Beyond Sweet and Savory

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Grilled Vietnamese lemongrass pork ribs

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These grilled Vietnamese lemongrass pork ribs are succulent, tender, and rich in umami flavor.

a tray with two slabs of grilled Vietnamese lemongrass pork ribs

The weather finally warmed up for us to dust off our grill last weekend.  When it’s nice outside, we love to grill and enjoy a casual dinner in the garden.  Growing up in Vietnam, the closest thing I had to a grill was a small, rustic charcoal brazier.  As a child, I helped my mom keep the fire going by fanning it until my arms were about to fall off.  Fancy grills like the Weber grills did not exist. When we bought our house, we ditched our George Foreman grill for the real deal.  The sensory experience of dealing with a live fire from a charcoal grill brings back so many nostalgic moments from my childhood.

a plate of grilled Vietnamese lemongrass pork ribs and a plate of brocollini

We grill pretty much everything but hands down Vu’s favorite is Vietnamese lemongrass pork ribs.  Lemongrass is a common ingredient used in Vietnamese cooking. Large pieces are smashed and added as an aromatic in soups like bun bo Hue, bo kho, and curry whereas finely chopped pieces work as a marinade to lend incredible fragrance and texture to the protein used.  It does take a bit of elbow grease to chop all those lemongrass stalks by hand but I promise the result is totally worth it. These pork ribs were marinated overnight in a bath of chopped lemongrass, shallots, scallions, fish sauce, sesame oil, and sugar to infuse those beautiful flavors.

a plate of grilled Vietnamese lemongrass pork ribs

Over the years, we have learned that the low and slow method works best.  Vu would place the coals on one side of the grill, let the temperature rise to about 375 degrees F before tossing any meat on it.  The rack of ribs is placed on the side without the coals to cook for 90 minutes. By using indirect heat, the result is a tender piece of meat without the seared black marks signaling inconsistent cooking. We let the ribs rest so the juices can redistribute before slicing them.  The amalgamation of flavors from the marinade combined with the smoky flavor make these ribs completely irresistible. Vu could devour half a rack in one sitting but I like to pair them with a simple bowl of jasmine rice and grilled vegetables. These grilled Vietnamese pork ribs are succulent, tender, and finger licking good and perfect for a casual dinner or weekend get together with family and friends.

If you want more Vietnamese recipes, check out these recipes: Vietnamese shaking beef, Asian braised short ribs, Vietnamese sticky wings.

If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #beyondsweetandsavory on Instagram.  We truly appreciate your feedback and incorporate them to continually improve our recipes.

4.75 from 4 votes
a plate of grilled Vietnamese lemongrass pork ribs
Print
Grilled Vietnamese lemongrass pork ribs
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Inactive time
8 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs
 

These grilled Vietnamese lemongrass pork ribs are succulent, tender, and rich in umami flavor.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Grilling, Vietnamese
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 3 pounds extra tender pork back ribs
  • 1/2 cup fish sauce
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 6 stalks of fresh lemongrass
  • 2 banana shallots, coarsely chopped
  • 1 bunch of scallions, green and white parts, coarsely chopped
Instructions

  1. In a mixing bowl, whisk the hot water, fish sauce, sugar, and oil together.

  2. To make the marinade, trim the lemongrass stalks, leaving about 6 inches from the bottom. Peel the outer leaves and use only the tender bulb. Slice them into rings first then use a very sharp knife to finely mince.

  3. Chop the shallots and scallions coarsely.

  4. Add the lemongrass, shallots, scallion, and pepper to the liquid mixture and whisk to combine.

  5. Place the slab of ribs with the meat side facing the bottom of a baking pan and pour the marinade over it. Cover and let it marinade overnight or at least 8 hours in the refrigerator.

  6. When ready to grill, remove the slab from the fridge while you prepare the grill.  Set up the charcoal grill by placing coals on one side and lighting them. Rake the coals to create a flat even bed to create an even steady heat zone. 

  7. Once the coals have burned down to about 375 degrees F, place the meat over the coals to sear for a minute on each side.  

  8. Move the meat to the opposite side lined with heavy duty foil and cook for about 90-100 minutes, basting every now and then with the marinade and flipping it. 

  9. Let the ribs rest for 15 minutes before slicing between each ribs. Serve immediately with jasmine rice and your favorite vegetables.

