Category: Appetizer

Bao Buns (2 ways)

Print Recipe
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Ingredients
  

Bao Buns 1

  • 1 ½ cup flour
  • ⅔ cup powdered milk
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp yeast
  • 1 ¾ tbsp sugar
  • 1 ¾ tbsp vegetable oil
  • ½ cup water
  • 3 tbsp water

Bao Buns 2

  • ½ cup warm milk
  • 1 tbsp active dry yeast
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil

mix well, let sit for 5-10 minutes. In a separate bowl add:

  • 2 ½ cup a.p. flour
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Add wet ingredients, mix and knead for 3-4 minutes.
  • Form into ball, let triple in volume, about 2 hours.
  • Punch down dough, roll out, cut out circles (approx. 16).
  • Brush with oil, fold in half moon shapes.
  • Lightly roll/press each bao.
  • Line a steamer tray with parchment. Place bao on paper, cover, and let rise 30 minutes.
  • Steam for 8-10 minutes, and serve.

Notes

  • Char Siu pork, cilantro leaves, red chili, toasted rice powder.
  • Hoisin-glazed portobello, honey-kewpie-sriracha mayo.
  • Curry fried chicken katsu, pickled red onion, mint.
  • Spicy fried chicken katsu, cilantro, pickled cucumber, avocado, sesame seeds.

Basic Ramen Noodle Stock

Print Recipe
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Asian

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lb pork knuckles and rib bones, or pork butt
  • 2 lb chicken thighs
  • 1 ea onion, quartered
  • 1 ea leek, green part, chopped; or scallions
  • 1 oz ginger, about the size of a ping pong ball, sliced
  • ½ head garlic
  • 4 inch square of kombu
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Have a butcher crack the pork knuckles.
  • Hack the chicken thighs into 3-4 pieces.
  • Boil both for one minute in water. Drain & rinse. Clean the pot.
  • Return meat into the clean pot.
  • Add onion, leek, garlic, ginger and kombu.
  • Add water to cover by 1 inch, bring to a boil and simmer gently for 7 hours, adding water as needed to keep bones covered.
  • Strain stock through cheesecloth. Season with salt, let cool.

Notes

Soy Sauce flavored Ramen
Soy sauce, sweet simmered bamboo shoots, simmered pork slices, scallions, chukasoba noodles, roasted garlic paste, simmered pork broth.
Miso flavored Ramen
1 tbsp soybean miso
1 cup sweet white miso
2 tsp chili-bean sauce
Pinch of sansho pepper
2 cloves crushed garlic, sauteed in hot lard or vegetable oil for 5 minutes-set aside
Simmered pork slices
Simmered bamboo shoots
Nori sheets shredded into 2" lengths
Chukasoba noodles
Roasted garlic paste
Cilantro leaves

Chef Ken's Homemade Bacon

Print Recipe
Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Side Dish
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 5 lb Pork belly
  • 1 ¼ tsp Prague powder 5.7 grams
  • 5 tbsp Kosher salt
  • 5 tbsp Brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp Maple syrup + 1 tsp
  • 3 tbsp Black pepper, cracked + 1 tsp
  • 1 ½ tsp Red pepper crushed

Instructions
 

  • Prepare cure, combined all ingredients into a paste.
  • Place pork in a large zip lock bag, rub cure onto meat.
  • Seal the bag, and refrigerate for 7 days, turning once daily.
  • Remove from bag and rinse off cure & slimy build-up on exterior of pork.
  • Pat belly dry, place on wire rack over sheet pan, sprinkle with more black pepper, and leave on the rack, refrigerated for another 24 hours.
  • Develop the pellicle on the outside of the bacon.
  • Pre-heat smoker to 160-170℉. Use hickory, apple, or maple wood chips.
  • Place bacon on grill plate and smoke approximately 6 hours, or until 155℉.
  • Remove and chill bacon completely. Slice to purpose and cook.

Bacon Cured With Maple

Print Recipe
Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Side Dish
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup Kosher salt
  • 2 tsp Pink salt
  • ¼ cup Brown sugar
  • ¼ cup Maple syrup
  • 5 lb Pork belly

Instructions
 

  • Combine dried ingredients and maple syrup in a bowl. Mix well.
  • Rub pork, place in a zip lock bag and cure in refrigerator for 7 days.
  • Rinse and dry off, let sit uncovered, overnight.
  • Cook or smoke as purposed.