Thursday, August 25, 2011

Tomato-Braised Oxtail Pasta

Oxtail is one of my favorite cuts of beef. It's still called oxtail, though it no longer refers specifically to the tail of an ox, but all cattle. When you slow cook it, in soup or by braising, the meat becomes extremely tender (and flavorful, being so bony), with delicious melty gelatin.

Braised Ox Tail Pasta

If you've never had oxtail, give it a try. If you've only had it in soup, try braising it. Typically I braise oxtail Chinese style, with soy sauce as the base. But it's equally delicious using a more Mediterranean method, such as the one I'm sharing here.

When you purchase oxtail at the grocery store, it'll usually come pre-cut into several chunks, in roughly 2-pound packages. Select packages that have meatier chunks, with fewer small-boned pieces. The muscle should look as all good beef cuts look -- a nice red, not pink or dark or spotted. If you're in an Asian grocery store, the oxtail will sometimes be available whole; have the butcher cut one tail into pieces for you.

Braised Ox Tail Pasta

This is a good dish to prepare ahead of time, because the flavors only improve with time, and keeping it in the fridge overnight makes fat removal easier.

Tomato-Braised Oxtail Pasta (a variation on Pioneer Woman's Short Ribs in Tomato Sauce recipe)

Ingredients
  • 2 lbs ox tail, cut into pieces
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 28oz can whole tomatoes
  • 1 14oz can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp thyme
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
  2. Generously season the oxtail pieces with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the oxtail, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
  3. Toss the garlic and onions into the pot. Cook, stirring, for two minutes, then add tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, wine, red pepper flakes, and thyme. Combine.
  4. Carefully place the oxtail back into the pot, covering the pieces with as much of the sauce as possible. Cover the pot and place it onto the middle rack in the oven. Cook for about 4 hours, at which time the meat should be very tender and will separate from the bone at the slightest provocation.  Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.
  5. If you're ready to serve, use a spoon to remove as much of the accumulated oil as possible (one of those fat separators might also work). Or you can remove the oxtail from the pot, place them in a separate container, and refrigerate. Do the same with the pot of sauce, though you can keep the sauce in the same pot. After a few hours, the fat will be hardened and easily removed. Then reheat the sauce with the saved oxtail in it.
  6. Serve over your favorite long pasta, with chopped fresh parsley to garnish if you desire, and parmesan cheese.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Chinese-Style Sweet Pork Jerky

I never thought the day would come when I'd make my own sweet pork jerky, a favorite treat of mine growing up. Well, my friends, that day has come. And once again, it was SO MUCH EASIER than I thought it would be.

Sweet Pork Jerky

Sweet pork jerky, made in thin sheets, is a popular snack food in Chinese culture. In Cantonese my parents called it "ju yok gon" (literally, "pig meat dried"). In Hokkien, it's known as "bak kwa." There's also a beef version, but I like pork better. And with pork, there are two variations, one made from slicing off solid blocks of meat, and one made from minced meat. I like them both, though the latter is easier to prepare at home, and is also easier on your teeth.

Sweet Pork Jerky

The recipe calls for finely ground granulated sugar, which I grind up in a coffee bean grinder (but not for too long, or the heat will make the sugar melt!) that I reserve for such use. You can also use Baker's Sugar if you have that lying around or don't mind buying it. This ultra-fine sugar dissolves easily.

Sweet Pork Jerky

One thing I've found with homemade pork jerky is that once I've stored it in the fridge (which I have to do, because I can't and shouldn't eat an entire batch in one go), a very slight layer of fat from the meat appears on the jerky, hardening in the cold and making it lose its customary shine. This is solved by reheating, either in the microwave or the toaster oven. Commercial pork jerky doesn't seem to have this problem, but I assume it's due to additives/preservatives. It helps to pat down the jerky with some paper towels after it's done to soak up excess grease (as you would pizza), but it's not foolproof.

Obviously the solution is to have your family and friends enjoy the jerky fresh. They'll be amazed!

Sweet Pork Jerky


Chinese-Style Sweet Pork Jerky

Ingredients
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1/2 cup finely ground granulated sugar (Baker's Sugar)
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice wine
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • 4 drops of red food coloring (optional)
Method
  1. Combine marinade ingredients (all except the pork) in a medium bowl or large freezer bag and mix well.
  2. Add the ground pork, mix it well with your hands or a wooden spoon, and let it marinate overnight (or at least 4 hours).
  3. Preheat the oven to 200°F.
  4. Using canola oil spray, lightly grease an 11 x 17" baking sheet.
  5. Spread the pork mixture onto the sheet as thinly as possible. You should be able to cover the entire sheet.
  6. Place the sheet in the oven on the middle rack. Close the oven door, but leave it slightly ajar -- you can close the door on a wooden spoon, for example. This will allow the steam from the meat to escape, drying it out. Cook for an hour.
  7. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and prep your broiler -- set it to "high" or about 450°F.
  8. Meanwhile, carefully lift the pork up off the sheet and flip it over -- the top of the jerky will appear drier than the bottom, so we want to give the bottom a chance to dry out as well.
  9. Place the sheet under the broiler and broil for about 4 minutes, until the meat just starts to blacken around the edges (or if you don't like the char, as I do, watch it carefully after every minute). The meat should look shiny.
  10. Remove the sheet from the broiler, carefully flip the jerky over again, then broil another 4 minutes (or to your preference) on the other side.
  11. Using tongs, place the jerky onto a wire rack to cool, using a pan or towels below it to catch drippings. If you desire, you can use paper towels to blot out extra grease.
  12. When completely cool, use kitchen shears to cut the jerky into desired shapes. Keep uneaten portion in the fridge.