Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Stir Fried Pork Spare Ribs

Stir fried pork spare ribs


If you are low on cash and need to whip up something quick and delicious for dinner, then look no further! My kids have requested this EVERY WEEK for the past month! This dish is served best alongside some rice. It also tastes great with anything pickled. Sometimes, I serve it with a side of kimchee or even papaya salad.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of pork spare ribs

For the marinade:

1 Tbsp. of oyster sauce
1 Tbsp. of fish sauce
2 Tbsp. of water
1 Tbsp. of palm sugar(or white granulated sugar)
1/4 tsp of onion powder
2 cloves of chopped garlic
sesame seeds and black pepper to taste

You will also need:

Peanut oil or vegetable oil

1. Take your spare ribs, wash them, and then pat them dry with a paper towel. Cut them into 1 inch pieces and place them into a bowl.
2. Make your marinade and then pour it over your ribs. Allow them to marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Into a hot skillet(on medium high heat), add in your ribs and stir fry for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and let it simmer for 5 more minutes.
4. Remove lid, stir, and then turn up to medium high heat. Continue to cook until all the liquid has evaporated and sugar has caramelized. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Taste check for seasoning. Serve alongside some rice and your favorite side dishes.

NOTES: Some Asian markets sell pre-cut spare ribs for you, but I would advise against buying them. They usually are all bones and they don't trim off the fat or membrane, so you're left with a ton of fat on them as well. You may also use boneless pork instead. For a spicy variation, stir fry with some sliced jalapenos! :)

Some recommended side dishes:
Recipe for pickled mustard greens can be found here.
Recipe for papaya salad can be found here.
Recipe for mango salad can be found here.

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Rosette cake

[caption id="attachment_1048" align="alignnone" width="640"]lilac rosette cake Piped using tip #1M by Wilton.[/caption]

This cake was a highly requested tutorial by my Facebook fans. I'm sure you've seen it before because there are TONS of different variations of it on the internet. But since my Facebook buddies asked for it...I gotta give them what they want, right?

[caption id="attachment_1051" align="alignnone" width="640"]pink rose cake Piped using tip #21 by Wilton.[/caption]

In my pink rosette cake(pictured above), I hand inserted dragees(pearls)into the cake after I was done. Keep in mind if you plan on doing this, you need to be more meticulous about your rosettes, making sure that they are evenly spaced out. If you insert your dragees into the cake and your piping is messy, then all you're doing is bringing more attention to the sloppy areas. Trust me, I've been that piper before! :)

You have to use a medium consistency frosting for this cake. That means: No whipped cream frosting, no non dairy whipping cream, and no cream cheese frosting. You might be able to use cream cheese frosting if you place it into the fridge to firm up before piping. Otherwise, it would be too creamy and your rosettes will not hold it's shape.

Best frostings to use for the cake: Italian meringue buttercream, Swiss meringue buttercream, or good ol' American buttercream.

I have a good recipe for IMB that can be found here.

Keep in mind that different tips yield a slightly different result. Other tips that you may use by Wilton besides #1M and #21 are: #2D, #16, and #18.

Place your finished cake into the fridge to set your rosettes for at least 30 minutes.

Inspired by Amanda Rettke from Iambaker.net.

Watch the video below to see the proper technique!

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