Super Tender Sweet and Sour Ribs

This is my 5th attempt in making this ribs. The main objective of this trial is to check on the repeatability of my recipe and method! Is it important? I guess it is important for some people or at least myself to repeat this dish as I want to really that I am mastering this dish before uploading this recipe in my blog. This is to ensure my kids can produce similar results as mine even by reading this blog. 

I must admit that I did a lot of mistake along the way. One should not give up and must persistently trying until you will master it one day. In my 1st attempt, my ribs were only 80% cooked. During that attempt, I was spending most of my time learning to control the oven temperature and baking time. In my 2nd attempt, I was trying to play around with temperature, while in 3rd and 4th attempt were to play around with different flavour.

I am trying to recall all the details along the way and I do really hope that this detail method can help anyone who read this recipe and produce the same ribs as mine.

Ingredients

2 kg of pork ribs (It is better to use a less meaty ribs)

Sauce

1 lemon juice (keep the skin)

300 g ketchup

300 g plum sauce

8 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp Italian herbs

1tbsp soya sauce

1. To prepare the ribs, start by removing the membrane from the inside of the ribs. This is a tough skin like material that blocks flavours from getting into the meat. (you may refer to this website: How to remove the BBQ Pork Ribs Membrane). , Then, make a small cut on the meaty surface, in between the 2 main bones.

2. Combine all the sauces and apply evenly on the ribs. Add in the lemon skin as well and let the ribs to marinate for at least 12 hours. The color of the meat becomes 'white' after marinated for 16 hours.

3.Cover with aluminum foil (remember to remove all the lemon skin) and put the whole dish into a preheated 150'C oven and let it cook for 2-3 hours depending on the rib's thickness. You may want to turn the ribs once a while (every hour) when you want to check the ribs readiness. This is a good time to baste the ribs so that the baste can remain on top of the ribs. 

4. The ribs are ready when the meat begins to peel apart from the bone.

5. Once the ribs are ready, remove all gravy and let the gravy boil till thicken. Then, brush the thick sauce on top of the ribs and grill in the oven at 200'C for around 2-3 minutes to allow the sauce to caramelize a little and cook into the ribs. You may brush several layers if you wish to have a thicker sauce.

The meat is so tender and falling apart from the bone!!! 

Nyonya Angku (Red Tortoise Cake) 紅龜粿

Nyonya Angku or AngKu Kueh is a small round Chinese pastry made from glutinous rice flour wrapped with sweet filling. It is normally consumed during important festivals such as Chinese New year as it is believed that AngKu Kueh will bring longevity, good fortune and prosperity to those who are eating it.

I always have the phobia to make AngKu Kueh especially the filling as I thought it would be very challenging to get a smooth filling until one day, my friend treats us her homemade AngKu Kueh! Because of her AngKu Kueh, I have the courage to start making the AngKu Kueh. 

Here is the recipe that I adapted from NasiLemak Lover. I have added in extra oil in the filling as I prefer a smoother fill. If you prefer a dry fill, you may use less oil in the filling.

Ingredients (makes around 40 pcs, mould size 4cm x 5cm)

Sweet Filling
250 g split yellow mung beans/ green beans
80 g sugar (or more, if you prefer sweeter filling)
100 ml oil

1. Rinse mung beans several times and soak in clean water for 1 hour.
2. Drain the mung beans and steam over high heat for 30 minutes or until the bean is soft.
3. While the beans is still hot, place bean, sugar and oil in a food processor, blend until fine. You may add extra sugar if you prefer sweeter filling.
4. Set aside to cool. Shape into 14 g small ball.

Skin
300 g sweet potato (any preferred color, I am using purple), peeled off the skin
200 g glutinous flour
1 tbsp rice flour
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp oil
130 ml hot water, or adjust accordingly

1. Cut sweet potatoes into big pieces and steam until they are soft, about 15-30 minutes.
2. Mashed the cooked sweet potatoes.
3. Add in glutinous rice flour, rice flour, sugar and corn oil into the mashed sweet potato. Slowly add in hot water to mix until soft dough is obtained. Keep aside and rest for 10 minutes.
4. Shape into 14 g small ball.

To prepare AngKu Kueh
Banana leaves; cut into the correct size that match with the Angku mould and blanched with hot water until the leaves are soft. Dried them with a clean cloth.

1. Dust the mould with glutinous rice flour for easy remove.
2. Flatten the sweet potato ball, place a mung bean ball, cover and shape into round ball.
3. Place the ball in the mould, flatten and then knock out.
4. Place on a greased banana leaf.
5. Arrange kueh on s steaming tray and steam over medium to low heat for 5-10 minutes. Do not steam over high heat as as heat will destroy the Angku's pattern.
6. Once done, remove from steamer and brush the kueh surface with corn oil.

