Steamed Minced Meat with Tong Chye

A very simple steamed pork recipe yet so appetising and tasty served with rice or porridge.  Good dish for busy days.

Ingredients
original recipe from Agnes's Book 'Let's Eat'
[serves 4]
300 gm minced meat
3 tbsp tung chye - rinsed and chopped
Seasoning
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp Shaoxing wine
1/4 tsp each chicken stock granules, pepper and sesame oil 
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
4 tbsp water

1. Mix minced meat with tong chye and seasoning in a mixing bowl till well combined.
2. Pour mixture into a steaming platter.  Spread evenly.
3. Steam over high heat for 20-25 minutes until cooked.
4. Serve hot with rice and porridge.
   
   

Notes: Visit this site for its' Nutritional Facts and print recipe [here]

I'm linking this post to Cook Your Books Event #6

 hosted by Joyce of  Kitchen Flavours

Meatballs for Steamboat II

My mum would prepare this home-made meatballs for the family whenever we had steamboat.  I learned to make them from her and have been making them for my MIL too.  My SIL's family came for steamboat during the CNY and she said they are good and asked for the recipe.

Please visit this post [Homemade Meatballs for Steamboat] for the recipe.  The photos above is the batch that I made for my MIL's CNY reunion dinner.

Ingredients for meatballs

Meatball paste

I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013

hosted by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover

Bouncy Pork Meatballs

This recipe is from The Waitakere Redneck's Kitchen.  I have been searching for good meatball recipes which are simple, can be prepared and stored for later use.  So when I saw that these meatballs can be kept frozen until required, I did not hesitate to try it out.
I think I am quite happy with the result and it's a keeper.  Maybe, I will make these meatballs for steamboat instead of buying the ready-made ones.
Here are the ingredients and method from Redneck's Kitchen. 
Ingredients 

Makes 48 pieces [1/2 tablespoon size]
500 gm pork - cut into small pieces [I used Kak Sim meat]
1/2 cup [125 ml] icy cold water
1/2 - 3/4 tsp salt
1/2 - 3/4 tbsp sugar
1  1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tbsp oil [I used 1 tsp each of oil and sesame oil]
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp cornflour
1/4 tsp pepper  [ I used 1/2 tsp]

1. In a separate cup, mix all the seasoning [except pepper] together.  Set aside in the refrigerator.
2. Minced pork in a food processor into a paste.  Add 5 tbsp of water [from the 125 ml water], 1 tbsp at a time to make a smooth paste.
3. Remove paste into a big bowl.  Pour in mixed seasoning.  Stir well slowly using several chopsticks or hand in one direction until liquid is absorbed into the paste.  
4. Transfer paste to a smaller container, cover and keep in freezer for 30 minutes.
5. Boil a pot of water.  Once water is boiling, remove from heat.
6. Add pepper to paste.  Stir to combine.  Scoop paste into wet hand.  Push paste up through the thumb and second finger by making a fist.  Use a wet spoon [a tablespoon] to scoop and drop it into the pot of hot water.  [To prevent paste from sticking to hand, wet hand and spoon in water].
7. Continue until pork balls form a layer in the water.  Now, turn on the heat but 'Do Not Let It Boil', just simmer slowly without bubbling [otherwise pork balls will not 'Bounce'].  Any leftovers can be kept in the freezer.
8. Fill a basin with icy cold water.  When pork balls start to float, leave for a few seconds more.  Remove one and cut into half to see if it is cooked.  The inside should not be 'pink'.  Scoop out the pork balls and let  them cool in the cold water.
9. After pork balls have cooled, use as required or freeze to keep.

Note from Redneck's Kitchen

• For Chicken meatballs - pepper is optional.  The meatball texture is softer than pork balls.
• For Beef meatballs - must add 1/2 tsp alkaline water to seasoning mix.

Meatballs for Steamboat

Meatballs for steamboat

This steamboat meatball recipe is my Ma's very own and very popular among the family and friends whom we have shared the recipe.  These are very tasty and flavourful meatball very different from the store bought meatballs. 

It is worthwhile to make more because the leftovers can be coated with flour and deep fried to eat as a snack or to cook any noodle soup.

