Nem Nuong

My kids love spring roll and they like it with NEM NUONG. I usually buy it from the asian market in the freezer section but this time I didn't have a chance to drive to the Westbank to pick up some ...so I attempted to make my own. It came out really good....I just wish I can get it that reddish color...next time I am gonna add some food color LOL


INGREDIENTS:
2 lb of MINCED PORK (ground pork)
4 cloves garlic minced
1/3 cup sugar
1 TBS fish sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
2 shallots minced
1 TBS sesame oil
1 TBS honey
2 TBS cornstarch


BASTING MIXTURE: 
2 Tablespoon honey
2 Tablespoon vinegar



DIRECTIONS: 
****In a shallow bowl...throw all the skewers. You want to get all the skewers wet so it wont burn on the grill or in the oven.


In a large bowl mix all the ingredients together. Once all the ingredients are incorporated. We can start by assembling the skewers. Taking 1 skewer ..ball about 1/2 cup of pork mixture onto the skewer. Try to work the mixture tight onto the skewer. Lay them on a GREASED pan. Bake at 350 for 1hr. Remember after 30 minutes (half way in the cooking process) turn the skewers so the other side and BAST with the vinegar and honey mixture. Return back to oven and bake for another 30 minutes.

***If you are eating the nem nuong in a spring roll...take it off the skewer and cut into stripes...to make rolling easier.

My kids just like to eat it off the skewer.


ENJOY!!!

Bo Kho

Everytime my sister in law makes Bo Kho...I always get a container to go...I love BO KHO. Her BO KHO taste more curry. I didn't use any curry in this recipe.


INGREDIENTS: 
5 lb of CHUCK ROAST --cut into 2 in cube (I cut the slices bigger because chuck roast render alot of fat and so the pieces shrink down alot)

For the BROTH: 
3 stalk lemongrass--cut into 5inch pieces (I ended up with like 10 small pieces)
6 pieces of ginger--about 2 inch pieces (cut in half)
1 small onion--peeled
4 star anise
4 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1 large rock sugar


3 large peeled carrot cut into 2 inch pieces
6 medium peeled potato cut into 2 inch pieces




MARINATE: 
2 TBS minced shallot
2 TBS minced garlic
2 stalk lemongrass--finely chopped
2 tsp cracked black pepper
2 tsp chili flakes
1 TBS sesame oil
2 TBS garlic powder
1 TBS salt
2 TBS white SUGAR
1/2 cup cooking wine
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 TBS hoisin sauce
1 bag of the BO KHO mix

In a large bowl with a lid--mix all the marinate together. Pour in the cut meat and marinate for at least 2hrs in refrigerator ....I marinated overnight in refrigerator.

GARNISH: 

1 onion thinly sliced 

cilantro 

chili 

bread 

DIRECTION:
In a large POT...pour in some olive oil and POUR in the WHOLE BOWL of marinate meat with juice and ALL....cook the meat up until it gets a nice crust then pour in 6 cups of beef broth or chicken stock and another 8 cups of water. I pour enough to cover my meat and some because you will be cooking the meat for at least 3 hours over  medium heat.
Now throw in the onion, lemongrass, star anise, ginger, bay leaf, rock sugar and cinnamon stick...and let it cook for 3 hours.

AFTER the 3 hours...throw in the cut carrot and potato and cook for another 30 minutes then turn off heat.
Ladle in a bowl and garnish with sliced onion and cilantro. I like mines spicy so I usually add in some Srirache.

SEASON according to taste...if you find that it isnt salty enough...add some fish sauce or salt.


I love to dip french bread with mines ...they do have some people that likes to eat it with vermicelli noodles.



The package of seasoning that I used to marinate the meat overnight.

Lemongrass that I cut to put into the broth. 

I added 1 TBS to the broth after I cooked it for about 3hrs ...right before I added the potato and carrots. 

Thit Nuong

Every time we go to Houston, TX ....I would order banh mi thit nuong and bring it home. I usually OVER order and having to  freeze them.  I finally decided that I need to start looking for a recipe that I can make at home....I have been searching so long for an easy and yummy recipe to make at home ....I think I FINALLY found a KEEPER. I know that it has alot of ingredients but I am still at the "testing" phase.  But this recipe has tons of flavor and the meat is tender and juicy ...not DRY. I loved it so much that I made it 2 days in a roll.

