Now living back there in Sparta, Mo., former longtime Arlington-area resident Gracie Dinsmore recently told us her family, particularly her son, is absolutely starving for the barbecued pork found at many Chinese restaurants everywhere around here.
The Dinsmores are back there where great pork abounds, but American barbecue is king, and nobody thereabouts seems to ever have heard of our Chinese style, let alone eaten it.
But Forum cooks, starting right here and right now, remedied this sorry ethnic void, offering their favorite how-tos for this specialty. So don’t spare the horses, Gracie. Hit the road and start searching for pork tenderloins and the necessary might-be-hard-to-find ingredients, because here we go:
Marcia Alberti of Everett breaks the ice for us and writes, “Here is my recipe for Chinese barbecued pork. My daughter Cindi and I took several series of cooking classes at the House of Rice in Seattle during the 1970s. We enjoyed them immensely and spent many hours creating Asian-style dinners.
“I hope that this recipe helps Ms. Dinsmore, and that she can find some of the special ingredients either in her supermarket’s Asian section, or perhaps an Asian market.”
Camano Island cook Celia Hartley tells us, “Several years ago, I took a Chinese cooking class at Karen’s Kitchen on Camano Island taught by Melissa Mei. One of the entrees prepared was barbecued pork. Melissa shared this recipe with us, and I hope it is one that Gracie can use. I’ve made it several times and it is good.”
Chinese barbecued pork
1pound pork tenderloin or boneless pork 1/2 teaspoon salt
1tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1teaspoon sherry
2tablespoons soy sauce
3tablespoons hoisin sauce
1tablespoon red bean curd
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
Hot mustard (recipe follows)
Roasted sesame seed, extra soy sauce and hot mustard for serving
Cut meat into strips 5- to 6-inches long and approximately 1 to 1 1/2-inches thick. Sprinkle with the salt and sugar and set aside or 30 minutes. Combine the five spice powder, pepper, sherry, soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, red bean curd and red food coloring, mixing well. Rub mixture into pork and marinate at least 2 hours. Roast on a rack at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Turn pork and roast for another 25 minutes. Slice and serve hot or cold with roasted sesame seeds and hot mustard or soy sauce.
Hot mustard
4tablespoons Chinese mustard
2 to 3 tablespoons boiling water
1teaspoon salad oil
Turn mustard into a small heatproof bowl; add boiling water and blend into a smooth paste. Add oil and mix well.
Melissa Mei’s fresh barbecued pork
Pork and marinade:
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin
3large cloves garlic
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
2tablespoons hoisin sauce (plum sauce)
2tablespoons rice wine or saki
1tablespoon red food coloring
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Dipping sauce:
3tablespoons yellow mustard powder (can use wasabi) 1 1/2 teaspoons water
1teaspoon white vinegar
1teaspoon honey
1/4 cup toasted sesame seed
Wash pork and pat dry. Mix together the garlic, soy sauce, sugar, ketchup, Hoisin sauce, rice wine or saki, food coloring and pepper, mixing well. Soak the whole tenderloin in the marinade overnight in the refrigerator, turning the meat from time to time.
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place pork on a tray and bake for approximately 20 minutes. Turn the pork over and cook on the other side for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. The meat should be firm and browned evenly. Allow to cool and cut into 1/8- to 1/4-inch slices.
In a small decorative bowl, mix together the mustard powder, water, vinegar and honey, mixing into a smooth paste. Sprinkle sesame seeds on the meat, or place the seeds in another small decorative bowl.
The next Forum will appear in Friday’s comics pages.
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