Ingredients for meatballs

Meatball paste

Ingredients

[makes about 100 meatballs]

800 gm lean meat with 50 gm pork fat [minced/grounded]

300 gm prawn paste

Seasoning A

2 - 2 1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp msg [optional]

2 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp cooking wine

200 gm cabbage [chopped]

1 small carrot [chopped]

100 gm bombay onion [chopped]

50 gm garlic [chopped]

4-5 pcs dried mushrooms [soaked, drained and chopped]

some spring onions [chopped]

4 tbsp cornflour

2 tbsp plain flour

Meatballs before steaming

Meatballs after steaming for 15-20 minutes

1. Mix minced meat and prawn paste together with seasoning A.  Stir in one direction till paste is sticky.
2. Add in the rest of the ingredients.  Mix well and stir in one direction.  Slap paste against the mixing bowl for about 5 minutes. Leave to rest for about an hour in the fridge.
3. Grease a few steaming trays and shape meatballs about the size of a ping pong ball.  Place on greased tray and steam over boiling water for 15 - 20 minutes.
4. Cool meatballs before storing in containers and keep in the fridge before serving.

Meatball stock

 Note:  The stock from the steaming of the meatballs can be added to steamboat stock.

Steamboat Stock

I have a very simple steamboat stock recipe which I prepared during my holidays in Cebu, Philippines.  So when my Ma prepared the steamboat as an offering item during the Phor Thor festival, I suggested she tried this stock instead of the usual stock where chicken carcasses are used.   This is the simplest steamboat stock to prepare and I believe it is also healthy and very fragrant.  The ingredients are few and simple and you can adjust the quantity to suit  your preference.

You can also boil this stock and use it to cook any instant soup for noodles, vegetables, seafood and meat.  I tried it before and the soup is tasty and not troublesome at all.  I will post the food recipes using this stock when I prepare it in future. 

Ingredients [must have ingredients but quantity can adjust your own]

A few stalks of lemongrass - clean and lightly bruised

1 - 2 bulbs of garlic with skin - clean and cut into half

chicken or anchovies stock cubes [depends on how much stock to prepare]

1 bunch of spring onions - clean and knotted

water

1. Put water and all other ingredients in a big saucepot.  Bring it to a boil on high heat and turn down to medium low.  Continue boiling till soup is fragrant.  Off fire and stock is ready.  It does not take long to boil this stock. Taste and add some salt to taste if necessary otherwise just omit.
2. Garlic crisps and sesame oil can be added for steamboat soup.           

Steamboat Stock

Steamboat Ingredients - From top - yellow noodles, homemade meatballs, cuttlefish, prawns, fish balls, meat etc

 

 

 

 

Phor Thor Festival 2011 [Hungry Ghost Festival] in Penang

Annually, my family will make offerings with regard to this festival both at the temples and at home.  My family will hold the prayers at home on the 19th day of  7th lunar month which has been a tradition for many, many decades.  Most families will make their offerings at the makeshift temples but we have it in the family home because we have an altar for 'Tai Su Yah' [King of Hades] in the house.  'Tai Su Yah' is a deity who guards and disciplines the roaming spirits when the Gates of Hell are opened during the seventh lunar month.  There is a long ago story behind why we have an altar for 'Tai Su Yah' in the house.  When I have the time, I will share with you some time later.
According to Taoist belief, the hungry ghosts exist in a separate realm where the beings suffer from great thirst and hunger that can never be satiated - a consequence of their bad karma.  To ease the sufferings of the hungry ghosts, Taoists make offerings on their behalf to the Three Jewels via the Sangha [monastic order] in the belief that merits accrued from the deed could be dedicated to the spirits so that they could have a better rebirth.
Some in the Chinese community have also traditionally offered items such as roast pigs, ducks, chicken, 'angkoo' [glutinous rice cakes], 'mee koo' [red-skin buns], 'huat kuih' [prosperity cakes] and 'mee sua' [longevity noodles] on the communal prayer altar for Tai Su Yah during the festival.
However, my family usually will prepare steamboat items and other items such as coffee, cans of beer, tea, cakes and fruits as offerings in the house.  A variety of joss papers will also be burnt as an offering.  Here are the pictures showing the offerings for this year's prayers.  After the prayers all family members and relatives will gather in the house for steamboat lunch or dinner. 

Right hand corner is the 'Tai Su Yah' Altar

 

Blueberry Chiffon, Oranges and Mooncakes are among the offerings

Steamboat Items

This has been the family practice for decades and how long this practice will be carried out, I am not sure.  Perhaps, with the new generations it will be more simplified or totally aborted.  Nevertheless, if this practice carries on year after year, it does serve as an opportunity for a gathering among the families and relatives.