Recipe Notes

It will take a minimum of 30-45 minutes after lighting the grill for the coals to be ready.

 

Cookbook Review: POK POK The Drinking Food of Thailand a Cookbook

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coverpage of Pok Pok The Drinking Food of Thailand cookbook

I was looking forward to reading and cooking from Pok Pok the Drinking Food of Thailand by chef Andy Ricker given how much I enjoyed cooking from the first Pok Pok cookbook.  After looking at all the recipes, there was only a handful that was interesting.  Most of the recipes had obscure ingredients that would be difficult to source and in my honest opinion didn’t seem that appealing.  My husband did enjoy the fried peanuts with lime leaves, garlic, and chiles and fried cashews with salt, chiles, and green onions.  He snacked on them while watching TV.  We also enjoyed the stir-fried chicken wings with basil and chiles but the heat was a bit more intense than we expected.  Even though the recipes from this book seemed very authentic, I was disappointed in the selection of recipes.  This book is more of a supplement to his first book.  If you’re looking for general Thai recipes, buy the first one.   

*I received this book to review complementary of the publisher

Pho Ga Vietnamese chicken noodle soup

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Can you believe it’s 2017?!!! It caught me by surprise how the new year came upon us in a blink of an eye. I did away with New Year’s resolutions years ago because I never seemed to stay on top of them. One intent I did want for the blog in 2017 is to share with you more of the food from my culture. Yes, that means more Vietnamese recipes! For the first post of the year, I’m sharing one of my all time favorite recipes, my mom’s pho ga, as part of the #noodleholicsparty that Soe of Lime and Cilantro is hosting. 



Pho has always been my comfort food for as long as I could remember. It’s a quintessential food of Vietnam, as ramen is to Japan. Growing up, I ate pho bo (beef noodle) because beef was a commodity. I didn’t really appreciate pho ga until my husband introduced me to Pho Ga An Nam in San Jose when we first dated. It was the best pho ga in town, almost two decades ago. From then on, I begged my mom to cook more pho ga instead of pho bo. She always uses free range chicken because the meat remains firmer after cooking. The spices used in pho ga are similar to pho bo and lend a fragrant and intoxicating broth. During cold weather and rainy seasons we find ourselves gravitating toward pho ga. Each family has their own variation but most of the ingredients are very similar. We hope this will become your go to pho ga recipe!

Pho Ga (4-6 servings)

1 3-lb free range chicken
2 lbs of chicken carcass
12 cups of water
1 medium yellow onion
2 thumb sized pieces of ginger
1 cinnamon stick
10 cloves
5 star anise
½ tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsps fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 16-oz package of rice noodles (pho noodles)

For the garnish

1 bunch of Thai basil
½ cup of chopped cilantro
½ cup of chopped green onion
1 green jalapenos pepper, sliced thinly
2 cups of mung bean sprouts
1 lime cut into wedges
Freshly ground pepper for serving
Hoisin sauce for serving
Sriracha sauce for serving

1. Char the onion and ginger pieces on both sides over a gas stove. If you don’t have a gas stove, broil them for a few minutes in the oven. Set aside.

2. Roast the spices in the oven at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes until fragrant. Place the coriander seeds, fennel seeds, star anise, and cloves in a piece of muslin/cheesecloth and tie with butcher’s twine to secure. Set aside.

3. Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the chicken carcass, chicken, onion, ginger, and spices and let everything simmer over medium-low heat. Occasionally remove any scum from the surface.

4. Prepare a large ice-water bath 30 minutes into cooking. When the chicken is done, remove it from the pot and immediately submerge it in the water bath to stop the cooking process and give the meat a firmer texture. Let the chicken stand for 15 minutes until it’s cool enough to handle.

5. Remove the chicken meat from the bones. Set aside. Throw the bones back into the stockpot.

6. Continue simmering the broth for another 90 minutes. Season with salt, fish sauce, and sugar to taste. Add a little more water if too much water has evaporated during the cooking process.

