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Mach420 posted:Tenderize with 1 tsp. of Baking Soda per pound of meat and and enough water to make a watery paste. Wait 20-30 minutes and rinse VERY well. Dry it, velvet the meat, and cook as usual. That is how restaurants achieve that texture with their beef. They also know the right way to cut their meat.
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Dec 14, 2011 01:19
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| # ? May 13, 2024 23:23 |
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Don't overload the pan if you have a small one, cook the meat in more, smaller batches. Cook it at the highest temperature you can stand without burning it for a very short amount of time - so it's still pink in the thinly-sliced middle and let it finish cooking in the last few minutes at the end of the vegetable cooking time. I've never had to use the baking soda trick but I would like to see what happens if I do.
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Dec 14, 2011 17:34
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I just came home from H-mart and wanted to ask you guys about two bottles I got: Has anyone tried the soy sauce on the left? What are your thoughts on it? The big bottle on the right was with all the mirin, and on sale but I can't read it. Is it mirin? If not, what is it and what can I use it for? Thanks!
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Dec 20, 2011 01:54
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Yeah, it's mirin.
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Dec 20, 2011 02:03
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Xandu posted:Yeah, it's mirin. Awesome, thanks. It was on sale and by far the cheapest bottle.
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Dec 20, 2011 02:20
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Couple questions: I'm stuck cooking on an electric range because I am a poor college student and we are definitely not allowed to have turkey fryers or anything else that would be useful, so from this thread it looks like my best bet will be max heat and a cast iron skillet, but is there anything else I can do to get closer to a "real" wok-cooked taste? I'm guessing I should be tenderizing with baking soda and maybe cutting the meat even a bit thinner than usual? Also, does anyone have a good recipe for Mongolian Beef? It is one of my favorite dishes when done properly, but so many times I have ordered it to find some thick beef slices doused in soy sauce and brown sugar. I just want a good recipe with some nuanced flavor that doesn't taste like someone dumped a bottle of Kikkoman on my plate. Finally, are there any recommendations for cuts of beef? Most Asian-style recipes I have seen call for flank steak, which is like $10 a pound where I live, and given the whole "poor college kid" thing, that really blows.
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Dec 20, 2011 03:24
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Kinuven posted:I just came home from H-mart and wanted to ask you guys about two bottles I got: Interestingly it's phonetically spelled "miriM" in Korean! 
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Dec 20, 2011 04:09
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amishsexpot posted:Interestingly it's phonetically spelled "miriM" in Korean! Yeah this kind of confused me too. I googled it but really didn't come up with anything.
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Dec 20, 2011 04:29
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Kinuven posted:I just came home from H-mart and wanted to ask you guys about two bottles I got: Just about every H-Mart I've been to (and for that matter a good 80% of the Asian markets in general) have English labels printed on them with the ingredients and name of the product, if not the nutritional value. Do these not list them? edit : clearly you are asking more about the type and less about the brand, I think it's Tokusen Marudaizu. Caitlin fucked around with this message at 04:52 on Dec 20, 2011 |
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Dec 20, 2011 04:47
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Yeah, you got Japanese soy sauce and Korean mirin. Now you just need some Chinese kochujang and you'll be all set.
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Dec 20, 2011 04:50
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Edit: Oops, my mistake! PorkFat posted:you just need some Chinese kochujang Haha you take that back <  >
A.s.P. fucked around with this message at 17:37 on Dec 20, 2011 |
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Dec 20, 2011 04:54
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amishsexpot posted:That 14% MSG disclaimer at the bottom doesn't look so appetizing though... No, no. You take that back. MSG is not evil.
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Dec 20, 2011 04:57
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Captain Stinkybutt posted:Just about every H-Mart I've been to (and for that matter a good 80% of the Asian markets in general) have English labels printed on them with the ingredients and name of the product, if not the nutritional value. Do these not list them? It was listed as "Miriem" instead of Mirin, haha. I was wondering if anyone tried that soy sauce specifically. I saw it next to two almost-identical looking bottles, but this one was described as "whole bean" soy sauce, and while one had high fructose corn syrup in the ingredients list, and another had alcohol, this one had neither. It's ingredients are: "water, soy beans, wheat, salt." I'm pretty new to telling the difference between soy sauces. I know the ones with HFCS and caramel coloring are probably bad, but I'm wondering how other ingredients such as alcohol affect the flavor and quality. Honestly, there were so many different soy sauces there that I didn't really know how to decide. So I went with the maxim that less ingredients = better and more natural.