Ingredients: 
4 lb PORK BUTT--cut into 1/4 inch thick (If you can get your butcher to cut it for you ...it would be great- I used pork butt because it has a little marble of fat going through it so it made the meat juicy and not dry)

Marinate:
In a blender add all these ingredients and blend it really well.
8 cloves garlic--peeled
3 stalk LEMONGRASS--I cut mines into 3 inch section to make it blend easier
2 green onion (scallions)--- cut into 3 inch (I used the white and green part)
1/2 yellow onion--roughly chopped
2 TBS brown sugar
2 TBS white sugar
2 TBS honey
1/2 cup fish sauce ( I used the 3 crab brand)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TBS DARK soy sauce
1 TBS DARK sesame oil
1 tsp cracked black pepper


DIRECTION: 

In a large container with a lid (I used my large pyrex container)  put the meat in and then POUR the marinate over. Using your hands...massage all the marinate into the meat. Making sure all the meat get cover with the marinate really well.  I cover and refrigerator overnight.


You  can grill them outside or indoors....I prefer the outdoor grill because I just love the grill flavor of my outdoor grill. I did one patch outdoor and the other batch indoor and they both came out delicious.

In a grill pan...over MEDIUM heat...pour a little olive oil and once the pan gets hot...lay the pork in a single layer. It probably took me about 3-4 minutes on each side...my pork slices were not thick so it didn't take long to cook.

Serve over rice or a bowl of vermicelli noodle---garnish with some sliced lettuce, pickled julienne carrots and daikons, sliced cucumber, herbs, crushed peanuts, dried onions, and FISH SAUCE (nuoc man)

ENJOY!!!

Happy Friday!!

I had a craving for crawfish and wanted to cook my own because I like my crawfish very spicy with lots of garlic...but the store that I wanted to get them at only sell them by the sack!! 30 POUNDS was the smallest sack so I had to opted  for buying them already cooked. I went home and melted 4 sticks of butter and added some crab boil seasoning, garlic powder, sliced oranges, garlic head and pour it over the already cooked crawfish. It tasted ALOT better because it was spicy.. and garlicky...Just how I like my crawfish.

During the Easter break when I was in San Antonio... I cooked a whole 30 pound sack!! I will post my recipe next week. 

Stay tune!! 

Until then .. Have a GREAT WEEKEND!! 

Pineapple Bourbon Ribs

When I went to Costco last week I was looking for another sauce but they didn't have what I was looking for. But they had this sauce so I grabbed 1 bottle to try.  It is so good!!

***Preheat oven to 350 

Ingredients: 

1 slab of pork ribs 

1 tsp garlic powder 

1 tsp paprika 

1 tsp onion powder 

1 tsp Tony Chachere's 

1 TBS brown sugar 

1/2 tsp pepper 

Mix all the seasoning together and set aside. 

Remember to wash the rib and pat dry. Using a large baking pan--cover with reynolds foil (to make cleaning easier) lay the ribs on it and start to rub the seasoning all over the ribs. Once you are done take another piece of foil and cover the entire the ribs. Place in preheat oven and cook for 1 hour COVERED!! After 1 hour.. Uncover and bast with the sauce and place back into the oven for another 30-45 minutes. 

Sauced: 

1 cup pineapple bourbon sauce 

1 cup sweet baby ray (favorite BBQ sauce) 

In a bowl mix the 2 sauce together and set aside-- will need this to bast your ribs once it is cook. 

Serve with some Texas Toast or potato salad 

Enjoy!! 

Thai Rib

This is by far the easiest meal to make and yet.. Most DELICIOUS!!

I used pork ribs and a dry rub first then at the end I just basted the ribs with this Thai Rib Sauce that I bought from the local grocery store. I find that many local grocery stores sales many different kind of sauce that makes your every day dinner fast and easy. You just have to be brave and try it and experiment with the different sauces. 

This week I will post many of the different sauce that I buy and the different ways that I use them. I will use them on ribs, salmon and chicken. 

Ingredients: 

1 slab of pork rib 

1 t garlic powder 

1 t onion powder 

1 t paprika 

2 t brown sugar 

1/2 t cracked black pepper 

1 t Tony Chachere's (creole seasoning) 

Garnish: 

Sliced green onion (only green part) 

Cilantro 

Toasted sesame seeds (optional) 

Direction: 

Preheat oven to 350 

(Remember to line a baking pan with reynolds wrap.. To make cleaning easy) 

In a small bowl, mix all the DRY ingredients together and RUB  it all over the slab of rib. Make sure to cover the back also. 

Take a baking pan and cover with reynolds wrap (makes cleaning easy)  then lay the slab of ribs with meat side up bone side down and cover with another sheet of reynolds wrap..place  in the preheated oven for 1 hr (covered). 

After 1 hr UNCOVER and basted with the Thai Rib Sauce and bake for another 30-45 minutes. When you see the top of the ribs is caramelize. 

Take out and let it rest for a few minutes.  

Garnish with sliced green onion and cilantro. 

I also like to sprinkle with sesame seeds 

Enjoy!!! The Thai Rib Sauce has a little kick to it