Super Soft Ham, Cheese Wholemeal Rolls (Tangzhong method): Bread Machine

The choice of filling becoming more demanding in my family ever since I successfully made soft fluffy bread. My kids prefer sweet rolls while my husband would like savory type. This is a real challenging as each time I need to prepare two type of different filling to suit with their taste buds.

How about myself? I think in most cases, mom is the one who sacrifices and takes whatever they left on the table. For this recipe, I have prepared cream cheese roll for the kids and cheese/ham/meat floss for my dear husband. You may add in garlic and parsley as well to make the flavour more intense.

To make the job easier, I have chosen to use bread maker to make the dough. I mix all the ingredient together and let the machine knead the dough for me. For those who do not has a bread maker, you may also use a kitchen machine (mixer) to do the job. You may refer to my Ham and Cheese Bun for the method.

Ingredients of TangZhong

25 g of bread flour (slightly less than 2 tbsp)

125 ml water

Ingredients of bread (16 pieces)
200 g bread flour
50 g whole meal flour
50 g plain flour
3 tbsp of sugar
2 tbsp milk powder
150 g TangZhong (use all the tangzhong that you made above)
1 tsp yeast
1 large egg
80 ml water (the amount of water is varies by different type of flour)
2 tbsp butter (cut into small pieces, softened in room temperature)

Filling: Cream Cheese
130 g of cream cheese
40 g sugar


Filling: Ham and meat floss
Some meat floss
2 slices of ham
Some mayonnaise
Some cheddar cheese


Prepare TangZhong
1. Using a whisk, combine the flour and water until the form a homogeneous mixture.
2. Heat up the mixture using low heat and continue to whisk until the mixture forms a thick solution.
3. If you have a temperature, remove the batter from the heat when the temperature reaching 65'C.
4. Immediately, transfer the batter into a bowl and cover it.
5. Refrigerates it for at least 24 hours before use it in the recipe.

Prepare Cream Cheese Filling
1. Mix both cream cheese and sugar together until they blend together and put inside the fridge.

Prepare Bread Dough

1. Mix all the ingredient together and select 'dough recipe' in the machine. It is important to spend the first 5 minutes to see the kneading process in order to adjust the water and flour quantity. Using the same ratio of ingredient each time does not mean that you will get a consistent dough. If the dough is wet, you may add in the bread flour, 1 tsp  at each time until you can get a clean dough. (NOTE: Dough is wet when it stick on the pan)

2. Once the dough is ready (after 1st proofing), remove the dough from the machine. Separate the dough into 2 pieces and roll into a ball. Let the dough rest for another 10 minutes.

3. Then, roll one of the ball into a rectangle shape with thickness of around 5 mm.Then, apply a layer of mayonnaise on the bread before placing hams and meat floss on it.

4. Roll the bread until forming a long roll. Cut the roll into 8 pieces.

 

5. For the cream cheese roll, use the similar steps as shown in steps 3&4 except the cutting step.

6. Second Proof: Now the breads are ready for second proof. Cover the dough with wet cloth/plastic wrap and let it proof for 40-60 minutes at room temperature.

7. Bake: Brush the dough with egg wash (egg yolk mix with 1 tsp of water). Sprinkle some cheddar cheese just before baking. This will enhance the flavor of the bread. Bake at 175'C for at least 10-15 minutes until the bread is brownish.

8. Remove from the oven and let it cool down before transfer into an air tight container. The bread remain soft and fresh for at least 2 days. Since this recipe call for ham and cheese, it is advisable to put into the fridge if you need to keep for the next day. Normally, I will heat up with microwave before serving them.

Meat floss roll.....super soft and yummy!!

Ham and Cheese Bun

Ham, cheese, garlic parsley bread.....Most favourite bread!!!

Look at the cheese roll!! It is super creamy and soft!

Vegetarian Char Siew

Vegetarian Char Siew can be easily prepared after you have made gluten. Just marinate the gluten with some sauce and use low heat to stew the sauce together with gluten until the sauce thicken. Slice the char siew before serving.


Ingredients
400 g vegetarian gluten

Marinade
2 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp soya bean paste
1 tbsp sesame oil
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce (optional)
Few drops red food colouring

200 ml water
4 tbsp oil

1. Cut gluten into 3-4 strips, hold both ends of strips, pull lightly and twist. Drop into boiling water, simmer gently over low heat for approximately 30-40 minutes or till cooked.

2. Remove gluten and marinate for at least 30 minutes. For this time, I marinate overnight for better taste and colour.

3. Heat oil in wok, add marinated gluten and water, cook till gravy is thick, dish out.

Vegetarian Gluten

Since tomorrow is Vesak (佛誕), I have planned a few vegetarian dishes for my family in order to encourage them to have vegetarian meal tomorrow. Unlike Indian dish, Chinese vegetarian does not consist of garlic, onion and chives. Thus, I am not able to cook Indian Vegetarian tomorrow. I prefer my own vegetarian dishes as they do not consist of any MSG. This makes a healthier vegetarian dish for the family.

