The Way of the Wu-Chang: the Art of the Kitchen Remix

7/31/2019 The Way of the Wu-Chang: the Art of the Kitchen Remix

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Umami defies definition. Fifth taste? Savouriness?

If a food has umami, umamidoes not exist unless we havethe experience and understanding to recognize it.

Seasonality and ripeness are essential elements.

If picked too soon, a food may never achieve umami.

Umamiusually implies proximity to the growing area.Umamican be lost if a food is harvested, prepared orserved with neglect or disrespect.

Education, experience and understanding elevate and refine

our perception and enjoyment of umami.

Our perception and appreciation of umamiare enhanced byoccasion and setting, timing and preparation, presentation

and service.

With English lacking such a word, the concept of umamigives us a framework to discuss, understand and enjoy

perfection in a food, when it has become all it can be,


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when it has fulfilled itself.

Umami presumes the inherent goodness of foods.

However you define it, boosting umami is essential to the

way of the wu-chang.

Bo SsamPork Shoulder Butt

1 whole bone-in pork shoulder

butt or picnic ham (8 to 10

pounds)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon koshersalt

7 tablespoons brown sugar

(optional)

Ssam Sauce

2 tablespoons fermented bean-and- chili paste (ssamjang,

available in many Asian markets, and online)

1 tablespoon chili paste (kochujang, available in many


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Asian markets, and online)

cup sherry vinegar

cup neutral oil (like grapeseed)

Accompaniments

2 cups sushi rice, cooked (recipe follows)

3 heads bibb lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried

1 dozen or more fresh oysters (optional)

Kimchi (recipe follows or available in many Asian markets,

and online).

1. Place the pork in a large, shallow bowl. Mix the white

sugar and 1 cup of the salt together in another bowl, then

rub the mixture all over the meat. Cover it with plastic

wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours,

or overnight.

Why the salt cure?For food preservation: Salt draws out moisture from the meat. Since bacteria thrive under moistconditions, a dried meat will last longer before decomposing.

For food enhancement: Under limited curing conditions like this, the salt will both draw out moisture,concentrating the flavour of the meat, as well as taking our sugar along for the ride to season andsweeten the interior. The sugar also alleviates any harshness that might result from the salt cure.

2. When youre ready to cook, heat oven to 300. Remove

pork from refrigerator and discard any juices. Place thepork in a roasting pan and set in the oven and cook for

approximately 6 hours, or until it collapses, yielding

easily to the tines of a fork. (After the first hour,

baste hourly with pan juices.) At this point, you may

remove the meat from the oven and allow it to rest for up

to an hour.

Why slow roast?Tougher cuts of meat benefit from a low andslow approach which tenderises the meat bybreaking down sinew and collagen. The happyfact is that the end product is many times moredelicious than a tender, but relatively tasteless,cut like tenderloin and many times lessexpensive.

A quick break for remix


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ideas: Youve just cooked a great pulled pork. Its ready

to be shredded and put into a steaming bowl of ramen

noodles with ginger scallion sauce, kimchi and a soft

poached egg or, perhaps, mix in some traditional southern

style bbq sauce like the one below for a pig sandwich,

pulled pork on a bun, or on bread, topped with cole slaw -

the signature dish of Carolina barbecue:

LEXINGTON-STYLE PIEDMONT BARBECUE SAUCE

1 1/2 cups (360 g) cider vinegar

1 cup (240 g) ketchup1/4 cup (50 g) sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce1 tablespoon Country Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon table salt3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large nonreactive saucepan and blend well.2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat, and simmer for 2030 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool to

room temperature and let stand at least 2 hours.3. STRAIN sauce so it will pass through a squeeze bottle.4. This sauce will keep for several weeks in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.

or this strange one from Montreal restaurant, Joe Beef:

One 8-ounce (237-ml) bottle of Coca-Cola, root beer or Dr. Pepper cup (60ml) cider vinegar1 cup (250ml) ketchup

2 tablespoons molasses1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals

Salt and pepper

In a saucepan, stir together the Coca-Cola, ketchup, vinegar, molasses, Sriracha, and coffee. Season liberally with saltand pepper, place over low heat, and cook for 30 minutes. The sauce will keep for up to 2 weeks in a tightly sealedcontainer in the fridge.

Mix this with your pulled pork. Put it in a tortilla with shredded lettuce, sliced onions, potato de gallo, coriander andany of your favourite taco toppings.

---> bo ssam continued

3. Meanwhile, make the ginger-scallion sauce. (see recipe

below).

4. Make the ssam sauce. In a medium bowl, combine the

chili pastes with the vinegar and oil, and mix well.

5. Prepare rice, wash lettuce and, if using, shuck the


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oysters. Put kimchi and sauces into serving bowls.

