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Hoi sin
beef lettuce lunch…. Mega flavours… big on bang
So after the marathon previous post… I was looking
to bang out something snappy, something fun. Enter Hoi sin beef. This recipe is quick and
smacks of big flavour and bigger bang factor.
The different crunchy textures, the colours, simple
sweetness of the hoi sin, and then as an undertone the sweet cashew nuts crash
through…. A little bit of Asia in your kitchen.
I picked up my minced meat yesterday on my weekly
visit to the local butcher with no particular dish in mind… so whilst scouring
the larder and fridge after an early morning jog I conjured up this little bad
boy… well I say i… that would mean laying claim to the recipe when in fact,
mammy bear has been knocking this recipe out since as long as I remember and
come to think of it I doubt her good self would lay claim to it either… its
obviously Asian influenced cuisine… and I am verging on the realms of rambling…
so on with the recipe hope you enjoy and let me know what you guys
think…
An afterthought, if you like me, pay weekly visits
to your local butcher, ask for bones for your stock… free of charge and you are
saving them from the butchers skip… I will post a simple stock recipe soon… so
simple to do and really worth the little effort you shall exert in doing so… and
keeps in the freezer for further use..
Ingredients
1 lb lean mean ground beef2 cloves garlic… minced/ finely
chopped4 scallions,
chopped with whites and greens separatedSalt and pepper, to
taste1 cup mushrooms,
sliced3/4 tbsp hoisin
sauce (depending on brand… some are thicker than others)
1/2 cup stock for beef
(home,made/ supermarket bought/ or indeed a bouillion cube whatever works for
you but if you try it once you wont look back… nomemade is
heaven)1/2 cups baby
bok choy, chopped1/2
cup raw cashews1cup of
water1/2 cup of
sugar1 cup
Rice
2cup of stock for rice
1/4 Cream
Lettuce…. separated into leaf
cups
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How
to
Firstly to a pot half fill with your stock and
heat… add rice and let simmer away stirring occasionally. !5minutes is a good
guideline for your rice to be nearly there so when you get that rocking turn
your attention elsewhere…
Ok secondly… into a pan or wok with the beef. We do
not need oil or butter the beef shall brown in its own juices… stir occasionally
on a medium heat for circa 6 min. Bang in chopped garlic, white of the scallion
and mushroom and sauté for a further 3 minutes or
so.
Bring a small pot of stock syrup to the boil (stock
syrup is two parts water to one part sugar,simple)… reduce heat to a simmer and
your mixture should be thick in consistency, think syrupy… bang in cashew nuts
and cook for a further 2minutes. Remove from heat and leave to one side forget
about those puppies until plating up.
Back to your pan… mix in hoi sin sauce firstly,
then chicken stock little by little, we are looking for the sauce to reduce and
thicken (further two minute) when your sauce gets the desired consistency see picture, add shredded bok- choy… stir and
reduce heat to a simmer until bok choy begins to soften and go that deep green…
nearly there…
About now your rice should have absorbed most of
the stock and be rocking along nicely. Taste test time… a spoonful of the rice we want little or no
crunch, resistance as our teeth melt into the rice… bang! Providing you have the
desired texture of your rice add your cream, stirring all the while.. and season
to taste….
Back to your pan.. add your sweet cashew nuts… the
green onion that you held back, this adds that crunch to every bite of already
bursting flavours… now time to plate up this puppy… lettuce cups onto plate… spoon in hoi sin
beef… serve rice on the side or indeed in the lettuce cup also… either way
works. Either way is spanking gorgeous and the family will love it….
Bang!
Stir the cashews
and green part of onion into the beef mixture. Serve with lettuce cups and rice.
You could spoon both rice and cashew-beef mixture into the lettuce cups and eat,
or just the beef mixture and eat the rice separately. *Adjust the amount of stock you use depending on
the thickness of your hoisin sauce... some brands being thicker than others or
if you, like me tend to be adventurous let me know and I will post a DIY hoi sin
recipe…
Next on
the underpressure agendaSo… I , at present a busy little beaver on the back
of my masterchef adventure… I will indeed post my week one experiences in the
near future… in a nutshell it involved a lot of sitting around, a lot more
interviews, and not a lot of cooking!
Presently the busy little beaver entails the doors
masterchef has opened for me… I am currently re locating to take up a position
in a top end restaurant in Belfast, and I cannot wait to get stuck in and more
importantly to up my skillset and absorb as much as possible from those around
me. It’s a mega opportunity working alongside a lot of talented guys and i
intend on takiing full advantage over the next 18 months. I begin in less than a
week and I will keep you guys posted on my progress and blog the journey with
pictures and anecdotes…
Before then I have a banging treat in store.. I
want to spend time with my next post… you will not find it in any cookbook, its
totally original and concocted between my bad boy brother and i… its complex,
it’s a bit of work but visually its stunning, taste, texture, and bang factor
out of this universe and I want to take my time, picture it and compile it to do
it justice. You will love it….