Velveted pork with peanut sauce on a bed of fingerbang rice with a side of pickled cucumber.
1 hour. Can I do it?
Fingerbang Rice – rinse until the water runs clear. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the rice plus 1 finger knuckle.
Stir in 1 tsp salt.
Bring to a boil, stir to make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom, reduce to a simmer, cover, let cook 25-30 minutes. Perfect every time.
pickled cucumber salad
Wash, cut ends of 2 large cucumbers (English are best)
peel strips off the skin
mandolin / thinly slice
same with small red onion – optional
Place all in a jar with:
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp dill
- 1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- If pickling like this for longer, ball up a plug of parchment paper to keep everything submerged
refrigerate 1-2 hours (min 30 mins)
Velveted Pork Chops
In a bowl, mix
- 1 tsp baking soda + 1 tbsp cornstarch / lb of pork
- can use 1/4 cup soy / Worcestershire, or mix / lb
Trim bone and any excess fat.
Cut into 1/2″ strips – cut across the grain.
Place in marinade, mix well, until coated
Let sit min 30 mins (overnight is best – but let come to room temp if chilled for more than 2 hours)
Blanch in simmering water 1 min – until pork turns white, or sear in oiled pan 1 min per side.
– should be 90% cooked
At this point, the pork can throw in a stir fry for 2-4 mins, or breaded and deep-fried until golden brown.
I’m going to press these into corn starch, dip in egg wash, press firmly into panko flakes, and deep fry in small batches for 2-4 minutes – until the panko turns a medium golden brown.
peanut butter sauce
1″ peeled and coarsely-minced ginger
1 coarsely-minced garlic clove
1/3 cup hot water (careful when blending hot water because the contents will want to explode – keep the vent open)
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp lime (lemon works)
1-3 tsp sugar (brown is better, so I’m adding 1/2 tsp molasses)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
With the motor running, add ingredients in order, and blend until smooth – add stuff to taste.
Some folks love the PB, thick paste, or thin sauce. This is just the outline so make it your own.
If the sauce is too thick, slowly add very hot water. It’s amazing how much liquid pb can absorb
Optional – add chopped peanuts, or sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the plated meal.
If I feel extra energetic, I might quickly blanch and chill some broccoli florets – boil for 2-3 minutes, then quickly dunk in a batch of ice-cold water. I’ll be rolling these on some paper towel so they’re not wet. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle some salt, om nom nom.
I’m not steaming the broccoli because I just saw my bamboo steamer’s kind of broken.
Build order – since we’re all gamers.
- Wash the rice -> put it on heat.
- Pickle the cucumbers -> in fridge
- Prep marinade
- Get small pot of water for broccoli on the stove
- Trim pork, marinade -> in fridge
- Blanch broccoli
- Blend up the sauce
- Bread the pork
- Blanch/quickfry the pork, remove to paper towel
- Add more oil to pan, bring to 375F
- Fry pork, remove to paper towel
- Plate and serve