In order to have some 'meat' feeling in the vegetarian dish, I have to prepare vegetarian gluten. With this gluten, I am able to form a variety of 'meat'.The preparation of vegetarian gluten is not so difficult. It just need some patient and time. It is advisable to prepare the gluten a day ahead in order to have sufficient time for to marinate.

It is necessary to test the gluten whether it is ready. Cut through the gluten with a scissors, the texture should be smooth and not porous. If it is not ready, continue to soak in water until a smooth texture is obtained.


Ingredients
500 g high protein flour
1 tsp salt
450-550 ml water

1. Mix salt and flour together. Pour in water slowly until forming a ball. To make the job easier, I am using the bread maker to knead for around 5 minutes.

2. Then, cover the dough with water and soak for an hour.

3. Wash away the starch by squeezing dough under running water, until water is light milky color.

4. Shape dough into round again and rest it in water for another one hour, drain well and leave aside. It is ready to be shaped into different 'meat'; example char siew, roasted pork, oysters, intestines, etc.

Chewy Chai Kueh (Dumpling with Turnip) 菜粿

Chai Kueh is made from sweet turnip and usually consumed during tea break or even breakfast. It is a typical Chinese snack and is very popular among the Teochew and Hakka. The most important to have a delicious Chai Kueh is having a thin, soft, chewy and translucent skin. There are two popular fillings; sweet turnip or chives.

Since the skin is made by mixing both wheat starch and tapioca flour together, the ratio of these flour is important. A lot of recipes are required only wheat starch and tapioca flour. To me, there are still something missing in the texture. Even though, I have tried to play around with the ratio, I could not get the chewy texture that I wanted. The skin also becomes hard after some time.

In my 4th attempt, I have added in some glutinous flour in the dough hoping that the stickiness of glutinous will improve the texture of the skin.....and it really works!!! I feel really satisfy with this new recipe and it reminds me my childhood "Chai Kueh"!!

Ingredients

Dumpling Skin
100 g wheat starch
50 g tapioca flour
25 g glutinous flour
1 tbsp cooking oil
150-180 ml boiling water

Filling (sweet turnip)
250 g sweet turnip
30 g dried shrimps; soaked and minced
1 tbsp minced garlic
A dash of pepper
salt to taste

Filling (chives)
200 g chives; cut into small pieces (5mm in length)
30 g dried shrimps; soaked and minced
1 tbsp minced garlic
3 mushrooms; soaked and minced
A dash of pepper
salt to taste

1. Peel turnip, then using a processor shredded it. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a preheated pan to saute garlic and dried shrimp over low heat until fragrant. Add in sweet turnip. Stir-fry over medium heat and add in seasoning. Add some water if it is too dry and keep stir-fry until turnip is soften. Dish out, leave to cool.

2. Heat up 2 tbsp of oil in a preheated pan to saute garlic and dried shrimp over low heat until fragrant. Add in mushroom and saute until it is cooked. Lastly, put in the chives and saute until the chives is soft. Dish out, leave to cool.

3. For the skin, mix all the ingredient together until a dough is formed. Knead well into a soft dough, cover with a wet cloth, and rest dough for 20 minutes.

4. Divide dough into small portions. Use a roller to flatten the dough. Spoon in enough filling on skin and wrap. Place the dumplings on the greasy banana leaf. Steam over hot water for 7-10 minutes over medium heat until cooked. Brush with oil while hot.

Japanese Feast.....simple dish

While I was cleaning my fridge, I realize that there is still a pack Japanese rice hidden in the fridge . Since, it has been in the fridge for some time, my plan is to have a Japanese meal so I can use consume all the rice as soon as possible. This is the only way to get rid all stuffs in my congested fridge.

I was lucky that I had just borrowed a Japanese Cooking book from a library. After going through the book, I have selected a few simple dish and I was amazed on how easy the Inari Sushi is prepared.

Here are the menu of tonight's dinner:
Inari Sushi
Chilled Tofu
Radish Steak (Daikon no suteeki)
Japanese Savoury Pancake (Okonomiyaki)


In Japanese meal, rice is one of the most important ingredient. The cooked rice will be blended with vinegar. The ratio of vinegar and rice is important to give a good taste of the rice.


Sushi Rice
3 cups Japanese rice
70 ml rice vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsps salt

NOTE:
a. The ratio of rice and vinegar is 1000 g, 150 g
b. The ratio of vinegar, white sugar and salt is 1000 g, 250 g, 130 g


1. Soaking of the rice: If you are using rice from a newly opened package, it should soak in water for 5-10 minutes. This is to let them absorb some water. In contrast, the rice from an opened package which is already absorbed the moisture in the air, depending on the rice condition, soaking time should be lesser.

