Kung Fu Cooking

Rice

2009-10-19T19:04:00.004-04:00

There are three major "types" of rice that one might encounter in the world and be interested in cooking with. From the short grain risotto and sticky sushi rice to long grain jasmine and basmati rice. There are also specialty types like the black forbidden rice as well as many many many different cooking methods for each variety. the main similarity is that all rice requires some kind of liquid to cook initially. after that though the possibilities are endless. any way in this edition i'm going to talk briefly about the three types of rice and then move on to the most basic method of making steamed white rice. This is because once you have steamed white rice there are a number of things one can do with it. Such as congee the traditional chinese rice porridge, or fried rice.... or crispy rice pancakes or even the custardy mexican dessert form of rice pudding.

type #1

long grain rice, jasmine is the most common has been hulled and has less starchy than risotto rice or sushi rice which makes it light an fluffy when steamed. This is a great type of rice for classic steamed rice, pilaf, soups and pallea.

type #2

short grain rice, arborio is a very common varity. Short grain rice is used for sticky rice and when stirred vigorously while cooking renders the creamy risotto found in italy.

type #3

wild rice or un-hulled rice. this rice commonly known as wild rice is served mainly steamed or in pilaf. It requires more water and a longer cooking time to produce the same product as type #1

today though were going to start with the basics.

steamed white rice.

Ingredients:

jasmine or basmati rice.... here i have used jasmine
water
salt and pepper (optional)
butter or oil (optional)

step one:

put dry rice in pot. don't worry about how much cause the extra is easily used up the next day in fried rice etc. etc. (cooked food products that are properly cooled and stored will last for 7 days in the fridge) although a cup of rice is probably more than enough for one person.

next add one and a half times the amount of water as rice... so if you used a cup of rice you will need a cup and a half of water.... or use the chinese method like i do. With the tip of your finger resting on top of the rice add water to cover your first knuckle

next add any salt pepper or oil you may want to add or just leave it plain. Turn the fire on high and wait untill the water reaches a simmer. Once this happens put a lid on the pot and turn the flame down as far as you can and set a timer for 20minutes.

once the timer goes off kill the fire completely and let the pot sit with the lid on for an additional ten minutes. If the rice isn't done in 10 minutes just leave the lid on and let it sit for another 10 minutes!

fluff with a fork and BOOM.... perfectly cooked steamed white rice. Trust me this method is full proof, cheap, delicious and the finished product is endlessly versatile.

How To Roast A "Split" Chicken

2009-01-27T17:48:00.003-05:00

Hello all. I know it's been a while since this was updated but i've been busy with the move from my grubby tiny kitchen in the west village to a much nicer better stocked upgrade here in williamsburg. This week were going to cover the basics of taking a whole chicken and turning it into something edible and delicious. Many people say roasting a chicken is one of the hardest things to do properly and i agree but like with all other things of the artistic discipline it just takes practice and experience to master.

today we start with turning your oven on and preheating it to 375 degrees. Next you will need a whole chicken... i have chosen a bell evens air chilled chicken because they are "organic" and of better quality than most standard "perdu" type chickens. one of the things to look for when buying a chicken is the skin color. Most organic chickens and in my experience better tasting chickens have a whiter color to the skin and pinker flesh. Chickens feed on hormones and more mass produced chickens tend to have the more common yellow skin. Also you will want to look and see how the meat it self has been handeled.... are the bones broken? is the flesh torn up or punctured in several places? My chicken looked like this when removed from the package

i have removed the giblets from the cavity and cut the wings off at the joint. the giblets should contain the heart, gizzard, liver and neck of the animal. the neck and wings should be reserved and frozen for making stocks and broths and the heart and gizzard are good for frying in a light flour dust as the Mexicans at work have shown me.

