Homely Food

It’s almost summer, but isn’t there yet, chill is up in the air. So I decided a warm hearty soup is the best for this season. It’s made of pork ribs, carrots, potatoes and spring onion. Pork stock existence made a potentially thriving discussion on http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2008/03/why-isnt-there-pork-stock.html (God, how can you live your life now?). I’m not trying to be racist, but, I am set out to defend the right of pork in the stocking/ saucing/ broth list with this dish. 

This is how a proper pork stock is made:

Boil pork ribs with cold water. This has to be cold water, the bone will be easier to separate from the meat and the meat heat up gradually. Don’t skip! I repeat, DON’T!

Immediately when the water made bubbles and cream foams, drain and wash the ribs in tap water. This step is to eliminate all the strong ordour of the pork without letting all the juice out. Washing the ribs is  for the stock to be clear. (Now, if you want to make the stock only, you can put in cold water, spoon of salt, and boil again. I like to add onion roots if the ribs are still smelly, but let’s hope yours won’t. )

If you want to make my dish (serve with rice):

Instead of boiling the meat immediately, you season the meat with salt, pinch of pepper and tiny amount of garlic powder (if you don’t have garlic powder forget it). Set aside.

Now bring the carrot to a boil (cold water, remember?), then add the potatoes. Add salt. Wait for 2 minutes then add the meat. Take out all creamy foams as it develops, then lower the heat to simmering. 

Go read a book, 

or add chopped tomatoes in for the look

Haft an hour later come back and add chopped spring onions.

Tadaaaaa! 

*My 1st follower told me to play with photoshop for a better picture effect, so I did, hope it doesn’t make you feel like eating alien’s food, lol. BTW, it’s Asian, I don’t invent it sorry

Start fresh a day with a salad. Great for diet. Green bean salad with stripes of beef and almond flakes.

The original is made from Holland beans (http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRifYqIccSERug8spPK6Z-vtAFXfPYOsRvseiD6B9y124Uopx48bMUtqRDwhw), and sesame seeds. It does taste better with Holland bean and sesame seeds. Nevertheless, what kind of self-taught cook are you if you can’t make pact with the market? Really. We have no Holland bean so green bean it is now :D.

If you are vegan, forget the beef and try to find the sesame instead of almond. I like it that way better, lighter taste

Take the ready made dry beef out and tear it to stripes. If you don’t have it, marinate a piece of beef with Chinese 5 spices, peppers, garlic powder, salt for 15 minutes

Now wash the bean, put in the the sauce pan with cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Immediately when it’s boiled open the lid.

Taste it (this is why my family always wonder how the food does not measure up to the ingredients I bought, lol. A cook’s power)

It’s done when it’s still crisp and does not taste raw. If you don’t know how, just break open it. If you can break open it easily and the inside has darker colour than before you cook, that’s a hint it’s cooked.

Drain the bean. Rinse in cold water, pat dry. 

Ok, so the bean is ready, now boil the beef, or pour some water in the beef, covered and put in the microwave. When it’s done, wait for it to cool down then stripe it. 

Take the almond flake out.

Now combine the bean and the beef in a bowl. Mix olive oil, sugar, rice vinegar and salt. I think sesame oil would be good, but I didn’t have sesame oil so I think it’s OK not to have it, I’m not sure how it would goes with the almond. The trick is to make the mixture as you want to taste the original, just be mindful of the salt if you over-salted the beef or the bean before. Pour the mixture in and toss the whole thing, sprinkle with almond flakes. Done. It’s lovely to eat with crackers