Asian Inspired Caramelized Pork

Here's the thing you guys need to know about me...if I try a dish that I absolutely LOOOVE, than I totally obsess over that dish and will always try to replicate it some way, or somehow. I first had this pork dish at my fav restaurant here in town. I tried to ask the owner for the recipe with NO PREVAIL. Lol. But that didn't stop me from trying to replicate the dish here at home...and you know what...it's pretty damn close, if I don't say so myself!! The only difference is, I don't add any shrimp to my pork but it tastes great with that addition as well! Just be sure to add in your peeled and deveined shrimp into the skillet for the last 10 minutes or so(it all depends on the size of your shrimp). This dish is sweet and salty and tastes best when eaten with plain white rice. I also like to offset it with something sour, so I always make my homemade pickled mustard greens and the recipe can also be found here on my website!

-Sav

You will need:
1 pound of pork shoulder blade cut into tiny bite sized pieces.
1/4 cup of water
1 tsp-1/2 T of mam ruoc(fermented shrimp paste)more or less depending on preference
1 T of Chinese rice wine
1 1/2 T of fish sauce
1 T of oyster sauce
2 1/2- 3 T of sugar
salt
black pepper(use a lot if you like spicy)
peanut oil

Wash your pork shoulder blade and pat dry. Cut into tiny bite sized pieces. Lightly add some salt and black pepper and mix well. Set aside.
Take your water and add your mam ruoc, Chinese rice wine, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and stir to combine. Set aside.
With a non stick skillet on medium high heat, add in some peanut oil. Add your pork and stir fry until they are no longer pink. Turn the heat down to medium low and allow the water to almost fully evaporate(about 10 minutes).
When the meat has slightly browned, stir your reserved sauce one more time and add into your skillet. Let the pork simmer for another 20 minutes(uncovered), until it starts to caramelize and the sauce starts to thicken. Feel free to stir it once or twice while it's simmering away. Serve hot with a plate of rice!!

Notes: I had the idea that some finely minced lemongrass would probably be the icing on the cake in this recipe but I used it all when I made a popular Vietnamese soup(bun bo hue). Next time, I'm def going to add some in and I will let you guys know how it turns out!!

Easy Chicken and Bok Choy Stir Fry

Let's face it...most people think that there just isn't enough time in a day!! If you're crunched on time and craving some restaurant style stir fry, then look no further!! This stir fry is delicious, packed with veggies and protein, and takes 25 minutes to make AND prepare!!

You will need:

10 ounces of chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
9 ounces of mushroom chopped into bite sized pieces
11 ounces of baby bok choy(or 5 small bunches)
half of an onion sliced
3 cloves of chopped garlic
1 tsp of freshly grated ginger
1/4 tsp of msg(optional)
1/8 tsp of salt
some black pepper
peanut oil
2 tsp of cornstarch with a little bit of water(you will also add 1 tsp to the chicken while it's marinating).
green onion for garnish
dried red chilis(optional)

For the sauce you will need:

2/3 cup of water
1 T of good fish sauce
2 T of good oyster sauce
1 T of soy sauce
1/2 T of sugar
2 T of rice wine

Make your sauce and set it aside. Meanwhile, chop up your chicken into bite sized pieces. Add 3 T of the sauce to your chopped chicken. Add in your black pepper, 1 tsp of cornstarch, and 1 tsp of ground ginger. Mix to combine and allow to marinade while you work on your veggies.

Wash and pick apart your baby bok choy and set aside. Clean and chop up your mushrooms and set aside as well.

Add in some peanut oil into a hot wok(medium high heat). Throw in your sliced onions. Add in a pinch of salt and cook for 1 minute. Add in your chopped garlic. Cook for 20 seconds or until fragrant. Add in your marinaded chicken. Stir fry until cooked through.

Add in your mushrooms plus a little bit of reserved sauce so nothing sticks to the pan. The mushrooms I use take a little bit longer to cook so if you use a different kind it may cook faster so keep an eye on it. Put the lid back on(turn down the heat a bit) and allow to steam until cooked to your liking.

Remove lid, stir, and then add in your baby bok choy. Add in the rest of the reserved sauce, stir again, and allow to cook uncovered for 1-2 minutes. After 2 minutes, mix 2 tsp of cornstarch(or more if you like more gravy-like)and a bit of water together, make a well down the middle of the wok, and pour the cornstarch in. Mix it well with the sauce, give everything one more big stir, and allow it to cook for one more minute to thicken. Add in some more black pepper if desired and also some dried red chili too!

