Hansik-Dwaeji Kalbi

Koreans are popular for their kalbi/galbi dishes.  Kalbi literally means ribs but the term kalbi is also commonly used to refer to grilled beef ribs.  When it's Dwaeji Kalbi, it's grilled pork ribs as dwaeji means pig.

I have chosen this recipe to try out as i hope to try out pork rib dishes from the selected countries alongside the Asian Food Fest blogging event.  The event is in its fifth country now and I have tried 2 so far, one from Thailand and Japan respectively and this is the third one.  I have missed out 2 where pork is not largely served as these are dominantly muslim countries.  Still, i am pretty sure there some dishes made with pork ribs by the non Muslims there, maybe, just maybe i will continue searching to complete the series.

The spicy version was my choice from a recipe found here.  It's a treasure chest there, lots of authentic Korean recipes, do hop over to check it out.  I like that there are apples added into the marinade. The results were very good, finger licking i must say (yes it's better to eat them with your fingers)!  So, if you are planning a surprise treat for your loved ones or having guest for dinner over a weekend, why not consider making this, it's pretty easy to make and you can work on other dishes when these ribs hit the oven. Pretty sure your guest will be impressed!

Doesn't it look good, looking at these pictures make me drool and want to make them again!

Recipe

Source: Korean Bapsang

Ingredients

• 5-7 pounds (2.25-3.18 kg) whole slab of baby back ribs (whole slab of pork ribs weighing around 2 kg)

Marinade

• 1/2 cup soy sauce (use 1/4 cup soy sauce for spicy version)
• 2/3 cup water (replace with 2/3 cup gojuchang for spicy version - i used 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup rice wine (or mirin)
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar (preferably dark brown)
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons grated ginger
• 1/2 medium onion, grated
• 1/2 medium sweet apple (Fuji, Gala, or Golden Delicious), grated
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Method

1. Prepare the ingredients for the marinade.  Mix all of the ingredients well.
2. Cut each slab of the ribs into two pieces for easier handling. Rinse the ribs and drain. Coat the ribs well with the marinade, and marinate them for at least six hours (preferably overnight). Turn them over once after half of the marinating time has passed. (I got the butcher's help to do the cutting)
3. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).  Line a baking pan with aluminium foil. Arrange the ribs, meat side down, in a baking pan.  Cover the baking pan tightly with aluminium foil. Bake them for 1.5 hours. (you can bake them 30 additional minutes if you want fall off the bones tenderness).  Remove the foil cover.
4. At this point, you can finish off the ribs by one of the following two steps:
1. Change the oven setting to broil and preheat for a few minutes. Then broil the ribs for 4 - 6 minutes on each side, or until the ribs are slightly charred, and the sauce is caramelized. Baste the ribs with the sauce while broiling.
2. Preheat the grill and grill the ribs over medium heat for 5 - 8 minutes on each side, or until the ribs are slightly charred and the sauce is caramelized. Baste the ribs with the sauce while grilling.

Note:

1. The ribs were tender enough for me after 1.5 hours
2. For step no. 4, i chose option 1.

As they say in Korean, Mashikeh-mogo (Bon Appetit)!

Watching Korean dramas, have taught me a thing or two about their table etiquettes and dining language, thanks to the English subtitles :)  Now, i am not sure how real is this practised but I particularly like this pair:

Credits to The Korean Way

Before Eating:
잘 먹겠습니다 - Jal moke get sum nida
Literally this means “I will eat very well,” but it implies “Thank you for preparing the food. I appreciate you preparing this food.”

After eating:      
잘 먹었습니다 - Jal moke got sum nida (The “got” is pronounced more like “go” with a “t.”)
Literally this means “I ate very well,” but again it implies “It was really good. Thank you so much for the food.”

Sweet ain't it?  Makes all the toiling in the kitchen worthy!

On a side note, let's keep the victims of the South Korean ferry tragedy, their loved ones and all those involved in the recovery mission in our prayers.  The sorrow of their loved ones are just beyond my imagination.  This year has not been too good huh, one big tragedy after another, sigh....

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest: Korea, hosted by Sharon of Feats of Feasts

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Brain Food, It Is??

A long time ago, my mum asked this colleague of hers who was an excellent Maths teacher the secrets of him being so brainy and that teacher revealed to her that his mum fed him with a lot of fish when he was young, actually he even specified that it was thread fin, probably salmon wasn't popular back then since they are imported! And yes from then on we saw a lot of fish in our diet!