7. While the broth is simmering, bring a small sauce pan to a boil.

8. Add the noodles and cook for about 2-3 minutes or just until al dente.  The noodles will finish cooking in the broth.

9. Prepare the plate of garnishes with Thai basil leaves, mung bean sprouts, lime wedges, and jalapeno peppers.

10. In a small sauce bowl, add the Hoisin sauce and the Sriracha sauce for serving.

11. Chop the green onion and cilantro.

12. To assemble divide the noodles between soup bowls. Top with chicken meat, scallions, and cilantro. Ladle the hot stock over the top, sprinkle with freshly ground pepper, and serve immediately with the garnishes.


Cook’s note: for a less fatty broth, make the broth a day ahead and leave the broth in the fridge overnight.  Remove the layer of fat at the surface before rewarming the broth.   For a cleaner broth, strain it before serving.
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For more delicious noodle recipes, check out all the other #noodleholicsparty dishes from bloggers from all part of the world!

Rakhee Yadav |Vegetarian manchurian with stir fry noodles by Boxofspice

Erin Clarkson |Beef ragu with pappardelle by Cloudy Kitchen

Ingrid Goesnar |Indonesian boiled noodles (mie rebus) by Piquecooking

Christine Leong |Malaysian Laksa with Pumpkin by Vermillionroots

Ashley Cuoco |Chestnut Tortellini & Fettuccine in Sage Cream Sauce by Cuococontento

Ryan and Adam |Vegetarian Tteokbokki by husbandsthatcook

Regan Baroni |Shrimp Scampi with Tagliatelle by Regan Baroni

Nevada Berg |Juniper Berry & Barley Noodles with Creamy Chantarelles by North Wild Kitchen

Joanne |Vegan Jjajangmyeon by the Korean Vegan

Lindsay Radcliffe |Duck Noodle Soup by Lindsaysfeast

Lyndsey Eden |Avocado pesto cream sauce with homemade fettuccine noodles by Lyndsey Eden

Aimee Twigger |Homemade soba noodles in a lapsang souchong broth with crispy tofu by Twiggstudios

Haiya Tarik |Malaysian Laksa by Passmethedimsum

Maggie Zhu |Shanghai Scallion Oil Noodle (Cong You Ban Mian) by Omnivorescookbook

Lauren McDuffie |Oak-Smoked Pasta Cacio e Pepe by Harvest and Honey

Soe Thein |Noodle in Burmese coconut and chicpea broth (Oh- no-khao-swe) by Lime and Cilantro

Marvellina Goh |Aceh noodles (Mie Aceh) by Whattocooktoday

Mahroo |Persian Noodle (Reshteh) by Noghlemey

Kimchi Fried Rice (Kimchi Bokkeumbap)

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When I was first introduced to Korean food in high school, I immediately fell in love with three dishes–cold noodles, bibimbap, and kimchi fried rice. Being Vietnamese, I grew up on noodles and rice so it wasn’t a surprise that I gravitated toward those dishes. I usually order the cold noodles and bibimbap at the restaurant since they’re a bit more complicated to make. 

On the other hand, when I’m craving for rice and something spicy, kimchi fried rice is my go to! Surprisingly simple but so darn addicting, it’s on regular rotation with our traditional Vietnamese fried rice and Thai pineapple fried rice. 

My Korean friends told me that the eggs are usually cooked with the rice but I prefer mine with a fried egg on top, actually two because one fried egg is never enough!


Kimchi Fried Rice (Kimchi Bokkeumbap)
3 tbsps olive oil
¼ cup white onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ tbsp ginger, minced
1 cup of Napa cabbage kimchi, chopped
2 cups of cooked white rice, one day old
4 eggs, fried sunny-side up
Scallions and cilantro for garnish, both sliced thinly
Freshly ground pepper
Extra kimchi to serve (optional)

1. Heat a wok or large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Add 2 tbsps of olive oil and stir-fry the onion and ginger until fragrant. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another minute, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn.

3. Add the chopped kimchi and rice and stir-fry for another 5 minutes.

4. Decrease the heat to medium-low and press the rice down with a spatula and let the bottom crisp for another 5 minutes then turn off the heat.

5. In a separate pan, heat the remaining olive oil on medium-high heat and fry the eggs, one side until the white is just set.

6. Divide the fried rice among four plates, top each plate with a fried egg, and garnish with freshly ground pepper, scallion, and cilantro.

