. Add bay leaves, star anise, ketchup and soy sauce. Cover with water and allow to bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for at least an hour.

When brisket is tender, add butter and fish sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Serve with vermicelli and french bread.

Kalbi (Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs)

I would like to apologize for the lack of posts during the last couple of weeks. Being nine months pregnant, trying to basically do anything at this point requires a lot of will power. It basically takes it completely out of me. It has come to a point that I actually have many recipes set aside for theme nights, which I simply cannot bring myself to make. I finally decided I could not put it off anymore and decided to go with a Korean theme. Again, my sous chefs definitely had to put in their efforts, and even then, I found myself keeling over the sink a couple of times to relieve the pressure in my hips, as well as needing to take a seat a couple of times.

Hubby loves short ribs, which is why I decided to try out this recipe. I think that I would actually add more soda the next time to tenderize the meat a little more. I also think that grilling it outside on the barbecue would be even better. I did however love the use of the grated asian pear though. I might add more of that next time too.

adapted from Rasa Malaysia
INGREDIENTS:

3 lbs. Short Ribs
Water
1 Asian Pear
1/2 Onion
1 cup Soy Sauce
1 cup Citrus Soda (I used Sprite)
1 tbsp. freshly grated Ginger
1/4 cup Sesame Oil
3 cloves Garlic (minced)
2 tbsp. Sesame Seeds
1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 cup Green Onion (minced)

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, rinse spare ribs and drain.

Grate the flesh of an Asian pear and half of an onion over the ribs. Add soy sauce, the citrus soda, ginger, sesame oil, garlic, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, green onion to the ribs. Add water to cover, then stir marinade and make sure ribs are all soaking. Cover the bowl and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (overnight if possible).

Heat a grill to medium high heat. Use tongs to place ribs on the grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes each side. Garnish with sesame seeds if desired and serve with rice.

Meatloaf

One thing which I thank my lucky stars about, is the fact that I get along with my in-laws. I truly feel a part of the family, which I have to be grateful for every day, particularly since we are like the Brady Bunch all under the same roof. I can honestly say that we take care of each other though, sharing various responsibilities. They have particularly been accommodating during my pregnancy, which has been a lifesaver. If you have read any of the previous blogs, mother in law or “mum” often even acts as my sous chef, helping me with anything that is needed to prep for the meal I’m trying to create for everyone. Father in law or “pop” mostly acts as a taster, but he is always encouraging, especially since we have more similar tastes in foods.

I was particularly touched when Mum taught me how to make meatloaf, which is one of her signature western dishes. Mum has a knack for putting together meals for large parties, and one of her most sought after western dishes is her meatloaf. Hopefully, she doesn’t mind me blogging about it. I know she has several versions of this recipe though. I am happy to report that everyone enjoyed my first attempt at meatloaf.

INGREDIENTS

4 lbs. Ground Beef (Ground Pork may be mixed in if you want a softer texture)
½ Cup Bread Crumbs
2 Eggs
½ Cup Milk
2 tbsp. Worchester Sauce
2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Pepper
2 tsp. Thyme
1 cup Mushrooms (diced)
½ Onion (diced)
3 cloves Garlic (minced)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a large bowl, mix ground beef with bread crumbs until fully combined.

Make a well in the ground beef and add eggs and milk. The mixture should be moist. If it is still looking dry, add a bit more milk.

Add Worchester sauce, salt, pepper, thyme, mushrooms, onion and garlic and mix until everything is combined.

Form into two loaves and place on a baking pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1.5 hours.

Slice and serve with mash potatoes and gravy.

Stir-Fried Lemongrass Beef

This week, I decided to go with a Vietnamese/Cambodian theme. This is thankfully something that I'm a lot more familiar with than the previous themes. However, I am starting with an entry from this theme with a Cambodian dish which I was least familiar with. The Vietnamese dishes will definitely be hitting home more...and I'll have a few stories to tell. I think I liked more of the idea of this dish with the use of lemongrass and the colours from the peppers, however it wasn't as flavourful as I would have thought. I would perhaps remove the use of turmeric in the marinade paste, and maybe add a bit more fish sauce the next time.