What's your take, is fish brain food?  Some say yes and some say no.  But many researches have found that the high content of Omega-3 fatty acids in Salmons is good for the brain.  It helps the brain works better and improves memory besides protecting the nervous system from the deteriorating effects of aging.   Talking about the benefits of fish in our diet reminds me of the famous quote from Bruce the shark in Finding Nemo,  he said "Fish are friends, not food"... err i have to say sorry but i am stuck with what Mum drummed into my head :)

So, Salmon aka brain food was on the menu for lunch the other day and i wanted to try out a new way of making it.  Well, not totally new as i intended to bake it like always, probably just a new glaze/sauce.  I was wondering if there were any recipes out there for something orangey, a quick search found me landing on plenty! 

 

It was basically 3 main ingredients, honey, orange juice and soy sauce with minced garlic and ginger to rid some fishy smell.  It gave the fish a sweet and citrusy flavor which my son enjoyed very much but hubs and i decided we prefer the good old savory taste better (i.e. just olive oil, a little lemon juice plus salt and pepper).

Served it with jasmine rice, some grilled french beans and stir fried baby king oyster mushrooms.  A simple, healthy and wholesome meal :)

Recipe
Source: My Recipes

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup lite soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 4 (4-ounce) salmon fillets (2 salmon fillets around 14 ounce)
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Cook orange juice and next 4 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 1 minute; let cool slightly.
3. Reserve 2/3 cup marinade; transfer remaining marinade to a large shallow dish or zip-top plastic freezer bag; add salmon. Cover or seal, and chill 15 minutes. Remove salmon from marinade, discarding marinade. Place salmon in an aluminum foil-lined pan.
4. Bake at 375°F ((190°C) for 20 minutes or to desired degree of doneness.
5. Meanwhile, cook reserved marinade in a small saucepan over medium heat 5 minutes or until sauce is thick and syrupy.
6. Drizzle salmon with sauce, and sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds.

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs Up organised by and Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen from My little favourite DIY, hosted by Ann of Anncoo Journal.

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Oriental Easter Bunny

As Good Friday begins may,
Mercy, Peace and Love be yours in Abundance ~ Jude 1:2

Bunny shaped steamed buns (or Pao in Chinese) to give it an oriental Easter mood.  It doesn't look exactly like a bunny since the ears are a bit pointy, unfortunately :(

I have made these soft and fluffy steamed buns quite a few times already with this recipe from Wendy.   You can leave them empty but i chose to fill them with some peanut butter that i needed to finish off asap.  With medium high heat, you could get some flowy peanut butter in the buns but if it's too high or re-steamed it tends to dry out.  If you leave it empty you could even eat it with some savoury dishes.

I substituted shortening with oil this time around and based on the results i think it actually taste better with shortening.

Happy Easter!

Recipe 
Source : Table for 2 or more... (this is 1/2 the portion which gave me 16 buns of around 40g each)

Ingredients

• 250gm pau flour (cake flour)
• 125gm steamed orange sweet potato
• 50gm sugar
• 1/2 Tbsp double action baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 20gm shortening, melted (30ml vegetable oil)
• 6gm yeast 
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 75ml water (start with 75ml, it depends on how moist the sweet potatoes are, mine needed 100ml water)

Method

1. Proof yeast with 1/4 tsp sugar and water until it froths.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together. 
3. Knead in steamed sweet potatoes. 
4. Flour mixture will look crumbly. 
5. Pour in frothy yeast mixture and combine to form a dough. Knead until dough no longer sticky and turns smooth. 
6. Add more flour if it's too sticky or more water(by the teaspoon) if it's way too dry, (if unable to gather all the flour into a dough).  
7. When dough is smooth, knead in melted shortening, until dough no longer feels oily.
8. Leave to proof until double, about an hour.
9. Punch down and knead for another minute. Divide dough into 40gm pieces, and shape as preferred.   
10. Leave to proof until shaped bun doubles. 
11. Steam on high heat for 12-15 minutes. (10 minutes)

Notes

1. If like me, you are using a machine to knead, skip steps 1-7 but follow through step 6.  I used my breadmaker to knead the dough, I put everything in the recommended order, i.e. liquid (water, melted shortening), sugar, salt, followed by flour (sifted and mix with baking powder), mashed sweet potato and lastly yeast.  
2. To make bunnies, form dough into oval shape.  Flatten with a rolling pin then add in 1 tsp of filling if using.  Pinch and seal well.  Just before putting them to steam, use a pair of kitchen shears to make a cut for the ears.  Use a toothpick dipped with some red food gel to make 2 dots for the eyes. 

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Oats Undetected, Yeay!