Begin by placing the chicken on a cutting board neck down with the back facing you like so:

tuck your knife under the tail and score down each side of the spine remembering to get between the shoulder blade and the spine.

after the score is made you need to follow the lines again and cut through the bones removing the spine completely. once this is done lay the chicken out flat skin side down and remove the breast bone. Next use your knife to cut the chicken into two pieces slicing all the way through the skin. this is a technique known as "natural seam butchering" this is a process where one butchers portions of meat according to muscle group.... which basically means that you cut an animal into smaller pieces by following natural lines of sinew and tendon without actually cutting into the grain of meat. Once this is done you can cook your chicken or as i like to do it cut the leg away from the breast effectively quartering the chicken and remove the excess bone from the thigh. This last bit can be kind of tricky so i have made a video of the process here:

after this process you should have four neat clean pieces

next coat each piece in salt and pepper and get a pan large enough to accommodate all four pieces very hot. When you add your oil (canola is preferable) to the pan is should begin to lightly smoke from the heat. you will need about 4 tbsp of oil. Next add your chicken. Allow enough time on the burner for the pan to recover the loss of heat from the cold chicken hitting the oil and then place on the FLOOR of your 375 degree preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until all the juices protruding from the chicken run clear. The internal temperature should read around 140 degrees Fahrenheit. If you find a lot of fat rendering from the chicken don't be afraid to pull it out after ten minutes or so and strain off the excess. Do not turn your chicken. You want to roast it all the way on the skin. This is the best way to get a nice deep golden brown color.

After your chicken is cooked remove it from the oven and place on plate or resting rack. Resting the meat is important. As meat cooks the heat forces all of the juices to the center of the roast. If you cut your meat immediately after removing it from the oven the all the juice will spill out and you will be left with a dry chicken. Let cooked meats set for 5 minutes for every pound of raw flesh. My chicken was a 3.5 pound chicken so i let it set for around 15 minutes before cutting into it. At this point you can just dig in or you can chop your chicken into smaller pieces like I have done.

you can see the chicken in the top left corner..... tomorrow when i have more time i'll go over what i have done with the veggies as well.

thanks for reading and as always feel free to ask questions. feed back helps me make this site better!!

Ramen Broth and Stock Basics

2009-01-04T22:05:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone. This week we are covering the mixed ramen broth of pork and chicken. The basics used in this broth will transfer over into all other stocks as well from duck to veal to pork to brown chicken.

Ingredients:

2 medium sized carrots
3 stalks celery
2 heads garlic
2 medium white onions
1/2 bunch thyme or about 12 sprigs
piece of fresh ginger about twice the size of your thumb

chop all your veggies into large chunks like so:

2 pounds chicken wings
2 pounds pork ribs or feet

first using a heavy cleaver chop you wings and ribs into small 2" pieces and place in a heavy bottomed stock pot that can hold 5 qts and cover with cold water

turn the heat on high and bring to a simmer. when the water reaches the boiling point the blood, coagulants and impurities in the bones that will make your stock cloudy will be drawn out.

once a boil is achieved immediately strain the bones and rinse the remaining coagulants off of the pieces of meat. Place the blanched bones back into the cleaned stock pot, add the chopped vegetables and thyme (if making a normal stock at this point you can also add black pepper corn and bay leaves) and cover with 1" of cold water. Bring the water to a very slow simmer and allow to cook for 16 to 18 hours. When making a stock with only chicken bones you can reduce the cooking time to 8 hours or when making a stock with something heartier like veal bones you can increase the cooking time to as much as 20 hours.

I like to use a crock pot because i can let it run unattended for long periods of time without fear of burning the house down. Now while your stock simmers remember to come back every so ofter to check on it. Skim any foam that has risen to the top and add water as needed. I do this every 30 minutes for the first 3 hours of cooking and once again right at the end of the cooking process. After your stock has simmered long enough it should have a strong flavor, a slightly tacky feel on your fingers from all the gelatin simmered out of the bones and a good golden color.

now you need to strain the liquid into a large vessel when i do this i pour the entire contents into a large strainer and allow to sit for up to 30 minutes to make sure gravity has pulled all the moisture out of the meat and veggies with out having to press on them. Pressing the solid matter can cause excess impurities from the meat to be pushed into the clean stock below.

after this process you should be left with around 6 cups of nice strong ramen broth or stock!

merry xmas!!

2008-12-22T19:02:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Mission Tampopo

2008-12-08T11:28:00.003-05:00

In my honest opinion there are two major factors in creating the perfect bowl of ramen. The broth and the Char Siu. Last week we covered the char siu. Today i have made a simple vegetable broth and will go over the construction of the bowl.

