Braised pork ribs Suon Rim Man

Recipe from Hollie Phuong-Hong Nguyen

 My mom does that, too, and I learn her cookings that way, just eyeballing and taste. So when I give you the recipe, hopefully you can try and use it as a guide to cook. Use your taste bud to guide your seasoning. I think it's the best way to cook and make something that will be pleasing to your palate. Let me know if you have any question. I'll be more than happy to help. So here is what I do:

Spare ribs cut into bite-size, wash with hot water, drained and set aside.
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 Tbs of oil
About 2-3 Tbsp of fish sauce (this will depend on the amount of meat you'll use. This is just a guide for about 1 to 1 1/2 lbs of meat)
1 Tbsp of sugar
1 Tbsp of homemade thick caramel sauce (nước màu). I think this is the key ingredient in making your ribs the color it is and taste better homemade. But if you don't have homemade, store-bought will do the job.

Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the minced garlic and stir-fry until fragrant or lightly brown. Add the ribs and stir-fry for a few minutes until the ribs are lightly cooked. Add the fish sauce. Let the ribs cooked on medium high heat to absorb the fish sauce. You'll notice that some juice starts to release from the meat. Keep it on boiling to continue releasing and absorbing for a few more minutes. Add the sugar. Then add the thick caramel sauce. Stir and toss the meat to combine. Lower the heat and let it simmer. At this time, taste the juice. If it it is to your taste, simmer just for a little more to let it caramelized (like in the video). When it reaches the right caramelized consistency, turn off the heat. If the taste is a bit salty, no problem. Just add some hot water to reduce the saltiness a bit and let it simmer a bit longer to reach caramelization. Then you're done. Hope this helps.

I don’t season it. I just use my simple sauce and caramel sauce to cook it. Here is the link to the recipe for that sauce. I also use this sauce to make my cá kho. Check it out and I’ll be glad to answer any questions 🙂.

Making the simple sauce for seasoning:
-> 1 bottle of fish sauce (Squid Brand)
-> 3 cups sugar
In a saucepan on medium heat, combine the sugar with the fish sauce and stir until the sugar is dissolved. When the mixture just comes to a boil, turn off the heat. Skim off the foam if any. When the sauce is cool, the consistency should be slightly thicken but not too thick.
*Note: This sauce is all you need, besides nước màu, to season your fish. You can store the left over in a glass jar at room temperature or in the fridge and use it later.  It lasts for a long time.  This sauce can also be used to make many other braised dishes such as Sườn Rim Mặn, Gà Xào Xả Ớt, Gà Xào Gừng, or anything that is similar in technique. Very convenient, right?

Tip: With around 1lb pork rib, I used 5Tbsp nuoc mam kho and 4Tbsp nuoc mau, with water to cook pork and some cai chua.  Love the way to cook these now, essentials were ready in my hand 😀


Recipe from Lanie Ho - Facebook

My suon ram man with trung cut.
Am I the only one who can eat this every week? It’s my go to when I’m craving comfort food. 😍😍

Recipe:
2 lbs pork ribs
1can coconut soda
3 tbsp 3 crab fish sauce
1tsp salt
1tsp Black pepper
1can quail eggs, drained and washed
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, chopped all the way. White and green part
1 -2 tbsp sugar... depending on your level of sweetness.

I boil my meat first w salt to get rid of the impurities. Don’t boil all the way. Just for a few minutes. Drain.
In bowl, Marinate w the white part of onions, garlic, and the seasonings, for about 15 minutes.

Add 2tbsp oil to pan, then sugar. Do not stir the pot. Just gently swirl it... you want the sugar to caramelize.
Once sugar is brown, add meat and stir. Do this on medium high heat until meat is covered in sauce.
Add coconut soda. Cover w lid and let it cook for about 25-30 minutes...
Uncover and add the eggs.... let it cook for another 20 minutes... until sauce thickens.
**this is where I taste my sauce and see if I need to adjust taste to my preference.
More sweet, add sugar, more salty add more fish sauce.
Once it’s done, garnish w green onions.

Canh Chua Ca

Recipe from Hollie, Facebook

 I cook all my canh with homemade chicken stock rather than plain water. It's more flavorful, especially canh chua.

Ingredients:
Homemade chicken stock
Rock sugar
Tamarind powder (Knorr brand)
1-2 tsp of Tom Yum paste
Your canh chua veggies (I'm sure you know what they are)
Ngò ôm
Minced garlic, pan fried in oil until lightly brown - make fried garlic oil.

