Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook (23 page)

GENERAL TSO’S CHICKEN

WE LOVE CHINESE FOOD, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, IT’S HARD TO
come by good Chinese food where we live. So we began making our own. The downside to classic General Tso’s is that it tends to be too sweet, oversauced, and light on the broccoli. We wanted to transform the dish into something a little more balanced. This recipe utilizes the tastiest part of the chicken: the thighs. We usually buy family-size packages of free-range thighs, cut them up, and use the skins and the bones for the sauce and the meat for the dish. This recipe looks like a lot of work, but don’t let that deter you. Some of the steps can be done the day before, and all of them are relatively simple. All you’ll need for serving is some steamed rice.

SERVES 6

CHICKEN

3 large
egg whites

5 tablespoons 82 grams
tamari soy sauce

2 tablespoons 28 grams
rice vinegar

2½ pounds 1.2 kilograms bone-in, skin-on
chicken thighs
(8 to 10)

3⅓ cups 750 grams
water

1
star anise

1
cinnamon stick

½ ounce 15 grams peeled
fresh ginger

2 cups 224 grams
cornstarch,
for coating

Rice bran oil
or peanut oil, for frying

SAUCE

2 tablespoons 33 grams
tamari soy sauce

2 tablespoons 32 grams
pickled ginger juice
(from a jar of pickled ginger)

2 tablespoons 28 grams
rice vinegar

4 teaspoons 20 grams
hoisin sauce

4 teaspoons 24 grams
Meyer Lemon Marmalade
or orange marmalade

4 teaspoons 20 grams
sesame oil

2 teaspoons 10 grams
Sriracha sauce

1 teaspoon 2 grams
garlic powder

4 tablespoons 28 grams
cornstarch

1 bunch
broccoli,
cut into bite-size pieces

PREPARE THE CHICKEN:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg whites, 2 tablespoons (33 grams) of the tamari, and the vinegar and set the bowl beside your cutting board. Remove the skins from the chicken thighs and put them in the bowl of a pressure cooker. Use a sharp paring knife to remove the bones from each thigh, trimming away any small chunks of fat or bits of sinew; put the bones, fat, and sinew in the pressure cooker. Cut each piece of thigh meat into thirds and put them in the bowl of marinade. Cover the marinating thigh meat and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Add the water, remaining 3 tablespoons (49 grams) tamari, the star anise, cinnamon, and ginger to the pressure cooker and cook at high pressure for 30 minutes. Let the pressure dissipate naturally. Alternatively, you can combine the ingredients in a large pot set over medium heat. Bring it to a simmer and cook for 2 hours, skimming the top occasionally. Turn off the heat and let the broth cool to room temperature. Skim it and strain it through a fine-mesh sieve; discard the solids. Chill the broth, uncovered, in the refrigerator until completely cold, about 4 hours. You will need 2 cups (450 grams) for the sauce. The remaining broth can be covered and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Any fat that solidifies on top can be scraped off and stored in the refrigerator for cooking.

Put a baking sheet with a wire rack over it near the stove. Drain the marinade off the chicken and put the cornstarch in a medium bowl. Add a couple of pieces of chicken at a time to the cornstarch and coat them well. Shake off any excess cornstarch and put the thighs on a separate baking sheet. Repeat until all of the chicken is coated.

Pour 3 inches (8 cm) of oil into a pot and heat to 375°F (190°C). Working in batches, fry the chicken until golden brown and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the wire rack and let rest.

MAKE THE SAUCE:
In a large sauté pan or deep skillet, combine the reserved 2 cups (450 grams) chicken broth, tamari, pickled ginger juice, vinegar, hoisin sauce, marmalade, sesame oil, Sriracha sauce, garlic powder, and cornstarch and whisk to blend. Set the pan over medium-high heat and stir constantly until the mixture comes to a simmer and begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce has thickened and becomes glossy.

Meanwhile, microwave the broccoli for 4 to 5 minutes on high until it is just tender.

Add the chicken and broccoli to the sauce and toss gently to coat. Transfer to a large serving bowl and serve hot.

CHINESE SPARERIBS

THESE RIBS ARE WRAPPED IN LAYERS OF PARCHMENT AND FOIL
and then slow-roasted in a low oven until the meat falls off the bone. The moist heat yields incredibly succulent meat that is fork-tender and finger-licking good. What’s nice is that once you put the ribs in the oven you can pretty much forget about them, and a few hours later you will have a wonderful main course almost ready to go. These are delicious with
Kale Slaw
or
Lemon Roasted Potatoes
. The ginger
ketchup for the ribs is an Asian-style barbecue sauce, and leftovers are delicious on burgers, brushed onto grilled chicken legs, or anywhere else you enjoy using traditional barbecue sauce.