6. When your accompaniments are prepared and you are ready

to serve the food, turn oven to 500. In a small bowl, stir

together the remaining tablespoon of salt with the brown

sugar. Rub this mixture all over the cooked pork. Place in

oven for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, or until a dark

caramel crust has developed on the meat. Serve hot, with

the accompaniments.

Serves 6 to 10. Adapted from Momofuku, by David Chang

and Peter Meehan.

Sushi Rice (Sushi-meshi or Sumeshi)

3-1/3 cups short-grain rice, washed

4 cups water

3 inch square konbu (giant kelp)

5 Tbs plus 1 tsp rice vinegar

2 to 5 Tbs sugar

4 tsp sea salt

Put rice in heavy bottomed medium-sized pot or rice cooker

and add the water.

Wipe konbu clean with a damp cloth, slashing in a few

places to release more flavor if desired. Place on top of

rice in water.

Cover and heat over medium heat until it starts boiling.

Remove and discard the konbu. Cover tightly and boil over

high heat for 2 minutes.

Turn heat down to medium and boil another 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until all

water has been absorbed. Turn off heat and let stand (on

burner), with pot lid wrapped in a kitchen towel, 10 to15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare vinegar dressing. Dissolve the sugar

and salt in the vinegar over low heat. [NOTE: A little

more vinegar in the summer, but, to your taste] Force-cool

to room temperature by placing mixture in a metal bowl and

twirling in a bath of water and ice.


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Tossing rice

Using a flat wooden spoon or rice paddle, spread the hot

rice in a thin layer in a wide and shallow wooden or

plastic bowl or hangiri tub. Toss rice with horizontal

cutting strokes to keep grains separate. While

tossing, sprinkle vinegar dressing generously over the

rice, but not so much that you make the rice mushy.

Cool the rice quickly to room temperature as you toss it,

using a small fan or one of your kids fanning with a

folded up newspaper! Should all take about 10 minutes.

Cover with a damp towel in a container and finish the

same day.

Find more info in "Japanese Cooking, A Simple Art", by

Shijuo Tsuji

Remix idea: Make fried rice balls stuffed with mushrooms

or something out of the leftovers.

Better than Momofuku Ginger Scallion Sauce (a remix by

Francis Lam)

Makes 2 cups; a little goes a long way2 bunches (about 8 ounces) whole scallions, cut into 1-

inch lengths

2 ounces ginger, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 cup oil, preferably peanut or corn (I would avoid olive

oil and definitely no canola, which, when heated, tastes

like a piece of metal trying to be a piece of fish.)

Salt, to taste

1. Whirl the scallions in a food processor until theyre

finely minced but not pured (meaning stop before it gets

liquidy and pasty). Put them in a wide, tall, heatproofbowl, several times bigger than you think you need. For

real. Use a cooking pot if you have to, because when that

oil gets in there, the sizzle is going to be serious

business.

2. Grind up the ginger in the food processor until its

about the same size as the scallions. Put it into the bowl

with the scallions.


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3. Salt the ginger and scallion like they called your

mother a bad name and stir it well. Taste it. It wont

taste good because that much raw ginger and scallion

doesnt really taste good, but pay attention to the

saltiness. You want it to be just a littletoo salty to bepleasant, because you have to account for the oil youreabout to add.

4. Take another good look at the bowl. Are you sure its

heatproof? Are you sure its big enough to hold at least

four or five times what you have in there? Good, because

5. Heat the oil until it just barely starts to smoke. Then

pour it into the bowl. Its going to sizzle and bubble

like a science-project volcano, and its going to smell

awesome. But dont stick your face in it. You wouldnt

stick your face in lava, would you?

6. Let it cool to room temperature. Keep it in the fridge.Try to remember that there are other food groups.

Why Pickle?For food preservation: the acidic environment of the brine is not a place

in which harmful bacteria like to hang out. Food, therefore, lasts longer

-- a feature of the pickle that appealed more to our ancestors than they

do to us today.

For food taste: more importantly it enhances a vegetables crispiness or

crunch factor (a textural feature) and most people enjoy the acidity onthe tongue. It is sometimes said to brighten the flavour of a dish -

bringing dull, flat flavours to life. Lemon or lime is a quick acid fix

you may add to a dish.

quick salt pickles

A recipe almost seems excessive for these types of quickly

made salt-and-sugar pickles, because the technique for

making them is so simple: Sprinkle some thinly sliced

vegetables with a 3:1 mix of sugar to kosher salt and

toss. Ten to 20 minutes later, theyre ready to eat. The

resulting pickles have a fresh snap.

quick salt pickles, master recipeMAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS Halve or double the recipe as needed.