Korean Fried Chicken Wings

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People often ask where I get ideas for recipes and my answer has always been–EVERYWHERE. Sometimes, it’s a recipe from a cookbook, a food magazine, pinterest, or someone’s blog. Most of the time though, it’s a delicious dish that I had a restaurant and tried to recreate at home. In the case of these Korean fried chicken wings, the inspiration came from a food court at a Korean supermarket near my house. I had many wings before but these Korean fried chicken wings were different! Flavorful, crunchy, sweet, and tongue hurting hot from the gochujang. They would give those hot sauce wings a run for their money. 

I couldn’t bear to pay $6.99 for a pound of wings so I set my mind to make them at home. Over the course of a few months, I would ask for tips from my Korean friends and used my wings making experience to develop the recipe for these morsels of deliciousness. I made mine a little less spicy than the restaurant’s so I can still taste other foods afterward. If you can handle the heat from the gochujang, feel free to add more, double or triple the gochujang!  Enjoy!


Korean Fried Chicken Wings
1 tbsp garlic, crushed
1 tbsp ginger, crushed
1 ½ tbsps gochujang (more if you like)
2 tbsps white rice vinegar
2 tbsps soy sauce
¼ cup of honey
1.5 lbs chicken wings, joints separated and tips removed
1 ½ tsps salt
Vegetable oil for frying
1 tbsp of toasted white sesame seeds, for garnish
¼ cup of green scallions, thinly sliced for garnish

Flour paste
½ cup of rice flour
½ cup of water

Flour dredge
1 cup of rice flour
1 tsp baking powder

1. To make the sauce, in a food processor, combine the garlic, ginger, gochujang, soy sauce, vinegar, and honey and pulse until well combined.

2. In a small saucepan, pour the sauce and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it starts bubbling, remove from heat and set aside.

3. Season the chicken wings with salt.

4. To make the flour paste, in a bowl whisk together the rice flour and water until it becomes a thin paste.

5. In a different bowl, whisk together the rice flour and baking powder.

6. In a large stockpot, heat 3 inches of vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees F.

7. Dredge the wings in flour, dip them in the flour paste, and dredge them again in flour and shake off any excess flour before placing them in the hot oil. Fry for about 4-5 minutes until lightly golden.  (If you decide to use the whole wings, they’ll need to be fried for about 6-8 minutes.)

8. Transfer the wings to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil.

9. Place the wings in a large mixing bowl, pour the sauce into the bowl and toss to coat evenly.

10.Put the wings on a plate, garnish with toasted sesame and scallions, and serve immediately.

Tonkatsu with napa cabbage slaw and miso tonkatsu sauce

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You probably noticed that the blog has been quiet since late December but there’s a good reason for that. We took time off near the end of the year and traveled to the Bay Area to visit family. When we came back, everyone got sick and and is barely getting over our cold. Even though we all felt under the weather, we’ve been cooking as usual and can’t wait to share some of the delicious meals we’ve been making with you. 


For our first post of 2016, we’re sharing this delicious tonkotsu dish from our favorite Japanese cookbook, Japanese Soul Cooking. Japanese food was foreign to me for the first twenty years or so of my life. Sushi, what’s what? Ramen, is that cup noodle? And tonkotsu, sounds kinda strange! It wasn’t until I met my husband that I was introduced to Japanese food. He would order tonkotsu whenever we had Japanese food but I usually stuck to ramen or udon. One day, my curiosity got the better of me and I asked him for a bite. A crunchy, crumbly panko coating with a thin layer of tender pork hidden beneath! I haven’t eaten pork this way before. Fried and delicious! Since then I’ve been hooked. 


We usually make this dish when we crave for pork and are short on time. In less than an hour, you can whip up a delicious and comforting meal of tonkotsu smothered in miso tonkatsu sauce with a bowl of steaming white rice and a refreshing side of napa cabbage slaw. When we have extra time, we usually make a nice yellow curry to go with the tonkotsu like how some restaurants serve it. The recipe for Japanese curry will be posted at another time. Once you make this tonkatsu at home, you might not want to order it from the restaurant again!

