Last week, I had the most dissatisfying ribs at Citizen Cake.  Tough, and dry, and  crazy numbing and pungent spice only on the surface.  I should have know not to order any thing else but dessert there….let them eat cake should be Ms. Falkner’s mantra, too.

Ribs should be succulent, yet easily fall off the bone. The meat should be well flavored all the way to the bone.  I came home and made this simple Wuxi ribs, and felt a lot better after that.

Chef’s tip: In Japantown, you can get some paper sponge that you place on top of the sauce to soak up the excess oil.  It’s super handy and saves you the time in chilling the sauce.  This dish also works well in a slow pot.

1 rack pork ribs about 2 pounds, cut into smaller 3 inch riblets, or country-style ribs
5 slices ginger
3 whole scallions
1/4 cup black Zhejiang vinegar (sub: balsamic)
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
1 small stick cinnamon
1 piece whole star anise
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup water

Preparing ribs:
1. Cut the ribs into 4 pieces lengthwise about 3 inches in length, then cut into smaller pieces along each rib.  (Ask butcher to do this).
2. In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil, drop in ribs, and bring to a boil again. Drain and rinse off scum from ribs in cold water.  Drain well.
Cooking the ribs:
3. Place ginger and scallions in a 6-quart dutch oven over high heat.
4. Add prepared ribs.  Add vinegar, soy sauce, cinnamon, star anise, sugar, salt and water. Bring to a boil.
5. Turn flame to medium low and cover.  Cook for 1 hour, then remove ribs.  Alternatively, place the covered dutch oven into an oven 350F for an hour.
6. Remove ribs and keep covered.  Chill sauce to solidify fat and remove fat, or blot the fat with towels.
7. Bring sauce back to a boil and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until the sauce is reduced by half.  Add in ribs and heat through.  Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Serves: 4

Tags: Chinese.

One can all this delicious vegan appetizer an an open-faced samosa.  Essentially, it has all the goodness of the samosa without the deep fry and work.  Crunchy eggless wonton skins, brushed with mustard oil and baked till golden brown filled with spicy potato curry and topped with a savory granola reminiscent of the South Indian snack, muruku.

The North Indian-style aloo masala curry recipe itself is originally from my friend, Sabah Akhtar, who taught me how to make the curry using the pressure cooker — apparently a lot of Indian folks do that these days!  Totally cuts down on the time one needs to whip out a good curry.  Her potato curry is full of fresh flavors as she folds in a bunch of fresh herbs at the end.  I adjusted the recipe a little to give it more spice and kick, but it’s pretty much her recipe!  You can skip the cups and granola and just make this hearty curry as an entree.

Chef’s tip:  Panch phoran is a Bengali five whole seed blend of fennel, cumin, nigella (onion seeds), fenugreek and yellow mustard in equal proportions.  You can mix them yourself or buy them pre-blended at most indian grocery stores.  Sabah also adds an eggplant to the curry (at the same time you add the tomatoes) and it gives it a richer, more complex flavor.

Wonton Cups:
24 wonton skin, eggless if vegan
1/2 cup mustard oil

1. Brush skins with mustard oil and press into mini muffin cups.
2. Bake in 360F oven till golden, about 7 minutes. Let cool.

Aloo Masala:
2 Tablespoons mustard oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons panch phoran mix
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 small yellow onion, finely minced
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 serrano, seeded, minced
3 large russett potatoes, half inch diced
2 tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup water

1 cup peas
3/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 cup dill, chopped

1. Heat a pressure cooker under medium heat.  When hot, add mustard oil, follwoed by panch phoran mix and red pepper flakes.  Fry till spices pop.
2. Add  onion and saute under low heat for 10 mins, add ginger, garlic and serrano.  Saute for another 5 min.
3. Add potatoes and stir to coat.  Add salt, tomatoes and water.  Bring to boil.
4. When boiling, close lid and bring pressure  to the first red ring  over medium heat.  Adjust heat to stabilize at first ring and cook for 4 minutes.  Release pressure using cold water release method.
5. Remove lid, add peas and  cook till desired doneness.
6. Remove from heat and gently fold in chopped cilantro and dill.

Savory Granola:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup wheat flakes
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup cashews
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 cup canola oil
1/8 cup water

1. Mix all the ingredients together and bake in 325F oven till golden brown.

Assemble:
Spoon a heaping tablespoon of aloo masala into the prepared cups, and top with savory granola.

Tags: curry, finger foods, Indian, street foods, vegan, Vegetarian.

Whenever in Shanghai, I must have xiao long bao,  Or whenever it is on any menu!  Din Tai Fung, a Shanghainese, or maybe Taiwanese chain, is able to make a fast food production out of making these delicate soup dumplings.  It is fascinating watching their staff fold these dumplings so swiftly.  One would think they pay their staff based on how fast they can churn out these dumplings.

Chef’s tip: The trick to getting the soup in the middle is by gelling up some aspic with the filling, so when you steam it, the aspic melts to become a soup.

Soup:
1 lb chicken wings tip
3 cups water
2 oz Hunan smoked pork, whole
1 stalk green onions, cut into 3 inch lengths
3 slices ginger
1 Tablespoon Chinese rice wine

Dough:
½ cup high protein/ bread flour
¼ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup + 1 Tablespoon (or more) boiling water
1 teaspoon canola oil

Filling:
1 Tablespoon green onions, white part, very finely minced
1 Tablespoon ginger juice, from 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon Chinese rice wine
½ Tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
8 oz ground pork

Napa cabbage leaves or parchment paper

Sauce:
¼ cup red wine vinegar + 2 Tablespoon water
5 slices ginger, julienned

Preparing the soup

1.     Place all ingredients in a pot. Bring to boil and gently simmer till stock has reduced into half. Cool.
2.    Remove solids and pass the soup through a sieve into a wet pan.  Chill.
3.     When soup has gelled, scrape it up and break it up with a fork.  Set aside in the refrigerator.
Preparing the dough.
4.     Combine the 2 flour together. Form a well in the center. Gradually add the boiling water, stirring until a ball forms.  Cool a little, while still warm, stir in the oil.  Transfer to a lightly floured board and knead for a few minutes until soft and smooth.  Wrap in plastic and let rest for 1 hour.
5.     Divide the dough into 2 balls. Roll each piece of dough into a 1 inch cylinder.  Cut each cylinder into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. You should have about 24 pieces. Cover as you work.
Preparing the filling
6.     Mix all the ingredients together.  Add in the crushed stock.  Gently mix together.
Making the dumpling
7.     Take a dough portion, work into a round ball, flatten it into a 2 1/2 inch round with a rolling pin.  Make a well in the center and place 1 tablespoon of filling, pat it into a mound, leaving a ¾ inch edge around.  Carefully pull up the dough edge with your right thumb and index finger to make the first pleat, while your left thumb centers the filling.  Next, gather the edge of the wrapper with your left index fingers and start to make the subsequent pleats, while your right thumb and index fingers seal the pleats that are formed.  Aim to make 18 pleats per dumpling. Pinch the top together and give it a twist to seal.  Peel off any extra dough at the top.  Placed onto a steamer that is lined with cabbage leaves.
8.     Steam over simmering water for 8 minutes or until the dumplings are translucent.
Preparing the dipping sauce:
9.     While dumplings are steaming, julienne ginger, and mix with red wine vinegar and water.  Serve with dumplings.

Serves: 4

Tags: Chinese, dim sum, Shanghainese.