This is one muffin that makes the cut as a healthy breakfast muffin.  Quite a loadful of healthy ingredients in there with fruits, nuts, wholemeal flour and rolled oats to help start the day on the right note.  Whenever i try out new recipes with oats, apart from excitement about the taste, i can't wait to know if it slipped by undetected by son ;-)

Although the recipe calls for wholemeal flour and rolled oats, it still turned out soft and moist.  And i am assuming it did slip by undetected because the only complaint my son had was too much nuts on top which he doesn't care much about too.  So, mums if you are also into oats hiding, you could give this recipe a try :)

This muffin also ended up with sweetness that was just nice for us after reducing 25g of sugar from the original recipe.  I think apples would work equally well for this recipe. 

Recipe

Reference: Smitten Kitchen who adapted from Whole Grain Mornings by Megan Gordon

Ingredients

• 2 small medium size pears (1 medium size Korean pear)
• 85 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 125g natural cane sugar, such as Turbinado, light brown or granulated sugar (100g)
• 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk (1 tbsp lemon juice plus milk to make up 240ml left aside for 5 minutes)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (75 grams) rolled oats
• 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (60 grams) whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (1/2 tsp mixed spice)
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (1/2 tsp)
• 1 cup (120 grams) toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped (100g pecans)
• 1/2 cup (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate chunks (optional) (80g)

Method

1. Heat oven to 425°F (215°C).  Butter a standard 12-cup muffin tin or line it with papers.
2. Peel and grate pear finely.  Use 1- 1 1/4 cups of it. Stir in melted butter, sugar, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the oats, flours, baking soda, baking powder, spices, salt, all but 1/2 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts, and chocolate chunks (if using). 
4. Gently fold this dry ingredient mixture into the wet batter until just combined; do not overmix.
5. Fill muffin cups almost up to the top and sprinkle with the reserved 1/2 cup hazelnuts. 
6. Place muffins in oven and immediately reduce the heat to 375°F (190°C). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of muffins comes out batter-free.
7. Cool muffins in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. 

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Hansik ~ Dakdoritang

It all started somewhere around the early 2000s and it's getting stronger by the day sweeping across the globe, so strong that most of us must have been hit one way or another...Hallyu or Korean wave that is what i am talking about.

Initially it was about the dramas, dramas like Winter Sonata then Dae Jang Geum (Jewel in the Palace) were so popular that you hear people talking about them all the time.   It's amazing how these dramas triggered the curiosity for many other aspects of the Korean culture, people wanted to try Korean food, follow Korean fashion, use Korean cosmetics, learn the Korean language, see the beautiful sceneries they saw in the dramas with their own eyes etc, etc, etc.  Even if the entertainment bit missed you, at one point or another you must have considered some Korean technology.

So which bit of the Korean wave hit you?   I didn't watch the 2 popular dramas but all the talk about it triggered enough curiosity to 'have' my own Winter Sonata there, we visited in winter and it was beautiful :)  It was also through this trip that we became more appreciative of their cuisine (known as Hansik in korean).  I always make it a point never to bring along our local food during holidays to foreign countries.  No instant noodles or sambal belacan to the rescue, this leaves us with no choice but to eat the local food there and learn to appreciate them.  It works and i have never regretted it so far :)

Then hubs got caught in the craze for Samsung smartphones after playing with 3 generations of Iphone.  Korea is fast becoming world leaders in cutting edge electronic products, the achievements that they have made are just amazing.

And the latest craze must have been this insanely popular Korean drama, My Love from the Star.  I couldn't help checking it out, some delicious eye candy they have there ;-D

Ok, now let's get to the food!  Asian Food Fest blogging event moves to Korea this month after Indonesia last month, so that's what all the Korean fuss was all about earlier on :)  I look around for a simple dish, something the ajummas (term used to address middle age married women) would make for their families.  Yup, i can see some of you smiling and i hear you saying 'This ajumma is looking for ajumma dishes to make lol!  And i found this chicken with potatoes stew dish.  Isn't it interesting that chicken and potatoes in a stew like dish is such a universal dish?  People around the world make them in their own unique ways, the Chinese makes them with oyster sauce, the Indians make curries out of them and in the West they are made with some herbs added into it.   For the Korean version it's the fermented hot pepper paste known as Gochujang that gave the stew it's unique taste.

There's an interesting story to this dish.  It is traditionally known as Dakdoritang which when translated means Chicken Chicken Stew.   Yes, you read it right, it's Chicken with an emphasis :)  Apparently Dak is Chicken in Korean and Dori or Tori is also Chicken but in Japanese.  This name is a lingering evidence of the Japanese occupation era there.   It is said this dish was renamed Dakbokkeumtang (where bokkeum means braised) to correct the misnomer and shed the Japanese influence in its name.