Tonkatsu (recipe adapted from Japanese Soul Cooking)
4-6 fillets of boneless pork loin, about ¾ inch thick (about 1 lb)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup of all purpose flour
¼ cup of cornstarch
1 cup of panko crumbs
vegetable oil for deep-frying
white rice for serving

Miso tonkatsu sauce
2 tbsps sake
2 tbsps mirin
2 tbsps water
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsps Hatcho miso or red miso
1 tbsp ground toasted white sesame

Napa cabbage and carrot slaw
2 cups of napa cabbage, thinly sliced
½ cup of carrot, shredded
1 green onion (scallion), thinly sliced
2 tbsps light soy sauce
1 tbsp white rice vinegar
1 tbsp of honey
1 tbsp of toasted sesame

1. Make the tonkotsu sauce first by adding sake, mirin, water, and sugar to a saucepan and simmer for about 5 minutes. Whisk in the miso until it’s well combined. Remove from heat and whisk in the ground sesame until smooth. Let the sauce cool to room temperature.

2. To make the slaw dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, and honey. Place the cabbage, carrot, and green onion in a bowl and toss with the dressing.

3. For the tonkatsu, lay the pork fillets on a cutting board and pound the meat with a meat mallet to about ½ inch thick.

4. If the sides of the pork has fat, cut ½ inch notches into the white fat of the fillets to prevent them from curling when frying.

5. Season the fillets on both side with salt and pepper then transfer them to a plate.

6. Prepare 4 plates. Whisk together the flour and cornstarch and put the flour mixture in plate 1.

7. Pour the beaten eggs in plate 2.

8. Place the panko crumbs in plate 3.

9. Reserve plate 4 for breaded tonkatsu.

10. Place a cast iron skillet on a burner and fill it with vegetable to a height of at least 1 ½ inches.

11. Attach a deep-fry thermometer to the side of the skillet and wait for the oil to heat to 350 degrees F.

12. While the oil is heating, bread the fillets. First dredge a fillet in flour lightly and shake off any excess.

13. Dip the fillet into the egg, coating both sides.

14. Dredge the fillet in the flour again and shake off any excess flour.

15. Coat the fillet generously in panko on both sides.

16. Repeat with the remaining fillets and place them on plate 4.

17. Carefully slide the breaded tonkatsu into the skillet and cook them for about 3-4 minutes, turning only once during the frying process, until the fillets turn golden brown.

18. Cook the fillets in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. Make sure that the temperature remains at 350 degrees F. If the oil is too hot, the tonkatsu will burn. If the oil temperature is lowered, the tonkatsu will come out soggy and greasy.

19. When the fillets are golden brown, transfer them to a paper-lined plate to drain.

20. Transfer the fillets to a cutting board and slice them into strips.

21.When ready to serve, divide rice among serving bowls, top with pork, and napa slaw. Drizzle tonkatsu sauce on top and garnish with toasted sesame and green onions.

Chicken kara-age or Japanese Fried Chicken

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My friend Gail and I have talked about throwing a dinner party for the longest time. Figuring out what to serve is not the easiest thing. Finally, we decided on a Japanese tapas party, bringing many dishes to life from our favorite Japanese cookbook, Japanese Soul Cooking. Of course, no Japanese tapas party would be completed without chicken kara-age. 



Chicken kara-age is the Japanese version of fried chicken but marinated in a mix of ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sake, and mirin, then dredged in potato starch and deep fried to a morsel of perfection. Using potato starch creates a light and crispy coating similar to the rice flour that I used for the Vietnamese sticky wings. Chicken kara-age makes a perfect appetizer before digging your chopsticks in a nice bowl of ramen but they are also delicious on their own for a snack.  And don’t forget your Sapporo!

Chicken kara-age (Japanese fried chicken) adapted from Japanese Soul Cooking
2 lbs of chicken thighs (about 4-6 pieces depending on size)
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
1 knob of ginger, peeled and chopped
⅓ cup of sake
⅓ cup of mirin
⅓ cup of soy sauce (Maggi brand)
vegetable oil for frying
1 cup of katakuriko (potato starch)
1 tsp of salt
2 tsp of baking powder
white rice (optional)
lemon wedge and fried green chiles (optional)

1. In a mixing bowl, combine garlic, ginger, sake, mirin, and soy sauce to make the marinate.
2. Cut the chicken into 1-1 ½ inch pieces and add to the marinate. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
3. When ready to fry, drain the chicken pieces using a colander.
4. In a mixing bowl, whisk together potato starch, salt, and baking powder.
5. Dredge each piece of chicken in the potato starch mixture and shake off excess flour.
6. In a large pot over medium heat, fill the pot to about 2 inches of oil and bring it to 350 degrees F (if you don’t have a thermometer, leave it on medium heat).
7. Fry the chicken for about 5-6 minutes, 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
8. Transfer the fried pieces to a tray lined with paper towel to drain off excess oil.
9. When ready to eat, serve with white rice, a wedge of lemon, and fried green chiles.