INGREDIENTS

½ cup Khmer Kroeung (lemongrass paste - lemongrass, turmeric, garlic, shallot, galangal, dried red pepper - ground in food processor)
¾-1 lb beef, cut into 2 inches strips
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 small onion, sliced into wedges
3 peppers (red, green or yellow)
4 tablespoons unsalted roasted peanuts (coarsely ground in a food processor)
2 tablespoons oil for frying

DIRECTIONS

Mix sliced beef with Khmer Kroeung and set aside. Use your hands to massage and work the Kroeung into the beef.

Heat oil in wok. Toss in the onion, peppers and cook for about 3 minutes until onions are softened. Remove from wok.

Reheat wok and fry the beef. Sprinkle sugar and add fish sauce. Do a quick stir to incorporate the ingredients.

When beef is cooked, return onions and peppers to the wok and ¾ of the peanut. Stir-fry until all combined.

Sprinkle with remaining peanuts just before serving.

Bo Luc Lac (Vietnamese Shaking Beef)

This is another recipe which I think would be great for barbecues. While generally Bo Luc Lac is simply cooked in a large pan or wok, I thought it would be fun to skewer the beef and grill it. I could only imagine that it would be even better on the barbecue. Could you tell I'm looking forward to the summer?

(adapted from the Ravenous Couple http://ravenouscouple.blogspot.com/)
INGREDIENTS

Beef Marinade
1.5 lbs. Beef Sirloin (or any cut you like) cut into 1″ cubes
2 tbs. minced Garlic
1.5 tbs. Sugar
2 tbs. Oyster Sauce
1 tbs. Fish Sauce
1 tbs. Sesame Oil
1 tsp. Dark Soy Sauce
Cooking oil for frying

DIPPING SAUCE

Juice of 1 Lime
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper

DIRECTIONS

Prepare marinade by combining garlic, oyster sauce, sugar, fish sauce, dark soy sauce and sesame oil with the beef for at least half an hour, preferably 1 for 2 hours.

Stick the meat cubes on bamboo skewers (about 4 to 5 pieces per skewer).

Heat up grill. Add about 2 tbs cooking oil and when it begins to smoke, add an even layer of beef and allow to sear for about 2 minutes, before “shaking” to sear the opposite sides for about another 1 to 2 minutes more to brown all the sides. Do this in batches to cook all the beef if necessary.

Transfer beef to plate. Lastly, pour dipping sauce over beef or dip beef into dipping sauce while eating.

Enjoy with some salad and rice/vermicelli!

Beef Teriyaki Stir Fry

Teriyaki sauce is traditionally made by combining soy sauce, sake or mirin and sugar or honey. The sauce is boiled and reduced to the desired thickness, then used to marinate meat which is then grilled or broiled. Sometimes, ginger is added. I always have some of this sauce on hand, particularly because my dad is a Japanese chef and he will make tubs of it at a time. He however does not thicken it, and it is left to me to thicken it to the consistency that I want for the particular dish that I’m cooking. This dish is another surefire hit at the dinner table for me. It is quick and easy (particularly with the ready-made sauce for me), and it is one of those sauces that pleases most people’s taste buds.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb Beef (thinly sliced)
1 Onion (roughly chopped)
1 cup Mushrooms (sliced – preferably fresh mushrooms but canned can be used in a pinch)
1 tsp. Corn Starch
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 tbsp. Sesame Oil
1 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Black Pepper
2 tsp. Oil
1 clove of Garlic (minced)
1 cup Teriyaki Sauce (½ cup Soy Sauce, ½ cup Mirin, 2 tbsp. Sugar and 1” knob of Ginger)

DIRECTIONS

Marinate beef with corn starch, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and black pepper. Set aside.

In a small pot, heat up teriyaki sauce with low heat. Thicken the sauce with a corn starch slurry (approximately 1 tbsp. corn starch with 3 tbsp. water). When teriyaki sauce is thickened, turn off heat and set aside.

Heat up wok and add 1 tsp. oil. Stir fry onions until browned and remove from wok. Repeat process with mushrooms.

Heat up wok again and add garlic. Cook until fragrant and then add marinated beef. When the beef is mostly cooked, add the teriyaki sauce (may not need all of the teriyaki sauce – it depends on your preference in regards to sauciness). Return onions and mushrooms to the wok and mix until everything is coated with the sauce.

Remove from wok and serve with rice!