For the vegetable broth:

INGREDIENTS

1 stick cinimon
1 piece star anise
2 piece cloves
5 piece black pepper
3 piece allspice
1 medium carrot
3 stalk celery
2 medium white onions
2 leeks
1 head garlic
hunk of raw ginger about the size of your thumb
(for a richer earthier broth try adding mushroom stems and black bean sauce)

1. rough chop all ingredients into small pieces

2. place in a pot large enough to accomodate and cover by 1" with cold water (cold water does a better job of extracting flavor than hot water)

3. simmer for up to 1 hour and then strain through a mesh sieve or conical strainer and reserve keeping warm. at this point you may season your broth with soy sauce, miso paste, roasted garlic, kimchee or what ever flavor you prefer. (when i'm in a pinch i like to use fresh ramen soup base. not the powdered stuff but the liquid you get from the good types of instant ramen)

4. next get some water boiling for the noodles and make a couple hard boiled eggs. My hard boiled egg recipie is as follows:

place eggs in pan and cover by 1" with cold water and 1 table spoon of vinegar
bring to a rolling simmer (to rough of a boil will crack the shells and beat up your eggs)
set a timer for 8 minutes
after the timer goes off strain of the water and place the eggs in an ice bath to cool them.... this process will also stress the shells - creating cracks in the shell that will make them easier to peel

5. lay out your toppings. today i have arranged the folowing starting with the charsiu we made last week and going clockwise around the cutting board:

char siu
hardboiled eggs
menma (soy sauce seasoned bamboo shoots easily purchasable at any japanese grocery store. i like sunrise mart which can be found http://www.yelp.com/biz/sunrise-mart-new-york
chopped scallion
wood ear mushrooms
nori (dried sea weed)

6. next i set the bowls out and put 2 tbsp of soy in the bottom with 1 tbsp of sesame oil

7. add noodles and broth and place your selection of toppings ontop of the bowl.... remember the toppings are limitless you don't have to use what i use. anything can top a bowl of ramen. with good broth and good noodles you will have a delicious meal!!

the wonders of cast iron

2008-12-04T15:10:00.002-05:00

to day i was asked how to season a cast iron skillet.

i have found two different useable methods for seasoning cast iron.

one involves coating the pan in a neutral oil

Neutral Oils - Use vegetable oils (canola, sunflower, etc.), shortening (like Crisco shortening) or lard for seasoning your cast iron pans. I recently experimented and found out that food-grade coconut oil/butter also works great.

and placing the pan in a 300 degree oven for 4 hours.

i have outlined the second more popular and easier method below

Let the pan cool. Wash it with dishwashing soap and water. Never soak or let soapy water sit in the pan for any length of time. Rinse thoroughly, then dry with paper towels.

A lot of people disagree with using dishwashing soap and water to wash cast-iron pans. A chef told me that if a health inspector ever found a pan that had not been washed with soap and water in his kitchen, he would be in trouble. Plus the grease that is left behind will eventually become rancid. You do not want rancid oil in your foods and body.

NEVER put cast-iron cookware in the dishwasher.
Place the cleaned cast iron pan on the heated burner of your stove for a minute or two to make sure that it is bone dry. While the pan is still hot and on the stove burner, lightly oil inside of pan (I mean a light coat) with a neutral cooking oil.
Leave pan on the hot burner of stove for a few minutes. Remove from hot burner and wipe excess oil off the pan with a used up rag and tongs so you don't burn the shit out of your hand.
Store your cast iron cookware with the lids off, especially in humid weather, because if covered, moisture can build up and cause rust. Be sure that you place a couple paper towels inside to make sure that any moisture that forms will be absorbed by the paper towel. Never put the utensil in the dishwasher or store it away without drying it thoroughly Seasoning at higher temperatures, approaching the smoking point, of the oil used will result in darker seasoned coatings in less time that aren't sticky or gummy.

that pretty much covers it... if taken care of properly a cast iron pan can last severl lifetimes. pretty much any and all foods can be cooked in it (with the exception of boiling water)

Knives!!

2008-12-03T12:14:00.001-05:00

So i was asked recently to talk about knives in an email.

"I've always wanted to ask a chef, maybe you could put this on your blog: how do you find a good deal on knives? Like there are knives out there that are like $400 and then there are $25 knives. How can you tell which knives are good? How can you tell when you're getting a good deal?"