Cook’s note: I use chicken thigh because it creates the most juicy and flavorful chicken kara-age.

 

Vietnamese shaking beef or thit bo luc lac

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Growing up in Vietnam, the only beef I remember eating was from pho.  Other than that, luxurious beef dishes like shaking beef (thit bo luc lac) were reserved for the rich since quality cuts of beef were quite expensive in the post Vietnam war era.  Back then I doubt Vietnamese people even knew what wagyu is.  It wasn’t until we moved to the US that my mom began cooking thit bo luc lac for us given its affordability.  


To this day, thit bo luc lac is one of my favorite beef dishes.  The term “luc lac” stands for the movement of the beef or “shaking” as they are quickly seared in the wok.  So no you don’t get dancing beef or quivering beef when the dish arrives at your dinner table.  Many Vietnamese restaurants serve thit bo luc lac with sauteed onions, lettuce, tomato, and red rice or on a bed of watercress.  I prefer the latter because watercress with its peppery and refreshing taste lends a nice contrast to the deeply flavored beef.  For those who are willing to shell out money for filet mignon, you will get super succulent and flavorful thit bo luc lac.  I usually stick to sirloin and it stills turn out quite tender and delicious.  Whatever way you like your shaking beef, enjoy!     

 

Thit bo luc lac (Vietnamese shaking beef)
1 lb of beef (sirloin cut), cut into ½ inch cubes
1 tbsp soy sauce (Maggie brand)
3 tbsp oyster sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand)
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp sugar
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cup of red onions, thinly sliced
1 bunch of watercress, washed and cleaned with tough stems removed
Dipping sauce
2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, water, and sugar until well combined.
2. Add the cubed beef and pepper to the marinade.  Toss to combine and let stand in refrigerator for an hour.  (If you’re hungry and can’t wait, 30 minutes will suffice.)
3. When ready to cook, heat a wok over high heat.  Add two tablespoons of olive oil around the top of the wok, letting it run down the side and into the middle of the wok.  Add half of the beef to the wok in a single layer and sear for 3 minutes.  Shake and toss the beef in the wok and cook for another minute or two. The beef should be seared on all sides.  Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
4. Add the rest of olive oil and repeat with the remaining beef.  
5. While the wok is still hot, add the garlic and onion and continue to stir fry until fragrant and tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and onion to the beef and toss to combine.
6. When ready to serve, arrange the watercress on a plate and top with the beef.
7. For the dipping sauce, stir together salt, pepper, and lime juice.
8. Serve the shaking beef with dipping sauce and rice. 
Cook’s note: cook the beef to your liking but try not to overcook the meat.  Medium-rare should take 3-5 minutes.  You also don’t need to dress the watercress because the sauce from the beef already adds so much flavor to the dish.

Garlic Noodles with Shrimp

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Both Vu and I LOVE garlic.  If possible, Vu would deep fry garlic and munch on them over potato chips.  For me, it would be a good hour before I wash my hands after crushing, peeling, and mincing those cloves.  I love the way that garlic scent lingers on my hands.  That scent is quite intoxicating, a lovely perfume to my olfactory bulb.  For other, the smell is too obnoxious. Call us crazy, but there’s something about garlic that we just can’t get enough of.  So naturally we got super excited when Vu’s sister finally shared her elusive garlic noodles recipe with us.  It is supposed to be as good as Thanh Long’s in San Francisco!  We have made it so many times, tweaking the recipe each time until we got the flavor profile that we loved.  This dish is for the garlic lover!  It is loaded with tons of garlic flavor, bite after bite!  We’re so excited to share this recipe with you.

