Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 17:50:42 GMT Server: NCSA/1.4.2 Content-type: text/html Last-modified: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 10:44:59 GMT Content-length: 6013 Pai's Recipes

Pai's Recipes


These are two of my most popular recipes. If I can't find a job after I get my degree, maybe I'll open a restaurant and sell these dishes.

Stir-fried Taiwanese Rice Sticks
¥xÆWª£¦Ì¯» (pronounced [-tsa -vee \hoon ])

Rice sticks are thin noodles made with rice. I use the term rice sticks as opposed to rice noodles because not only do the packages say so, but it's more specific. You could try fatter rice noodles with this recipe but I don't think they would taste as good.

Warning: This dish is very difficult to cook! But the result will be highly rewarding.

Ingredients:

Note: most ingredients are optional.

Steps:

  1. Slice the pork into thin 1-inch strips. Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce and a few drops of sesame oil. Mix well and marinate for at least 30 minutes, but preferably several hours or overnight. Optionally add a teaspoon black vinegar.
  2. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water for a few hours and slice. Marinate with 1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce, 3 teaspoons of corn starch, and a few drops of sesame oil.
  3. Slice the celery and carrots into thin 1-2 inch sticks.
  4. If you are using a non-stick pot or wok for stir-frying, then soak the rice sticks in cold water until they turn soft and drain the water. (between 5-10 minutes)

    If you are using a sticky pot or wok for stir-frying, then soak the rice sticks in the hot water (note: do not boil the rice sticks!) until the rice sticks become soft. The actual time depends on specific type of rice sticks, and is around 3 minutes.

  5. Stir-fry the mushrooms in medium heat with 3 tablespoons of oil for 5 minutes. Note: heat up the pan before adding oil, and add the mushrooms immediately so that the oil does not burn. Remove the mushrooms. Stir-fry the pork for 1 minute. Mix 1 tablespoon of corn starch with 2-3 tablespoons of soy sauce, pour over the pork, and continue stir-frying for 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms back in and mix.
  6. Remove the pork and the mushrooms from the pot, but keep the liquid in the pot. Add the rice sticks and mix so that the rice sticks acquire the color of the soy sauce evenly. Add the carrot and celery sticks and mix well.

    If you are using a non-stick pot/wok and soaked the rice sticks in hot water, then you need to start stir-frying the rice sticks as soon as they turn soft; stir-fry them for 5-10 minutes. But if you have a sticky pot/wok and soaked the rice sticks in cold water, then you don't have to cook them right way, but it takes longer (10-15 minutes) to stir-fry.

  7. Before serving, add some ground pepper and fresh cilantro. Add slices of an omlet and serve.
Remarks: This dish is difficult because of the delicate nature of the rice sticks. It requires precise timing. The rice sticks should not be greasy or too moist, and should not break into pieces on contact (overcooked).

BBQ Beef Skewers

Ingredients Marinate:

Secret Ingredients

Steps

  1. Slice the beef into 1/8"-thick by 1"-wide strips before marinating.
  2. To make the marinate, crush the garlic with a knife and remove the skin. Cut the green onions into about 3" long and slice lengthwise. Mix the rest of the ingredients well with the meat and let it sit overnight in the fridge (minimum 4 hours). If you let it sit too long (2 days) it can get too salty.

    You can also try orange juice or lemon juice but I like pineapple juice the best. Grape juice doesn't work too well though.

  3. Load the skewers with beef, maybe interleaved with other vegetables, within 30 minutes prior to grilling. Grill for 3 minutes, turn over for and other 2-3 minutes, and it should be ready to eat.

Alternative Serving Suggestions

You can eat the meat directly off the skewers, or toss in salad. If you have any leftover raw beef that's alraedy marinated (extremely unlikely), you can actually pan fry the beef without oil for 5 minutes. You can pour the juice over salad and mix with some wasabi. If a beef slice is too large then you can cut it into smaller strips.
Last updated Tue Aug 27 21:08:22 PDT 1996
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