The recipe below is roughly half of the original recipe with some adaptation to suit our taste preference and slight changes in the cooking method.   Please click on the link for the original one.   You can either use the slow cook method or do it over the stove.  I did it over the stove as i didn't have enough time to allow slow cooking.

A comforting dish that goes very well with rice if you like spicy flavors.  I have reduced the amount of pepper paste to the level of intensity that is acceptable for the family.  So, the next time you are craving for chicken and potatoes, why not give this Korean version a try instead?

Recipe
Reference: Korean Bapsang

Ingredients

• 600g bone-in chicken parts, cut into small pieces (excess fat removed)
• 2 potatoes, cut into big chunks
• 1 carrot, cut into big chunks
• 1/4 large onion, cut into big chunks
• 3 plump garlic cloves, minced
• 2 - 3 thinly sliced ginger pieces
• 1 scallion, cut into 2-inch lengths

Sauce

• 1 tsp Korean red chili pepper flakes (gochugaru)
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine
• 1/2 tablespoon honey or corn syrup
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Korean red chili pepper paste (gochujang)
• Pinch of pepper

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil (omitted) 
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Slow cooker method

1. Place everything (except scallions, sesame oil and sesame seeds) into the slow cooker.  Mix well.
2. Cook on high heat for 4 hours.  Cook until chicken is tender.
3. Stir in scallions, sesame oil (if using) and sesame seeds before serving.

Over the stove method

1. Marinade chicken with sauce ingredients for 30 minutes.
2. Heat pot with a tablespoon of oil.  Add in garlic and ginger, stir fry until fragrant.
3. Add in chicken pieces and pan fry it until chicken turns opaque.  Add in potatoes and carrot and continue frying for 2-3 minutes.  
4. Pour in remaining marinade and add in 1 cup of water (enough to cover chicken).  Mix well and bring it to a boil.
5. Turn to low heat and allow it to simmer until chicken is tender and sauce is slightly thickened.
6. Stir in scallions and sesame seeds before serving.

As they say in Korean, Mashikeh-mogo (Bon Appetit)!

I leave you with some Korean Table Etiquette that I find interesting and vastly different from the Chinese.   Something good to know, as they say in Rome do like the Romans do?

First off, a little bit on the Korean set of eating utensils which i find unique.  A set of chopsticks and spoon, they are collectively known as Sujeo in Korean.  Sujeo is the portmanteau of the word sutgarak (숟가락, "spoon") and jeotgarak (젓가락, "chopsticks"). 

Unlike the Japanese and Chinese chopsticks which are mostly made of wood and bamboo (and plastic nowadays), the Korean ones are made of stainless steel.  Apart from that theirs are flat and rectangular while the others are cylindrical.  In terms of length the Korean ones are in between the Chinese and the Japanese with Chinese being the longest. Even the spoon looks very different from the ones the Chinese or Japanese use with their chopsticks, the Korean ones are long like the Western ones.  Ever wondered why?  Apparently the use of metal (and mostly stainless steel these days) started from the time when commoners wanted to emulate their kings who used  pure silver chopsticks as silver would tarnish if anyone attempted to poison the king’s food.  The other reason is that the Koreans find metal chopsticks more practical since they are more durable and easier to clean hence more hygienic when reuse.

And 3 Korean Chopstick Etiquette that are vastly different from what we Chinese practise.

#1 - The spoon is to be used for soups and rice.  Yes, eat rice with the spoon not chopsticks.

#2 - Never lift the rice bowl off the table!

#3 - Do not use both spoon and chopsticks simultaneously.  When you need to use your chopsticks, leave the spoon on the table

More in the next post maybe? ;-)

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest: Korea, hosted by Sharon of Feats of Feasts

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Anytime is Coffee Time

Did you miss your morning coffee?  Let's have it with some ribs over dinner :)  Weird? Somehow coffee and ribs does sound a little strange doesn't it?   They say it's a popular dish here and across the causeway.  I have read about it a couple of times but strangely i have not tasted it, i must have been going to the wrong places! Recently, i was reminded of this dish again when i saw it at Veronica's Kitchen.

Apparently this is a dish where the ribs are deep fried then coated with a coffee sauce.    This cooking method where ribs are deep fried then coated with many different type of sauces are quite popular in Chinese restaurants.  Probably because the deep frying part can be done in advance making it something that can be done in a jiffy.  It only involves a simple stir frying and coating with the sauce for the final touch.