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Dec 20, 2011 05:58
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AbdominalSnowman posted:Finally, are there any recommendations for cuts of beef? Most Asian-style recipes I have seen call for flank steak, which is like $10 a pound where I live, and given the whole "poor college kid" thing, that really blows. I've cooked on electric elements most of the time at home, and the key is to control the liquids in everything you stir fry. I've never heard of adding baking soda to tenderize the meat. I buy bottom round sirloin or ball tip. It's stupid how expensive flank steak has become.
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Dec 20, 2011 15:29
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AIIAZNSK8ER posted:I've cooked on electric elements most of the time at home, and the key is to control the liquids in everything you stir fry. I've never heard of adding baking soda to tenderize the meat. I buy bottom round sirloin or ball tip. It's stupid how expensive flank steak has become. I basically do the same. Buy any type of reasonably priced loin cut that's within your budget. But then again, I usually just use it to make bulgogi which is basically known for not being an expensive cut of beef. But to make up for it's sometimes chewy (I'm not sure if that's the word I want, no direct translation I can think of) texture, you get it cut thinly. Thus making it cook quickly and not be very chewy since it was cut so thin. If your local butcher can't get it very thin or won't do it at all. Just do it yourself with a very sharp knife and get it as thin as your skill allows, and then just pound it out with a tenderizer.
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Dec 20, 2011 16:43
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amishsexpot posted:That 14% MSG disclaimer at the bottom doesn't look so appetizing though... That's pretty funny because the label actually says "14% alcohol. No MSG added".
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Dec 20, 2011 17:30
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pnumoman posted:That's pretty funny because the label actually says "14% alcohol. No MSG added". Whoops! I should've read more carefully.  Vlex posted:MSG haters are morons Definitely not trying to spark a debate about MSG! Yay, umami, and all of that. A.s.P. fucked around with this message at 18:44 on Dec 20, 2011 |
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Dec 20, 2011 17:37
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amishsexpot posted:Whoops! I should've read more carefully. You do know that soy sauce contains a bunch of msg that is produced naturally during the fermenting/hydrolyzing process, right?
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Dec 20, 2011 17:39
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Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:You do know that soy sauce contains a bunch of msg that is produced naturally during the fermenting/hydrolyzing process, right? Let's not go down this route, it's a pointless debate. MSG haters are morons
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Dec 20, 2011 17:47
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But I'm sensitive!
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Dec 21, 2011 00:47
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Sensitive to be being banned maybe.
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Dec 21, 2011 03:11
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I think that soy sauce is supposed to have a stronger flavor than the "usukuchi" soy sauce. I see it all the time in stores and I think my last bottle might have been that one, but right now I'm using "koikuchi" soy sauce. I think it should be fine for Japanese cooking.
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Dec 21, 2011 15:37
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Does anyone have recipes, tips/techniques specifically for making dumpling skins and folding them? I use this woman's book, which is pretty thorough, though lacking pictures. Mostly I'm loving awful at rolling the skins out to the right size or thickness. I'm hoping someone was slaved out by a mother or grandmother and has some decent tips. Otherwise her bao recipe is easy, quick and a good way to get your girlfriend fat.
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Dec 22, 2011 16:21
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If you can find it, Kimlan is loving balls out the best soy sauce I've ever seen.
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Dec 22, 2011 20:13
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I have an electric stove and a carbon steel wok (initially seasoned incorrectly, but it's getting better). Since everything I read said electric elements are wimpy compared to gas, I figured I'd crank mine up to high. But when I use any high smoke point oils, I still fill the house with enough smoke so I can barely see 5 feet. Plus, the food burns and sticks to the pan. Then I read in a book that the wok should be hot enough for a bead of water to take 1-2 seconds to evaporate. On my stove that's just over medium (6 on the dial). Lo and behold, no smoke, etc. The food is cooked really well (I'm still learning, and my marinades/sauces are off, but at least it's edible now). So what gives? Do some electric stoves work? Is it working because my wok is flat-bottomed and I'm using the large element? Or am I delusional and the food isn't actually coming out ok?