Garnish it with some sliced scallions and serve hot with some steamed rice!! YUMMY!!! :)

How to make chocolate bark

There are many ways to have fun with chocolate bark. You can use dark or white chocolate, add nuts or dried fruits for an added kick. Today, I'm making thin pieces of chocolate bark to use as a side garnish for my mini creme brulee. They are super easy to make but will look like you spent all day on them! Whatever the occasion, they are soooo much fun to make and will surely please all of your guests!

You will need:
Good dark chocolate(I like Lindt)
White chocolate
Some sort of plastic sheet(or parchment paper)
Cookie sheet
Piping bags or ziplock bag

Place your parchment paper or plastic transfer sheet on a cookie sheet and set aside. Watch the video below to see where I got my plastic transfer sheet.

Take your dark chocolate and chop it up into smaller chunks. Microwave for 1 minute(if you are using a full bar of chocolate), remove and stir. Place back into microwave, and microwave for another 15 seconds. Stir until smooth. If you need to, continue heating chocolate using 15 second increments. Don't overcook it. If you do, it will become grainy and you will have to throw it out!

Using a spatula, spread a thin layer of melted chocolate onto your plastic transfer sheet. Reserve a small amount and place into a disposable piping bag for later use. Place the chocolate in the fridge and allow to harden while you continue with the white chocolate.

Melt your white chocolate using the same process as stated above. Place it into a disposable bag and snip off a tiny bit off of the end. Start to drizzle the white chocolate over the dark chocolate using whatever technique/design you'd like! Allow the white chocolate to harden before drizzling some dark chocolate over the tops as well. Place finished product in the fridge and allow to harden overnight. Break up pieces of your chocolate bark and use it in whatever way you'd like!

Notes: If you want to get real fancy, online stores carry sugar transfer sheets with beautiful and intricate designs that transfer onto your chocolate once hardened. I plan on ordering some next week and I will post a video on the outcome soon!! Until then, thanks for stopping by and watching the vid!! :)

Mini Creme Brulee

There are two things that I almost ALWAYS, order for dessert at a restaurant: tiramisu or creme brulee. I've had good creme brulee and I've had bad ones...but although I may be partially biased, my creme brulee may be one of the best! Don't want to believe it?? Give a try!! I DOUBLE dog dare you to NOT LIKE IT!! :)

-Sav

You will need:
1 pint of heavy cream
1 cup of Creme Brulee coffee creamer by Nestle
6 extra large egg yolks
1/4 cup of caster sugar
1 tsp of vanilla bean paste(or 1 tsp of vanilla extract/1 vanilla bean pod)
hot water
Raw turbinado sugar for the tops
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Place your heavy cream, creme brulee coffee creamer, and vanilla bean paste in a pot and bring it to a quick rolling boil. Turn off heat, remove and set aside. Allow to cool for 20 minutes.

While your cream mixture is cooling, take your caster sugar and whisk it into your egg yolks until it's a pale yellow color. Once your heavy cream mixture has cooled slightly, pour it into something with a spout to allow easy pouring. Pour in a few dribbles of heavy cream into the egg yolk mixture to temper. Never stop whisking to prevent cooking your egg yolks. Slowly, start to incorporate the heavy cream in a steady stream and once you've got half of it mixed in, you can start pouring in heavier streams until you're done.

Strain the mixture using a fine mesh sieve and again, pour it into something with a spout.

Take a roasting pan or cake pan and place your mini ramekins in them. Transfer your pan onto your middle oven rack(careful your oven is hot, duh)and slowly fill each ramekin. SLOWLY, add in some hot water, being very careful not to get any water into your creme brulee. Bake for 25- 30 minutes if you are using mini ramekins or up to 45 minutes or more for larger ramekins. They are done when they slightly jiggle in the middle when tapped.

Remove from oven and let them cool before placing in fridge to allow it to fully set! I recommend leaving them overnight, which is great cause I love being able to do things a day ahead before a big party! Remove from fridge and allow to come to room temp before adding raw sugar to the tops and torching. Wait 5 minutes to allow the tops to harden, then serve immediately!