 

 

Garlic noodles with shrimp
1 12-oz box of thin spaghetti (Barilla brand)
2 tbsp olive oil
5 cloves of garlic (about 2 tpsb), minced
6 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 tbsp oyster sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand)
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 ½ tbsp sugar
2 tbsp pasta water
2 tbsp scallions, cut
Freshly ground pepper
Sauteed Shrimp
1 pound of tiger shrimp
1tbsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tbsp oyster sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand)
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add spaghetti and cook according to package directions, about 10 minutes.  Drain in a colander.
2. In a bowl, prepare garlic sauce by whisking together soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic powder, sugar, and water.  Set aside.
3. In a large saute pan over medium heat, heat oil.  Add the garlic and saute until fragrant but not browned.  Add butter to pan and let it melt.  Cook until garlic is slightly brown.
4. Add the garlic sauce to the pan and mix together until well combined.
5. Toss the drained spaghetti into the pan and mix with garlic sauce.  Add the scallion and set aside.
6. For the shrimp, in a large saute pan over medium heat, heat olive oil.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant.
7. Add shrimp and saute for 2 minutes.  Then add oyster sauce and simmer until shrimp is cooked through and the flavors have combined, about 5 more minutes.
8. Add the cooked shrimp to garlic noodles and toss until combined.
9. Divide noodles among 4 plates and top with additional scallion and freshly ground pepper.  Serve immediately.

Asian Braised Short Ribs

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Asian braised short ribs that fall of the bone and infused with lemongrass, star anise, and cinnamon flavors.


When I walking through the meat section at Whole Foods, I did a double take on the short ribs sitting in the window.  They were the best looking short ribs I have ever laid eye on!  They were rich, vibrant red with nice marbles.  At $9.99 per pound, it was a bit steep for me.  However, it’s not unusual to see that kind of price with the current cattle shortage.  The ongoing drought and high demand for beef have skyrocketed cattle prices in recent years.  So I stood there for a while, contemplating if I should get them.  Other customers came and left.  After 10 minutes of internal debate and nudging from Vu, I caved in.  My justification? We eat short ribs once a month.  Sometimes as long as once every two months.  So it was a TREAT!  I was ready to make our favorite short rib recipe!  Asian braised short ribs.  



The meat is seared and then slow cooked in a Dutch oven in a bath of spices, soy sauce, and rice wine until the meat becomes tender and falls off the bone.  Both Betsy and Vu were camping in the kitchen, tantalized by the lovely aroma of spices and developing broth.   After two long hours, we were able to enjoy the tender short ribs, falling easily at the pull of our fork.  Rice and steamed asparagus were our accompaniments.  Nothing fancy.  So simple yet satisfying!  This is definitely our favorite way of cooking short ribs.  I would love to hear about your favorite short ribs recipe.   

 

Asian Braised Short Ribs
3 lbs English-cut bone-in short ribs
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
¼ cup soy sauce (Maggie or Kikkoman brand)
¼ cup hoisin sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand)
½ cup rice wine (Shaoxing brand)
½ cup brown sugar
3 cups of water
2 lemongrass stalks, tender bulb part crushed
1 stub of ginger, thumb size, crushed
2 cinnamon sticks
5 star anise   
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 green onions, white and pale green part, thinly sliced
cilantro leaves, chopped
cooked white or brown rice to serve
your favorite vegetables (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F.
2. Place ginger, cinnamon sticks, and star anise on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice wine, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, and water until evenly combined. Set aside.
4. Season short ribs with salt and pepper.
5. Place a Dutch oven on the stove over medium-high heat and add oil.
6. Add garlic, lemongrass, ginger, cinnamon, and star anise to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Remove everything and set aside.
7. Working in batches, add the short ribs and sear until all sides are browned.  Remove ribs to a plate and set aside.
8. Return garlic, lemongrass, ginger, and spices to the Dutch oven. 
9. Stir in combined sauce of soy sauce, rice wine, hoisin sauce, sugar, and water and bring to a boil. 
10. Return ribs to pan and bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes. 
11. Cover and transfer to oven to cook, turning occasionally, until meat pulls easily with your fork, about 2 hours.
12. Transfer the ribs to a platter and cover to keep warm.
13. For the glaze, remove 1 cup of braising liquid and skim off as much fat as possible from the surface.
14. Place the braising liquid in a sauce pan and cook on high heat until syrupy, about 15 minutes.
15. Divide the ribs among individual plates with rice, spoon the glaze over the ribs, garnish with green onion and cilantro.  Serve right away.
Note: this dish is best enjoyed the same day.  If you have leftover, make sure the ribs are covered in braising liquid otherwise they will dry out.