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Dec 22, 2011 21:29
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icehewk posted:If you can find it, Kimlan is loving balls out the best soy sauce I've ever seen. really? I don't care for kimlan, PRB supremacy. No no serious posted:So what gives? Do some electric stoves work? Is it working because my wok is flat-bottomed and I'm using the large element? Or am I delusional and the food isn't actually coming out ok? Food will can come out ok regardless of the heat source used, the thing that will lack from under powered sources is the "wok hei" or the flavor of the wok, and comes from the partial combustion of oils, the charring of foods, and other characteristics of intensely high heat cooking. If I were using your range, I'd put the spurs to it.
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Dec 22, 2011 21:56
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No no serious posted:I have an electric stove and a carbon steel wok (initially seasoned incorrectly, but it's getting better). I think it's just that when people say cook really hot it means different things to different people. I once tried my cast iron pan left on high for 5 minutes until really, really freaking hot when making some stir fry (electric stove). Oil just caught on fire. Threw the lid on, let it cool down, and tried again at a slightly lower temp. However, even with a high smoke point oil, I still think you need to push the boundaries with the heat to get the taste you are looking for. There will be smoke. And that is ok.
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Dec 22, 2011 22:04
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This is why you heat the wok empty.
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Dec 22, 2011 22:14
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GrAviTy84 posted:This is why you heat the wok empty. Oh yeah, definitely. I did heat it up empty. I poured oil in when I was ready to cook and just as I was about to put the meat in, the oil caught fire (within seconds of putting in the pan).
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Dec 23, 2011 00:55
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dcgrp posted:Oh yeah, definitely. I did heat it up empty. I poured oil in when I was ready to cook and just as I was about to put the meat in, the oil caught fire (within seconds of putting in the pan). Too hot!
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Dec 23, 2011 01:00
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Way too hot! There are a few techniques that the pros use. First, they constantly flip the food using the wok, almost as if they are sauteing. On super high heat, the food rarely ever sits there. Flipping it around with a spatula doesn't come close to the amount of food movement you'd get with a proper flipping motion. While the heat is on maximum, food is either in the air, or sliding around getting ready to fly in the air again. Second, the pool of oil itself does not catch on fire. The oil vapor does, as they flip the food in the wok for the saute action, and the spatters and vapors catch the gas burner's fire rolling over on the side of the wok facing away from you. The flaming cloud of oil vapor is only produced for a few seconds during the cooking process, and the food is flipped through this burning oil cloud to help add a superior "wok hei" flavor. The wok is never ever hot enough to make the oil catch on fire by itself, without outside flames from the burner lighting the vapor. Third, they adjust the gas flow with their knee and always have water that they can ladle into the wok to cool things down when needed, mostly after the few seconds of fire flipping, and especially if they need to steam the veggies to help them finish cooking without everything burning to a crisp. I think that the high heat came at the start, then the flame was reduced and sometimes water was ladled into the food to help it finish cooking at a lower temp. I saw all these things watching my dad and uncles working in the restaurant when I was little. I don't know any of the specifics about the techniques though. Also, never try to catch the oil vapors on fire unless you are cooking outside. or in a restaurant kitchen designed to take some 3 foot flames licking into the air ventilation system. Doing that inside a home kitchen is just asking for a fire emergency. 
Mach420 fucked around with this message at 01:54 on Dec 23, 2011 |
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Dec 23, 2011 01:27
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Mach420 posted:
Whuh? How does this work? Do they have a special stove or something? I've never seen one where the gas flow could be adjusted by knee.