SERVES 4

RIBS

1½ teaspoons 9 grams
fine sea salt

1 teaspoon 4 grams
sugar

½ teaspoon 1 gram
garlic powder

¼ teaspoon 0.5 gram
ancho chile powder

¼ teaspoon 0.5 gram
ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon 0.5 gram
ground ginger

⅛ teaspoon 0.25 gram
ground cloves

⅛ teaspoon 0.25 gram
ground mace

1 tablespoon 16 grams
tamari soy sauce

1 full rack
St. Louis cut pork spareribs
(2½ pounds 1.150 kilograms)

GINGER KETCHUP

7½ tablespoons 105 grams
red wine vinegar

6½ tablespoons 105 grams
tamari soy sauce

7½ tablespoons 105 grams
balsamic vinegar

7 tablespoons 105 grams
pickled ginger

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons 300 grams
ketchup

PREPARE THE RIBS:
In a small bowl, combine the salt, sugar, garlic powder, chile powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, mace, and soy sauce and stir to combine. Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs and then use a pastry brush to apply the paste over the entire rack. Wrap the ribs in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

MAKE THE GINGER KETCHUP:
In a small saucepan, combine the red wine vinegar, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Bring the mixture to a simmer over low heat and cook until it has reduced by two-thirds, about 15 minutes. Pour the reduced syrup into a blender and add the pickled ginger with its juice and the ketchup. Turn the blender on low and increase the speed to high. Puree the mixture until it is smooth. Strain the ginger ketchup through a fine-mesh sieve, let cool, and reserve in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C).

Remove the ribs from the refrigerator and take off the plastic wrap. Lay the ribs on a piece of parchment paper, cover with another piece of parchment paper, and crimp the edges all the way around to form a closed package. Put the parchment-wrapped meat on a large piece of foil. Top the packet with another piece of foil and crimp the edges all the way around to seal the package. Put the ribs on a large baking sheet and bake for 4 hours.

Preheat the broiler.

Take the ribs out of the oven and let them rest for 10 minutes. Take them out of their packaging and transfer them, meat side up, to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Brush the ribs with an even layer of the ginger ketchup and broil 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) from the heat source for 5 minutes so that the ketchup caramelizes and the top of the ribs gets crispy.

Remove the pan from the oven and put the ribs on a cutting board. Use scissors to cut them into pairs or individual ribs and put them on a platter. Serve with ginger ketchup on the side.

SLOW-ROASTED
LAMB SHOULDER
WITH SMOKED RAISIN RELISH

LAMB SHOULDER IS PERCEIVED AS A TOUGH CUT OF MEAT,
but it can be very tender. We marinate it overnight and then slow-cook it in the oven until you can pull it apart with a fork. It takes an inexpensive cut of meat and turns it into a centerpiece for the table. Garnished with a tangy smoked raisin relish, this underutilized cut of meat becomes something to remember.

SERVES 8

SMOKED RAISIN RELISH

3 cups (10.6 ounces) 300 grams
large red raisins

2 cups 450 grams
white grape juice

1½ tablespoons 25 grams
honey

3½ tablespoons 50 grams
rice vinegar

½ teaspoon 3 grams
fine sea salt

LAMB SHOULDER

9 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon packed 125 grams
light
brown sugar

⅓ cup 75 grams
red wine

3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons 60 grams
tamari soy sauce

5 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons 35 grams
smoked paprika

2½ tablespoons 15 grams
ground cumin

2½ teaspoons 14.5 grams
fine sea salt

6 pounds 6 ounces 2.9 kilograms
lamb shoulder

MAKE THE SMOKED RAISIN RELISH:
Put the raisins in a pan that fits into a stovetop or outdoor
smoker
. Cold smoke for 1 hour.

In a bowl, combine the grape juice, honey, vinegar, and salt and stir to combine and dissolve the salt. Add the smoked raisins to the bowl and stir. Put the raisin mixture into a covered container and refrigerate for at least 2 days to hydrate the raisins and allow the flavors to blend. The relish will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

PREPARE THE LAMB SHOULDER
: In a large bowl (big enough to hold the lamb shoulder), combine the brown sugar, red wine, soy sauce, smoked paprika, cumin, and salt and whisk together into a loose paste. Put the lamb shoulder in the bowl and evenly coat it with the paste. Lay two sheets of plastic wrap, roughly twice the size of the lamb shoulder, overlapping on a countertop and put several spoonfuls of the paste in the center. Put the shoulder onto the plastic wrap, rib-bone side up, and then pour any remaining paste over the shoulder. Wrap the plastic around the shoulder. Repeat with a second layer of plastic around the shoulder to avoid any leaking. Put the shoulder into a baking dish and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C).

Unwrap the lamb shoulder and put it and any of the paste into a roasting pan. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and then foil. Put the shoulder into the oven and roast for 6 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and let the meat rest for 30 minutes.

Transfer the lamb shoulder to a cutting board and carve it. Serve with the smoked raisin relish.

BUTTER BURGER

WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND GRINDING YOUR OWN MEAT FOR
burgers, as the flavor and freshness of the meat is like nothing you can buy in a store. Butter may seem like an odd choice for a burger, but let’s think about this: Butter comes from milk, which comes from cows, and so you’re adding beef fat to your burger, just from a different source. We add onions to the mixture as well, grinding them with the meat, and as the burger cooks, the flavor of the onions permeates the meat, giving it an incredible savory flavor. We sear the burgers in a cast-iron skillet, which creates a crusty exterior that gives way to soft juicy meat inside. Contrary to popular belief, burgers cook more quickly and evenly if you flip them regularly, as long as you don’t press down on the meat as it cooks. Try cooking them this way and see if you don’t end up with a better burger. These are big messy burgers and that’s just the way we like them.