It may sound simple but i never fancy doing the deep frying part for health reasons and the hassle of cleaning up after.  Health can't be a better excuse for laziness!  Instead of deep frying, i marinated the ribs with the sauce then pan fried them for some crisp bits (some cheat here to mimic deep fried ones) then braised it for awhile to make it tender. 

Coffee flavor did come through, thankfully!  I used Nescafe Cap Columbie which has a fruity flavor.   There's slight bitterness coming from the coffee with a mix of sweet sourish taste and a little spiciness coming from the chilli sauce blended into the meat. Ahh, quite a mouthful trying to describe it, but it does taste quite special, something worth giving a go if you are a coffee lover :)

Recipe
Inspiration: Veronica's Kitchen

Ingredients

• 500g pork ribs

Marinade

• 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp chilli sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp instant coffee powder with 1 tbsp hot water to dissolve coffee powder

Thickening

• 1 tbsp corn flour

Garnish

• Roasted sesame seeds
• Cucumber slices and strawberry halves 

Method

1. Mix pork ribs with marinade ingredients and set aside for an hour.
2. Heat a deep frying pan and add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the spareribs (without the marinade). Cook them over medium heat until all sides are brown.
3. Pour in remaining marinade and add water until just enough to cover the ribs.  Stir to mix well.
4. Simmer until ribs are fully cooked and tenderized.
5. Remove about 1 tablespoon of the sauce and allow it to cool.
6. Dissolve corn flour with the sauce that has been removed then pour it back into the pan to  thicken the sauce.
7. Garnish with some sesame seeds and serve hot.  Strawberries make a pretty garnish and went well with the sauce too.

Note:

1. I cooked everything in a pressure cooker that came with a stir fry function.  I stir fried it then allow it to simmer for 15 minutes before pressurizing it for 10 minutes.
2. The amount of coffee can be reduced according to preference and type of coffee used. 

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Stack It Your Way!

Watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution has in some way influenced my son's eating habits, in a good way that is which i am thankful.  I guess it's always much easier for stars to get a message across to these children than their nagging mums :)  He was shocked to know how much sugar went into flavored milk and what kind of meat was used to make burgers in some fast food joints.  

It was school holidays last week and son asked if he could have burgers on one of the days with homemade patties and buns. And preferably how Jamie Oliver would have made them, he added! Now look who's doing the challenging these days!

I followed what Jamie named as basic burger recipe, according to him it's possible to add in more herbs and spice once this basic recipe is mastered.  It's interesting to note that the recipe calls for cream crackers to give the patties a crunch.  I substituted with wholemeal crackers instead as i didn't have any of those.  Since the recipe calls for minimum seasoning, you taste the actual flavors from the beef instead.

As for the buns, i used a sweet bun recipe that i am familiar with. We stacked our burgers to our hearts content, lettuce, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, avocados and topped it with a grilled portobello mushroom with melted cheese on top :)

Suffice to say my young man had 3 of these in a row, mum had one though she wouldn't mind having another :)

Recipe - Patties

Source: JamieOliver.com

• 12 Jacob's cream crackers (Wholemeal crackers)
• 8 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 500 g quality minced beef
• 1 large free-range egg
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil

Method

1. Wrap the crackers in a tea towel and smash until fine, breaking up any big bits with your hands, and put them into a large bowl (Place crackers in a ziploc bag, press with hands and a rolling pin to smash them until fine).
2. Finely chop the parsley, including the stalks. Add the parsley, mustard, if using, and minced beef to the bowl. Crack in the egg and add a good pinch of salt and pepper.
3. With clean hands, scrunch and mix everything up well. Divide into 6 and pat and mould each piece into a roundish shape about 2cm thick. (Divided according to size of my buns, enough for 9 buns) 
4. Drizzle the patties with oil, put on a plate, cover and place in the fridge until needed (this helps them to firm up).
5. To fry patties, preheat a large griddle or frying pan for about 4 minutes on a high heat prior. Turn the heat down to medium.
6. Place the patties on the griddle or in the pan and use a spatula to lightly press down on them, making sure the patties are in full contact. Cook them to your liking for 3 or 4 minutes on each side.

Recipe for buns here.
Note: Reduced sugar to 40g.

To make hamburgers

1. Cut buns into half, spread on some butter and place on griddle for a 1 minute.  
2. Stack bun with a choice of lettuce, shredded carrot/cabbages, tomato slices, avocado slices and grilled portobellos.
3. Add on dressings like mayonnaise, mustard or tomato/chilli sauce if preferred.

I'm linking this post to Cook Like a Star, an event co-hosted by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce of Kitchen Flavours and Mich of Piece of Cake.

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