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Dec 23, 2011 11:41
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Wahad posted:Whuh? How does this work? Do they have a special stove or something? I've never seen one where the gas flow could be adjusted by knee. In the Chinese restaurants that I've been in, the gas valve handles were all around knee level so that the chefs could knock it with their knee while they were handling the wok and spatula with their hands. Picture a long rubber coated metal lever connected to a valve, sticking out of a hole in the front of the stove station paneling. Yes, they are special commercial-level stoves for restaurants that are very high output, on the order of 160 to 200+ thousand BTUs. I've heard of super high end stoves at 250-300k BTUs. Those things roar menacingly on high. This https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8FDKLYE65Q is a good example of what a trained chef cooking on a commercial strength burner is like. Watch how he gets the oil vapors on fire in the middle of the video. I would likely die from 3rd degree burns if I had to try and use one of them. Here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Phu7ndFNRs8 is another. They're goddamned blast furnaces and the heat output is phenomenal, but you can see how the chefs keep their wok temperature under control using the methods I outlined above. This is also why home cooked Chinese stir fries never taste quite the same as a good restaurant would give you, unless you invest in some serious propane or NG outdoor cooking stoves. The key isn't overly high heat from the wok or whatever pan or pot you're using to stir fry. It's to have enough heat where you can dump a ton of cold oil in the wok, have it heat up, then dump a large amount of cold ingredients in the wok and have it get back up to excellent searing temperatures almost immediately. You then control the temperature to stay around that point. The second key to the flavor is the oil vapor fire when it is called for. Third is the constant movement of food in the wok, and the well distributed searing at the right temperature. The fourth is possibly the seasoning of the wok, just like a nice bacon-infused cast iron pan would give a nice taste to eggs. I feel that for home cooking, the point just past the oil smoking, but well before the point where the oil catches dangerously on fire is a good start for getting at least a bit of wok hei into food. Western-style pan searing temperatures that are below the smoking point of the oil are too low to make stir fries taste good. Maintain high wok temps by not dumping too much cold food in at one time. Work in small batches if you have an underperforming stove. Mach420 fucked around with this message at 13:14 on Dec 23, 2011 |
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Dec 23, 2011 12:12
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Mach420 posted:First, they constantly flip the food using the wok, almost as if they are sauteing. Despite years of masturbation, my forearm isn't strong enough to constantly flip the food in a heavy wok the way they do.
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Dec 23, 2011 16:01
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When I was just starting to cook on the wok at work, the next morning my hands would be tightened up into little arthritic claws and my forearms would be stiffer than hell. It's definitely a work-out. And yeah, you control the gas with your knee.
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Dec 23, 2011 18:42
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My dad's been cooking Chinese food for 40 years, his knees, wrists, thumbs, and hips are hosed. He's had arthroscopic surgery on both his wrists and his thumbs. This is what we use on a single main wok:  We also have a larger wok that has a cluster of 3 of these that we use to cook rice, prep large amounts of meat, and deep fry. I was cooking once and the pilot light went out, forgot to turn the gas all the way down and burned the poo poo out of my entire arm. During a busy lunch hour, the mortar that surrounds the wok chimney will just glow cherry red.
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Dec 27, 2011 14:24
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Jose posted:Since we're getting some really good, authentic recipes in here, I'd like to ask. Please don't probate me for being a loving moron but, for anyone who watched An Idiot Abroad, is that what its like in China? Stuff like fried/deep fried scorpians on a stick being standard street food fare or did they deliberately film at somewhere to get this kind of video? I lived in China twice for extended periods, and street food really runs the gamut. The most common street foods, though, are not particularly weird. Some of them are odd to Western tastes -- for example, small pieces of fruit on a skewer covered in sesame-seed sugar that is melted in a wok, or round meat pies full of ground mutton or pork, onion, and spices, or steamed bread buns full of thick, dark, sweet bean paste. Some are startlingly normal -- youtiao and other fried bread products could hide in plain sight on the shelves of your local Dunkin Donuts if they were being mass produced. But for all the small differences of taste, which were endless, whenever I went to the big open air markets (at least 3 times a week), I would only see one or two truly weird things. There was a dog stand in the market near my house, for example, and something having to do with animal heads I never explored. BrotherAdso fucked around with this message at 16:17 on Dec 27, 2011 |
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Dec 27, 2011 16:06
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I just got a wok for Christmas and I cannot wait to begin cooking with it. This Thursday I'm planning on getting it all seasoned up and junk. What fun it will be! The only issue is that I have a flat top, glasstop stove. I'm not sure how well this will work for cooking, but we do have a stand-alone, open-flame burner that we use for frying fish in our cast iron skillet. Can I cook with my wok on the stove, or if I want to cook with my wok, do I have to go outside and use the fish fryer burner?
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Dec 28, 2011 02:56
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silversiren posted:I just got a wok for Christmas and I cannot wait to begin cooking with it. This Thursday I'm planning on getting it all seasoned up and junk. What fun it will be! A metal wok on a glasstop stove sounds like disaster. Perhaps there is something you can put between the glasstop and the wok though. If not, use the burner.
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Dec 28, 2011 03:04
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I cook on the patio with my wok burner connected to the propane tank. Instant lava heat and instantly off, no smoke or mess indoors and no damage to my glasstop stove. do you have a flat bottom wok? It might work but I recommend outdoors.
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Dec 28, 2011 05:28
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