There are many different styles of knife available to chefs these days with varying price ranges from $20 to thousands. The different style of knife you choose should depend on what you are doing with it, how it feels in your hand (comfort factor) and durability.

There are three main types of knife construction on the market today. Stamped, forged and folded steel.

STAMPED

Stamped knives are made from template cutters that cut the shape of the knives into flat metal. Stamped knives are lighter but don't have the same quality and balance as the forged knives do. Due to the lack of density, the stamped knives don't hold edges as well as the forged knives. Stamped knives are usually less expensive.

FORGED

Forged knives undergo a treatment process to enhance the flexibility, density, and hardness of the knife. Forged knives tend to be heavier than stamped knives but are much better balanced. Forged knives are hand made through a process of extreme heat and hand moulding. Each knife is carefully and hand crafted with extreme detail. The tang of the knife merges into the handle and is typically secured by three rivets.

FOLDED

Folded steel knives are the top of the line in both construction, aesthetic and materials used. Most folded knives are Japanese in construction which use a different composite alloy. Unlike stamped and forged knives folded knives start out as a block of steel that is pounded flat and folded in on it self and pounded flat again. This process gradually forms the shape of the knife creating a superior edge and sharpness. Most Japanese knife companies make knives in both traditional Japanese style and western style knives.

Japanese Style

Western Style Japanese Knives

The choice is up to you. expect to pay any where between $20 and $75 for stamped knives, $80 - $200 for forged knives and $80 - $3000 for folded steel Japanese knives. If you are interested in a nicer knife i recommend getting something on the lower end and taking some classes in knife sharpening or looking it up on the Internet. A personal favorite brand of mine though is the Shun, which can be found here: http://www.kershawknives.com/searchresults.php?brand=shun&search_by=searchform&searchvalue=shun&x=0&y=0. Both versatile and affordable it's a great knife for beginners and professionals alike (because of the price point i don't mind destroying them in my kitchen)

Shun

Char Siu!!

2008-12-03T12:12:00.000-05:00

This is photo documentation and step by step instruction on the basic process involved in making char siu (chinese), Charshu or Charsyu (japanese) braised seasoned pork....

This is a classic component in many chinese and japanese recipes and a common topping for ramen noodles.

Char Siu

3 pounds pork (fresh butt, shoulder or belly will all work fine.... for this recipe i have used 1.5# butt and 1.5# shoulder to compare the final product)
2 cups shoyu or soy sauce
2 cups sake
2 cups mirin (or granulated sugar)
2 cups water
3 tbsp chopped chives
2 tbsp fresh grated ginger

Procedure

1. tie the pork in two 1 1/2 pound logs with 6 or 7 lengths of butcher twine

2. sear the pork on high heat in canola oil untill golden brown on all sides

3. Chop the chives, grate the ginger on a cheese grater using the smallest shredding teeth and gather the rest of the liquid ingredients

4. remove the seared pork from the pan and place in a roasting pan big enough to contain the pork and the liquid (which will go half way up the side of the pork)

5. drain off the fat from the seared pork and add the ginger, scallion, mirin, soy, water and sake. using a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula stir the liquid while scraping the bottom of the pan to loose anything stuck

6. pour the liquid over the pork and place the roasting pan on the middle rack of a 325 degree oven and braise for approximately 2 hours.... turn the pork or baste with the liquid every 30 minutes. adjust consistancy of the liquid with extra water as needed. there is alot of sugar in the mix so besure not to let it over reduce and burn.

7. when you remove it from the oven it should be shiny and glazed while being tender enough to cut easily with a knife. strain off the liquid to remove the ginger and scallion and any other foreign matter and cool the pork in the liquid to keep the meat from drying out.

8. this is Char Siu your finished product... the shoulder is on the left and the boston butt is on the right. shoulder is a less expensive product and also inferior in quality; the butt should run you around $2.00 a pound and yields a better product. pork belly is probably the best cut for this dish though and runs around $2.35/lb in chinatown. this product should be cooled and put in the fridge within two hours and can be stored cold for up to 7 days. The remaining liquid can be used as seasoning, thinned out and reused for your next batch of pork or simply thrown away.