The Shun Lee Cookbook - Michael Tong [14]
Some of these “small plate” dishes belong to the dim sum family. These charming bite-sized morsels (dim sum means “to touch the heart”) originated in Canton as foods to go with breakfast and lunchtime tea, although they are now consumed all over the world, in either authentic or fusion form. Hong Kong has become the city best known for its dim sum, and dim sum emporiums there are open from the crack of dawn to late afternoon to handle the demand before and after lunch.
IN CANTON AND HONG KONG, chefs traditionally barbecued duck, goose, and pork, but it wasn’t until Cantonese chefs opened restaurants in the United States in the early 1920s that they began to barbecue spareribs to appeal to their American customers. “Barbecued” may not be the proper term, as that means slow-cooked, smoke-infused meat, and these ribs are roasted in an oven. By roasting the ribs on a rack over water, the steam prevents the fat dripping off the ribs from smoking. Makes 4 servings
Barbecued Spareribs
One 2 ½-pound rack spareribs
Scant ¾ cup ketchup
⅓ cup sugar
Two 1-inch cubes red fermented bean curd, drained and mashed, optional
2 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons ground bean sauce
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon peeled and minced garlic
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon five-spice powder
2 tablespoons honey
1. Lightly score the meaty part of the ribs in a 1-inch diamond pattern. Turn the rack over and nick the membrane at the edge of the rack. Holding the membrane with a kitchen towel, pull it off the bones. Place the ribs in a dish or pan large enough to hold them in a flat layer, and set it aside.
2. Whisk the ketchup, sugar, red fermented bean curd if using, rice wine, bean sauce, egg, garlic, baking soda, salt, five-spice powder, and 1 tablespoon of the honey in a medium bowl until smooth (the baking soda, which is used as a tenderizer, will make the sauce foam). Pour the sauce over the ribs. Using a rubber spatula, rub the sauce into both sides of the ribs. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour, turning the ribs after 30 minutes.
3. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450°F. Place a broiler rack inside a broiler pan or large roasting pan. Oil the broiler rack and fill the pan with ½ inch of water. Arrange the ribs on the rack, meaty side up, reserving the sauce left in the dish. Roast until the top begins to darken to medium red-brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the ribs over and spread with ½ cup of the reserved sauce (discard the remaining sauce). Reduce the temperature to 375°F, and continue cooking until the bony side of the ribs begins to darken to medium red-brown, about 20 minutes. Increase the heat to 500°F. Turn the ribs again so that the meaty side is up. Roast until the sauce is darkened but not burned and the meat is tender, about 20 minutes. (The ribs can be cooked 1 day in advance, cooled, wrapped in aluminum foil, and refrigerated. Reheat the unwrapped ribs in a preheated 400°F oven until heated through, about 15 minutes.)
4. Transfer the ribs to a cutting board, and brush both sides with the remaining 1 tablespoon honey. Slice the ribs into individual pieces, and serve.
Tea
The Chinese love tea, and they drink different teas before, during, and after a meal. They make much of the distinction between green and black teas. In China, the latter is actually called a red tea, because of the final color of the steeped beverage.
Light-bodied green teas, like jasmine, are consumed before a meal, where the subtleties in taste and fragrance can be appreciated. During a meal, Pu Erh or Po Nee is served: black (red) teas with stronger flavors that can stand up to food and help you digest. After dinner, the mild, sweet taste