Notes: If you can't find raw sugar and only have white granulated or brown sugar on hand, I recommend that you "dry" them out before you torch it. I would place an equal amount of white and brown sugar, on a cookie sheet and place it in the oven immediately after you've finished baking the creme brulee. Prop the door open and place the cookie sheet on the lowest oven rake if possible. "Bake" for 10 minutes, let it come to room temp, and then proceed with torching.

Baked bbq chicken buns

Ah, yes...the long awaited baked bbq buns tutorial! And it only took me, what...4 months to post! LOL. I really am sorry for the delay, but I'm glad I didn't post the original recipe because this one is GOLDEN. I changed the recipe a few times because I always felt like something was missing. I also loved the fact that with the final recipe, I used the same dough used for my cinnamon rolls(w/the addition of an extra teaspoon of dough enhancer). Don't skip out on the dough enhancer...it gives the dough the softness and elasticity needed to help you mold your dough into round balls without tearing through it. Don't be discouraged when shaping your buns...it can be very frustrating at first--but if you follow my recipe and technique shown, I'm sure you'll all be experts in no time!!

-Sav

Watch the video below to learn how to make the dough first!



For the filling you will need:
2 thighs or more from a leftover cooked rotisserie chicken(I like the ones from Costco).
2 T of finely chopped shallot
1 1/2 - 2 T of red roast pork seasoning mix
2/3 cup of water
2 T of oyster sauce
1/2 T of apple cider vinegar
2 T of hoisen sauce
1 T of ketchup
1/4 tsp of black pepper
1/2 T of cornstarch mixed with 1/2 T of water
peanut oil
parchment paper
large baking sheet
spray bottle filled with water
1 extra large egg yolk mixed w/ 1 T of water

Take your leftover chicken and give it a nice chop on your cutting board. You don't want any large pieces because it will make it harder for you to fill. Place in a bowl and set aside.

Mix your water, red roast pork seasoning mix, oyster sauce, apple cider vinegar, hoisen sauce, ketchup, and black pepper in small bowl. Set aside.

Mix your cornstarch with 1/2 T of water and set aside.

Add some peanut oil into a hot pan(on medium-medium heat) and add in your chopped shallots. Once translucent, add in your marinade. Let it come to a quick rolling boil and then pour in your cornstarch mixture. Let that thicken up your sauce and then remove from heat and pour over your chopped chicken. Stir to combine and once cooled down, cover and refrigerate OVERNIGHT!

How to fill and form your buns:

Before you begin, make sure you have your large baking sheet topped with parchment paper. Don't forget to lightly spritz it with some water.

After your dough has gone through the first rise(assuming that you've gotten the recipe from my cinnamon roll tutorial) remove the saran wrap from the bowl and dump your dough onto a clean work surface. Immediately, roll your dough up into a log. Cut the log into 12 equal pieces.

Take one piece of dough(keep the others under a dish towel to avoid them drying out)and using a rolling pin, flatten it out one or two times and then continue by flattening out the edges ONLY, creating a circle. You want to leave more dough in the middle so that when you pinch to seal your buns, your filling will end up in the middle because as your pinching to seal--you're also pushing down that filling to the bottom(which will later become the top). This will also prevent any filling from breaking through the buns.

Place 1 T of filling in the middle(you can add a little bit more at a time once you get the hang of shaping and sealing them). Pick up your dough just as you would a taco and then bring up the other two remaining sides as well to join the middle and pinch to seal. Don't spend too much time pinching. Turn the dough over, place on your work surface, and give it a few quick spins to seal, and place on parchment paper. Continue with the remaining dough.

Once all filled, cover with a waste basket liner(or large dish towel) and allow to rise for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, brush the tops with an egg glaze(make sure you get the sides too) and lightly spray the tops with water. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, ROTATING ONCE FOR EVEN BROWNING. Serve immediately!! YUMMY!! :)

If you're new at making these, you will probably have a few(or a lot) of buns with not that much filling. What the hay, sometimes I don't put enough filling...but in that case, just warm up your filling, cut your baked buns in half, and fill them with more filling AFTER they've come out the oven! PROBLEM SOLVED! Of course, when you're serving these to guests, you probably want to make sure you've got the technique down first, because there is nothing like seeing a hungry person biting into a baked bun and seeing absolutely NO FILLING IN THE MIDDLE! They kind of get this "WTF" type of expression going on! Haha.