sesame oil
Chinese BBQ Pork
It’s called Char Siu. (Pronounced “Char Sue”) But we know it as Chinese BBQ Pork, and it’s of the most popular items on a Chinese Restaurant menu. I never thought of making it at home—it seemed complicated and intimidating. But when I finally decided to give it a try, I quickly found it is neither. It’s a fun, simple dish that ends up tasting exactly like the restaurant version! While it seems as though there are a lot of ingredients, it’s mostly inexpensive bottles of things like soy sauce, molasses, honey, rice wine vinegar—all things you can keep in your refrigerator so you can make this dish many times, which, I think you will! As far as the steps, it’s basically whisking the marinade ingredients, pouring it over the pork, refrigerating it overnight and then cooking it up! It’s that simple. The most important step is making sure you buy pork shoulder, as tenderloin is too lean. Char Siu may be your new favorite!
Watch my How To Video for Chinese BBQ Pork here!
Chinese BBQ Pork
Korean BBQ Tacos
One this is for sure about the American palate. Our taste buds love to travel to exotic places. They lingered on Chinese food for years; then, Italian, Mexican, Pacific Rim and most recently with the Thai food invasion. These days, our flavor buds have acquired an insatiable appetite for Korean food; in particular, Korean BBQ. Five years ago, the term Bulgogi (grilled thin-sliced marinated meat) would have been as foreign as the most remote village on the Korean Peninsula. But today, Bulgogi is the new Big Mac. There is a lot to satisfy the taste buds with Korean BBQ, and the simple ingredient and ease of cooking makes for a happy cook, too! Here, Korean BBQ finds itself tucked inside warm, charred tortillas, making for an East-Meets-Southwest delight!
Watch my HOW TO Video for Korean BBQ Tacos here!
Korean BBQ Tacos
Pot Stickers
The Story
It’s not very often that I am gifted a sensational recipe from an exquisitely talented master chef. In this case, it’s a chef who is an inductee into the American Academy of Chef’s Culinary Hall of Fame, and the man who started the culinary programs at both The Art Institute of Phoenix and The Art Institute of Tucson. Now retired, Chef Bill Sy still guest teaches Asian Cuisine at the Art Institute of Phoenix, and if you want to learn the art of making a perfect pot sticker, he’s the man. Fortunately for all of us, Chef Sy believes in passing along ancient Chinese secrets. I was lucky enough to watch him in action years ago, and I’ll never forget the authentic flavor of the pot stickers and his simple technique for mastering those billowy pockets of goodness. So here is the recipe, from the chef who has won the respect and reverence of his peers, and who believes that cultivating talent and passing on traditions is his lifelong duty. Make him proud!