2. When washing rice, it should scrub thoroughly for longer time, to wash out the outer layer of rice grains. After washing, use a sieve to separate water from the rice grains and place them in the fridge. By placing rice grains in fridge for overnight will allow suitable texture after cooking, which makes techniques of molding and grasping easier.

3. You may cook the rice using normal electrical rice cooker. It takes around 30 minutes for the rice to cook. Upon cook, do not open the lid and let the rice to rest for another 15 minutes. This is to make sure that each rice grain to be cooked completely and to avoid hard center.

4. The step of adding the vinegar to the rice is extremely important. Pour the completely cooked rice to a pan (I am using a cake pan). Use one hand to add in vinegar while the other hand is holding a rice paddle diagonally to stir the rice grains. This will allow every rice grain to absorb vinegar evenly. When stirring the rice, it should be done in same procedure, either from top to bottom or from bottom to top. This is to avoid the rice from becoming loss of looseness.

5. After mixing, use a fan to cool down the rice rapidly to the room temperature before cover it with a clean damp cloth. Now, the rice is ready.

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Dashi

Dashi is the Japanese stock. It is made konbu and bonito flakes. In order to get an extra strong taste, it is advisable to soak the konbu in water for at least 3 hours. I have soaked overnight to make sure that all the flavor is released in the water. You may skip this step if you do not have time.
Tips: Do not boil konbu in hot water as this will make the dashi bitter.

Ingredients
10 cm konbu (kelp)
9 g dried bonito flakes
400 ml water

1. Wipe the konbu with clean cloth. This is to remove the white powdery substance on the surface.

2. Combine water and konbu in a pot, soak konbu for about 10 minutes or if you have time, soak for around 3 hours.

3. Boil the water over low heat and remove the konbu just before the water boils. Add in bonito flakes and let the water boil for 30 second. Off the heat.

4. Set aside until all bonito flakes sink. Strain and discard bonito flakes. Stock is ready to use.

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Inari Sushi (Sushi with Tofu puff)

In my previous attempt in preparing this sushi, I was always buy the ready made ajitsuke inari from the supermarket. As for this time, I am decided to make them myself base on the recipe found in the book. It is so simple and the cost is really cheap! I prefer the self made ajitsuke inari as I can adjust the sweetness based on our taste.
The wrapping of this sushi is so easy that even my son can manage it.

Ingredients
20 pcs of tofu puffs (flat type)
500ml dashi (please refer to the recipe above)
Seaweed slices

3 1/2 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp soy sauce (shoyu), 2 tbsp sake (optional)

1. Boil tofu puffs in water for about 3 minutes to soften and remove excess oil. Drain well. Combine tofu puffs, water and bonito flakes in a pot, bring to boil and lower down the heat. Simmer with a tofu for 5 minutes. You may use a plate cover the puffs in order to make sure that the puffs is soaking in the water.

2. Then, add in all the seasoning and continue to simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the puffs are soft. Remove from heat and let tofu puffs soak in the liquid.

3. To assemble, drain tofu puffs and slit each piece into half. Open up each half along the cut edge to make a small pocket.

4. Take a small portion of sushi rice and form into oval shape, stuff into the tofu puff. You may moist your hands with vinegar and sugar mixture to prevent the rice from sticking on the hands. Line a piece of seaweed strip along the sushi.

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Chilled Tofu (Hiyayakko)
This dish is quite similar to my mom's cold dish . Instead of using garlic oil and light soya, this recipe is served with bonito flakes. This dish is really simple and you can really taste the tofu flavor. You do not really need any special skill to prepare this dish.

Ingredients
1 box of tofu (cotton tofu)
Some bonito flakes
2 stalks of spring onions (chopped)
some Japanese soy sauce (shoyu)

1. Divide tofu into 4 portions. Top with spring onions and some bonito flakes.
2. Drizzle some soy sauce over the top just before serving.

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Radish Steak (Daikon no suteeki)

Ingredients
1/2 radish
1 liter water
A handful of bonito flakes
1 tsp cooking oil
1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (shoyu)
sugar to taste


1. Peel radish skin. Cut radish into 1 inch thick circles.

2. Boil radish in rice water (from washing rice or add about a tablespoon of rice in the water) for about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse.

3. In a clean pot, boil 1 liter of water. Add in the bonito flakes and radish into the pot. Lower the heat and simmer until radish turns soft.

4. Remove radish from pot and pat-dry with paper towel.
5. Heat oil in a pan, pan-fry radish till lightly brown, add in soy sauce and some sugar to taste. Cook until sauce is reduced.

6. Transfer to serving places, garnish with spring onion and sprinkle some Furikake over the top. Serve warm. This dish is really nice and