If I were ever to become vegetarian, I might have to avoid Chinatown, even though there’s a bounty of fresh produce and array of other meatless ingredients available there.
I’d run into trouble every time I walked past one of the establishments selling Chinese-style barbecued meats, proudly displaying them in the shop’s front window.
Hanging there are strips of succulent pork, lacquered-looking juicy duck and other specialties dripping with goodness that instantly attract my eyes, my appetite and my desire to devour some of that meat.
In a book called The Chinese Kitchen, it says the Chinese in Canton call pork prepared this way char sui, which translates as “held by fork over an open fire.” The term dates back to a time when ovens were few in China and meats were frequently cooked over an open fire.
Ironically, today those meats are now mostly cooked in an oven. They get their barbecued taste and look from the richly coloured ingredients used to marinate and glaze the meat, such as Chinese-style sauces, spices and other flavourings.
Chinese-style barbecue pork, duck and other items taste very fine on their own — warmed, sliced and enjoyed with the sauce given to you by the proprietor who sold you the meat. That meat can also be used to richly enhance all sorts of other dishes, such as fried rice, dumplings, soups and noodles.
When using it in those and other preparations, you don’t require a lot of meat to add a world of flavour. For example, in today’s perfect-for-February hot and sour soup, only half a barbecued duck is required to create four generous, main-course servings. In another recipe, I also required only half a duck to create four very yummy barbecue duck bunwiches.
The same scenario played out for my stir-fried recipe: Chinese-style barbecue pork with pineapple, peppers and cashews, where less than a pound of meat was sliced and used to create four satisfying portions.
Stores in Victoria’s Chinatown selling Chinese-style barbecued meats include Wah Lai Yuen, 560 Fisgard St.; Victoria BBQ House & Bakery, 1714 Government St.; and Loy Sing Meat Market, 554 Fisgard St. Why not give each a try to determine which one you think is cooking the best product?
Hot and Sour Soup with Barbecue Duck and Tofu
This soup is designed to be a main course — something to ladle up and present when friends are over and in need of something nicely spiced, soothing and richly stocked with duck, tofu, vegetables and mushrooms. Once the meat is removed, the duck carcass is used to flavour the soup’s stock. Once that stock is ready, it doesn’t take long to make the soup, so it’s best to have all ingredients chopped and ready to go before you starting simmering.
Preparation time: 25 minutes, plus stock simmering time
Cooking time: About 1 hour 40 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
1/2 Chinese-style barbecue duck
4 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
1 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1-2 garlic cloves, halved and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp smooth, hot Asian-style chili sauce, or to taste
1 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 small carrot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 celery rib, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
6 to 8 medium fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and discarded, caps sliced
1 (8 oz) can sliced bamboo shoots, drained well
2 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water
1 (300 gram) tub soft tofu, drained and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 baby bok choy, washed, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1 to 2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs, or to taste
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Carefully cut and remove the meat from the duck breast, leg and other meaty parts of the bird (try to keep the skin attached where possible). Slice the meat into 1-inch slices and set on the baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Break or cut the duck bones into chunks and set in a narrow, but tall pot. Add the chicken stock and water. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat until the liquid is gently simmering. Simmer 90 minutes. Strain the stock into a bowl. Measure it; you’ll need 5 cups for the soup. If you have less than that, top up with a little more water or chicken stock.
To make the soup, preheat the oven to 375 F. Place 5 cups of duck-flavoured stock, ginger, garlic, hot sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, carrot, celery, mushrooms and bamboo shoots in a pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer five minutes.
When the soup starts to simmer, place the duck in the oven to warm.
When the soup has simmered five minutes, stir in the cornstarch mixture and return to a simmer. Stir in the tofu and bok choy and heat through two minutes. Divide and ladle the soup into four large bowls. Sprinkle soup with green onions. Divide and top the soup with cilantro sprigs and duck and serve.
Chinese-style Barbecue Pork with Pineapple, Peppers and Cashews
Have everything cut and measured before whipping up this quick-cooking sweet, salty and sour-tasting barbecue pork dish. Make a meal of it by serving it with steamed rice.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: About 5 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
1 (14 oz) can unsweetened pineapple chunks
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp granulated sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 garlic glove, minced
1 small green bell pepper, cubed
1/2 medium onion, cubed
2/3 lb Chinese-style barbecue pork, sliced into 2-inch long, 1/2-inch wide strips
1/3 cup unsalted roasted cashews
1 to 2 green onions, sliced
Set a small sieve over a small bowl. Drain the canned pineapple into the sieve, extracting as much juice as you can. Place the drained pineapple chunks in the sieve into a second bowl and set aside. Mix the soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, sugar and cornstarch into the pineapple juice in the first bowl.
Set a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in the oil. When very hot, add the ginger, garlic, bell pepper and onion and stir-fry one to two minutes. Add the pork, pineapple chunks, cashews and cornstarch/pineapple juice mixture and bring to a simmer. Simmer two to three minutes, or until the pork and other ingredients are nicely coated with the sauce and are piping hot. Spoon onto a platter, sprinkle with green onion and serve.
Barbecue Duck Bunwiches with Fresh Pickles and Hoisin
Succulent duck, sliced, heated and stuffed in buns with sweet and sour-tasting homemade pickles and rich and thick hoisin sauce.
Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus overnight marinade
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
For the pickles
1 1/2 cups baby seedless cucumbers, sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds (see Note)
1/2 cup grated carrot
5 medium radishes, trimmed and sliced
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
• pinch crushed chili flakes
Place the cucumber, carrot and radish into tall, 4-cup capacity jar. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Pour this mixture over the vegetables. Put the lid on the jar and let vegetables marinate in the refrigerator. After two hours of marinating, open the jar and push down on the pickles to ensure they are completely submerged by the liquid. Seal the jar again and let the pickles marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
For the bunwiches
1/2 Chinese-style barbecue duck
1/3 cup hoisin sauce, or to taste
1 cup shredded head lettuce or Chinese cabbage
4 hot dog buns, split
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Carefully cut and remove the meat from the duck breast, leg and other meaty parts of the bird (try to keep the skin attached where possible). Slice the meat and set on the baking sheet.
Set the duck in the oven and cook 10 minutes. Now set the buns in the oven for two minutes, or until they and the duck are warm.
Spread the inside of each bun with hoisin sauce. Divide and set lettuce or cabbage in each bun. Divide and arrange some of the pickles and duck in each bun and serve.
Note: You likely won’t need all the pickles. Keep any unused in the jar, sealed and refrigerated for another time. They’ll keep a couple of weeks and will taste great on a variety of sandwiches and bunwiches.
Note: Baby seedless cucumbers are sold in the produce department of most supermarkets. Three of them should yield the 1 1/2 cups of sliced cucumbers for this recipe.
