Last week R and I had an argument, I’m not going to go into the details, in fact there are no real details other than it was over food. Yes vie mentioned this quarrelsome habit of ours before, most of the time the seas of a young married couple are calm and still that is until a violently dark food induced storm starts to build and manifest into a devastating tsunami. I’m on the verge of blogging a ten page document to inform you of all of the ins and outs of our most recent altercation then leaving it open for you all to decide and comment on who was right and who was wrong, but deep down I know that is morally wrong on so many levels.
So with the brief moan out of the way I shall begin …
Which animal category do you fit in – Tiger? Horse? Monkey? Sheep? Much to my dearest sisters delight I fall heavily into the rodent group, rat face was regularly used in place of my name when we were much younger than we are today, I even vividly recall her having it painted on to an Easter egg which she then gave me as a gift (I thought it was a peace offering until I read the large bold white chocolate painted letters graffitied across the front of my once perfectly formed Thornton’s egg).
No I’m not talking about which animal you most resemble (although it’s taken me 10 years to convince myself that I’m not remotely rat – like thanks to my darling sibling) I’m talking about the animals that represent your Chinese zodiac sign.
On the 23rd January 2012 we entered into the year of the dragon, apparently new business ventures, fresh beginnings and big projects undertaken this year will prosper and financially succeed.
The dragon is a known as a karmic animal which gives out happiness and positive energy to all those who have dispensed their own stashes of feel – good spirit out on others.
Eyes tensely shut I revised this to myself through gritted teeth as I was trying to convince my traditionalist husband that a home cooked pre Chinese new year meal was a worthy alternative to the repetitive Sunday roast we were always bound by law to have.
Already had he quite fiercely gained victory over one food based battle this week which made me all the more determined to stick to my chopsticks and not let my wok get bombarded out of the kitchen by our ever faithful cast iron roasting tin?
In a underhanded attack I brought out the big guns and gave him a glimpse of the rump steak and the largely meaty belly pork strips I had purchased from the renowned butcher H.Clewlow in our local town and gave him a M&S TV advert style description on what would be awaiting him later that evening (in my lowest trying to sound sexy voice), ‘Tender silky strips of heavenly Bordeaux tinged rump steak which have been stimulated and gently aroused by a luxurious dark and intense oyster sauce, voluptuous chunks of belly pork smothered by a rich and smoky sauce. This isn’t just any Chinese meal, this is my Chinese meal.
He willingly succumbed to the tantalising temptations that the dish’s had to offer and seeing as though I had ( ever so slightly ) bigged them up and given the fact that my husband was willing to forgo his weekly fix of a Sunday roast, the pressure was starting to mount . Even if I messed up on a miniscule scale never again would my foodie alternatives for a Sunday ever be considered, any varied food based twinkle in my eye would soon be stomped out and I would be heavily reminded of the time in which I attempted to rewrite history by serving up a unpalatable, over salted Chinese banquet in place of the long established habitually faithful meal of meat and two veg.
Needless to say no buttery golden roast chicken, nor no quivering rarely roasted rib of beef was mentioned or even whimpered for, for that I think I will take note from the karmic dragon and next Sunday dispense a little of my own kismet karma and give my acquiesce – like cooperative husband a roast dinner to master all other roast dinners (just don’t tell him as he’ll think I’ve gone soft!).
Beef and mushrooms in oyster sauce
1 large – ish piece of quality rump steak
2 tbls oyster sauce
2 tsp cornflour
Sesame oil or vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
A small piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated (optional)
A good handful of mushrooms, finely sliced
A small bunch of spring onions
125ml good chicken stock
Start by placing your beef in a freezer bag or in-between two pieces of cling film and give it a gentle bashing with a rolling pin ( this is no time to take out your daily frustrations on the poor defenceless piece of beef ), I find it helps to tenderise the beef a little and make it all the more succulent.
Put the oyster sauce, garlic, ginger and cornflour in a dish and mix well until it is smooth.
Going against the grain of the meat cut the steak up into thin slices and add it to the oyster sauce mixture and mix in gently. Set aside to marinate for around 15 minutes.
Heat about 2 tbls of oil in a wok or a deep frying pan, once starting to smoke add the marinated steak and stir fry for around 2 – 3 minutes until the meat is browned and medium done.
Add the mushrooms, spring onions and the chicken stock and stir well, cook for a further 2 minutes then serve with egg fried rice or noodles and beansprouts.
Char Siu Pork Belly
An appropriate amount of thick belly strips – look for those with an even distribution of fat
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp honey
Marinade (enough for 4 strips of belly pork) -
100ml hoisin sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine
1 tsp sesame oil
Preheat your oven to 200oc.
Make sure your pork belly strips are nice and dry by wiping them over with a paper towel.
Coat reservedly with olive oil and rub in some salt and pepper, place the strips on a rack which sits carefully over a roasting tray.
Just before they go into the oven place a couple of centimetres of boiling water at the bottom of your roasting tin then place in the oven and cook for 30 mins.
Whilst your pork is in the oven combine all of the marinade ingredients and mix well.
After half an hour take the pork out of the oven and lower the temperature to 180oc.
Take the rack off and drain all of the excess water and fat out of your roasting tin. Cover your pork strips in the marinade, place in your roasting tin and return to the oven for a further 30 – 40 mins, basting occasionally. Once cooked slice into big man sized chunks, if you have any leftover marinade simply heat up in a saucepan then smother the belly pork chunks when warm.
Serve with rice, noodles or freshly steamed spring greens.
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