Start a pot with homemade chicken stock (which I already seasoned with rock sugar and salt to taste) on high heat and bring it to slightly boil. Add some more rock sugar to slightly sweeten the taste of the broth.  You wanted it slightly on the sweet side so that when you add the tamarind powder and the tom yum paste, the flavor will balance out. I add tom yum paste to give it a better color because of the oil in it, but you don't have to. Tamarind powder is good enough for the sour flavor. Use your taste bud as a guide to season this to your taste. It's supposed to be sweet and sour. Then I add the fish, pineapple, celery, tomatoes, and okra in this order. Bring the broth back to boil. Cook until you see the okras go from their raw green color to a wet darker green. Turn off the heat, so you don't overcook the veggies, especially the okras. Taste and look better when okra are just right and not overcooked. In a big soup bowl, I put some beans sprouts. Then ladle my canh chua into the bowl while it is still hot. This will then cook my beans sprouts to just right. Top with ngò
ôm and fried garlic oil and some sliced Thai red chili peppers if you want a spicy kick. Good canh chua is not just in the seasoning but also not to overcook your veggies. So I usually just make a pot of broth, season with everything. When I'm ready to eat, I ladle out an amount enough for a bowl to serve for the meal, into a separate pot. Add my veggies and cook to just right and serve. I don't cook a big pot because if you don't finish, all the veggies are way overcooked the next day and it's not as good anymore. I do it the restaurant way. Cook a bowl at a time. Hope that makes sense. Let me know if you have any questions.

Chicken Wings with fish sauce glaze

Recipe from Hollie Phuong-Hong Nguyen from Facebook

My Cánh Gà Chiên Nước Mắm (Deep-fried Chicken Wings with Fish Sauce Glaze). I'm sharing my super simple multiple-purpose sauce that can be used to make this dish but also for many gỏi dishes (Viet salad).

Recipe

2-3 lbs chicken wings. If buy whole wings, cut off the tips and cut them into wing portions. Soak and wash with some salt and vinegar and drained in a colander. Set aside.
*Tip: washing with salt and vinegar to help chicken wings become a little whiter because the vinegar will remove that gooey and fatty residue on the skin; hence helps with the burning when frying as well.

Marinade:
2 Asian soup spoons fish sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder or granulated garlic
1 tsp onion powder
1-2 tsp lemon or lime juice
*Tip: the lemon or lime juice is to help the chicken wings from burning when fry.

Marinade the wings with the above ingredients mixing well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours.

Making the fish sauce glaze/sauce:
I make a big batch and use it for this dish and my gỏi (Viet salad). You can store it in the fridge, but it is fine at room temperature if you'll be using it up soon in a short time.
1 bottle of fish sauce
4 cups sugar
*Note: I use the Squid Brand fish sauce for this. From what I understand, different brand of fish sauce will yield different sweetness/saltiness, so adjust the amount of sugar to fit your taste.

In a sauce pan, cook the sugar and the fish sauce on low heat, gently stir until sugar is dissolved. When the liquid comes to a rapid boil, the consistency has turned a little bit thicker (just a little bit), turn off the heat and skim off the foam. This sauce is supposed to be a slightly thicken consistency. You can't tell when it is hot on the stove, but trust me it will thicken as it cools at room temperature. So do not over cook it too long on the stove or it will turn into something like taffy candy. In that case, it can't be used, and you don't want that.
*Tip: Squeeze the juice of a piece of lime or lemon into the sauce when done and stir well.  This is to preserve the color of the sauce and keep it from getting darker when you store away.

Making the wings:
Corn starch (optional if you like the flour coated crispiness)
Lots of cooking oil (this is for deep fry, so enough to completely cover the wings when fry
1 Tbsp minced (but not too fine) garlic.  You want some texture of the garlic clinging onto your wings for that awesome garlicky taste.
1-2 Tbsp cooking oil

In a deep skillet or pan fill with the oil. Heat up the oil to be ready for frying. If using corn starch, coat the marinaded chicken wings evenly with it. Do this a small batch at a time, enough to fit into your pan for frying but not overcrowding the pan. Drop in the wings and deep fry until they are lightly golden and become crispy. If you like extra crispy, double fry.
In a skillet, heat up 1-2 Tbsp of cooking oil, add the minced garlic and fry until it is lightly brown (don't burn it).  Add a few spoons of the fish sauce glaze, enough to evenly coat your batch.  Stir it quickly to mix. Then add your deep fried chicken wings, toss to evenly coat the wings with the glaze.  Transfer wings to plate immediately and serve.  Do not leave wings in the skillet. You want crispy wings not simmered wings :).
Enjoy!

Chicken Tikka Masala - Allrecipes

https://www.allrecipes.com/

Ingredients
1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
4 long skewers
1 tablespoon butter 
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro 

Directions
In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat a grill for high heat.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.

Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Chicken Tikka Masal - Cafe Delights recipe

https://cafedelites.com

For the chicken marinade:
28 oz (800g) boneless and skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon ginger
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili (or 1/2 teaspoon ground red chili powder)
1 teaspoon of salt

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons of vegetable/canola oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 small onions (or 1 large onion) finely diced
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic finely grated
1 tablespoon ginger finely grated
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
14 oz (400g) tomato puree (tomato sauce/Passata)
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili (optional for colour and flavour sub red chili powder/cayenne)
1 teaspoon ground red chili powder (adjust to your taste preference)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups of heavy or thickened cream (use evaporated milk for lower calories)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 cup water if needed
4 tablespoons Fresh cilantro or coriander to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS
In a bowl, combine chicken with all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade; let marinate for 10 minutes to an hour (or overnight if time allows).

Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in batches of two or three, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until browned for only 3 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm. (You will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce.)

Melt the butter in the same pan. Fry the onions until soft (about 3 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. 

Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add garam masala, cumin, turmeric and coriander. Fry for about 20 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally.

Pour in the tomato puree, chili powders and salt. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown red colour.
Stir the cream and sugar through the sauce. Add the chicken and its juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling. Pour in the water to thin out the sauce, if needed.

Garnish with cilantro (coriander) and serve with fresh, hot basmati rice.

Chicken Tikka Masala - Tish Johnson

Recipe from Tish Johnson, Facebook

6 garlic cloves, finely grated

4 teaspoons finely grated peeled ginger

4 teaspoons ground turmeric

2 teaspoons garam masala

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1½ cups whole-milk yogurt (not Greek)

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise

3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup tomato paste

6 cardamom pods, crushed

2 dried chiles de árbol or 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

2 cups heavy cream

¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro plus sprigs for garnish

Steamed basmati rice (for serving)

RECIPE PREPARATION

Combine garlic, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, and cumin in a small bowl. 

Whisk yogurt, salt, and half of spice mixture in a medium bowl; add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and chill 4-6 hours. Cover and chill remaining spice mixture.

Heat ghee in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, tomato paste, cardamom, and chiles and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste has darkened and onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining half of spice mixture and cook, stirring often, until bottom of pot begins to brown, about 4 minutes.

Add tomatoes with juices, crushing them with your hands as you add them. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, until sauce thickens, 8-10 minutes.

Add cream and chopped cilantro. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, 30-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack inside sheet. Arrange chicken on rack in a single layer. Broil until chicken starts to blacken in spots (it will not be cooked through), about 10 minutes.

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces, add to sauce, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Serve with rice and cilantro sprigs.

Do Ahead: Chicken can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill. Reheat before serving.

Rigatoni Stuffed with Chicken and Fennel

Rigatoni Stuffed with Chicken and Fennel

Total:40 minActive: 20 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Level: Easy
Ingredients

3/4 pound rigatoni
3/4 pound ground chicken, white meat only
2 tablespoons fennel seeds, roughly chopped
1 small egg white
1 cup heavy cream, cold
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 dashes of hot sauce
1 teaspoon olive oil
Cream Sauce:
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives for garnish

Directions

Cook rigatoni in a large pot of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain well in a colander, shaking vigorously. Cool on an oiled cookie sheet or clean countertop until nearly dry and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil to coat. Reserve.

Puree chicken, fennel, and egg white in a food processor until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl nested inside a larger bowl half filled with iced water. Stir until evenly chilled.

Add cream, a 1/4 cup at a time, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon after each addition, until all is added. Stir in salt, pepper, and hot sauce. (At this stage, the stuffing can be stored in refrigerator up to 24 hours.)

To stuff rigatoni, fill a pastry bag fitted with a #4 plain tip with chicken mixture and stuff rigatoni from both ends. Reserve.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

To make sauce, combine cream, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper in a medium ovenproof skillet. Bring to a boil. Add stuffed rigatoni, return to a boil, then transfer to oven. Bake until sauce is thick and bubbly, and rigatoni is cooked through, about 10 minutes.



Spoon into serving bowls or plates, sprinkle with chives, and serve hot.

Curry Turkey - vietnamese style

Ca Ri Gà Tây Vietnamese style from Facebook, Peter Ngo

Recipe here - Vietnamese style curry made w/ Turkey

4lbs Turkey meat, drums preferably, cut/chopped to pieces to size.
LEMON GRASS
2 tbs SALT
2 tbs SUGAR
5 tbs TOMATO PASTE
4-5 Cloves Star Anise
4 tbs minced GARLIC
1-2 Chopped ONION -  large ones
5-6 Cubed POTATOES
250 ml fresh MILK
1 pack of that amazing CARI powder
2 tbs TUMERIC powder

Add together and thorougly mix with your MANLY hands.

Let STAND for 1 hour in the FRIDGE or covered outside in areas with Temperatures below 5 Celcius. You can STAND next to the mound and watch merinade if you want.

Sear/brown your goods in a pan so you see color and experience that aroma then transfer into a LARGE POT.

- Fill pot with water to content level and place cubed potatoes in.

- After simmering until the meat and potatoes soften - 1/2 HOUR, add 1/2 a can of coconut milk - stir and re-simmer.

Ready to serve with rice, rice noodles, or bread.