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Vegetable, prepared as indicated 1 tablespoon sugar, or

more to taste 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

1. Combine the vegetable with the sugar and salt in a

small mixing bowl and toss to coat with the sugar and

salt. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Taste: if the pickles are too sweet or too salty, put

them into a colander, rinse off the seasoning, and dry in

a kitchen towel. Taste again and add more sugar or salt as

needed. Serve after 5 to 10 minutes, or refrigerate for up

to 4 hours.

quick-pickled cucumbers:2 meaty Kirby cucumbers, cut into-inch-thick disks.

quick-pickled radishes:1 bunch radishes (breakfastradishes, icicle radishes, and the like), well scrubbedand cut into thin wedges through the root end. quick-

pickled daikon:1 large or 3 small daikon radishes, peeledand cut into very, very thin slices.

vinegar pickles, master recipe

MAKES 1 QUART

1 cup water, piping hot from the tap

cup rice wine vinegar6 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Vegetable or fruit, prepared as indicated

1. Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a mixing

bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves.

2. Pack the prepared vegetables into a quart container.

Pour the brine over the vegetables, cover, and

refrigerate. You can eat the pickles immediately, but they

will taste better after theyve had time to sit3 to 4days at a minimum, a week for optimum flavor. Most of

these pickles will keep for at least a month, except where

noted, though we typically go through them in a week or so

after theyve had a chance to sit and mature.


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pickled apples or asian pears: 3 apples (choose a firm-

fleshed variety, like Mutsu) or 2 Asian pears, peeled,

cored, and sliced just a hair less than inch thick.

These will be ready to eat after an hour in the brine and

should be eaten the day you prepare them.

pickled beets:About 2 pounds beets, preferably smallerbeets (bigger beets tend toward woodiness, though theyre

better than no beets at all), peeled, halved if theyre

not tiny, and cut into very, very thin disks or half-

moons.

pickled cantaloupe, watermelon, or other melon:Cut theflesh of 1 cantaloupe or 1 baby watermelon or other melon

into large chunkssingle-bite size, but not too small.

Cool the brine before pouring it over the fruit. These

will be ready to serve in an hour and are best eaten

within 24 hours.

pickled carrots:2 pounds baby carrots (as in infant ordwarf, not the whittled and bagged supermarket variety),scrubbed, peeled, and trimmed. If you can buy carrots with

the tops, leave inch of the tops attached and clean them

well; it makes for a better presentation. For larger (but

still small) carrots, cut them lengthwise into halves or

thirdsthey should be a size thats comfortable to pick up

and snack on, though they dont need to be bite-sized.


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pickled cauliflower:Cut the florets from 1 head ofcauliflower, separating them into one-bite pieces. pickled

celery: 1 bunch celery, tops and bottoms trimmed, fibrous

strands (particularly from the outside stalks) peeled or

stripped away, and cut into -inch slices on the bias.

pickled cherries:Pit 2 pints washed cherries, reservingthe pits, and halve the cherries. Roughly crack the cherry

pits in a mortar and pestle (or put them under a kitchen

towel and crack them with a mallet or hammer) and wrap in

a cheesecloth sachet. Omit the salt from the brine;

combine the water, vinegar, sugar, and sachet in a

saucepan and bring to a boil before pouring it over the

cherries. Cool and then refrigerate.

pickled chiles:4 cups Thai birds-eye chiles or othersmall (no longer than 2 inches) fresh hot chiles. Yes,

thats a lot of chiles, but they will last until theapocalypse. We slice them after theyve been pickled and

add them to a wide range of dishes. Be sure to wash your

hands after handling the chiles, especially once theyre

pickled, or dont blame me for the consequences.

pickled crosnes:4 cups (about 2 pounds) crosnes, wellscrubbed. Crosnes are a corkscrew-looking tuber. Theyre

more common in China, Japan, and France than they are

here, but theyre starting to make inroads. Flavorwise,

theyre not dissimilar to sunchokescrunchy, crisp, like across between an apple and a potato. If you see them, buy

them, and put them up in this brine. Theyre a good snack

and a good addition to a salad or dish that needs crunch.

Bring the brine to a boil before pouring over the crosnes.

Cool and then refrigerate. Optional: Add 1 teaspoon of

shichimi togarashi (Japanese 7-spice powder) to the brine.

pickled fennel:2 to 4 fennel bulbs, depending on size.Cut each bulb in half (all cuts are made on the root-to-

stalk axis), cut out the core, cut the halves in half, and

slice the fennel into thin strips, less than inch thick.

Optional: Add 1 teaspoon coriander seeds to the brine with

the pickles.

pickled napa cabbage:Remove the greener outer layerleaves from the head of cabbage and discard them. Use the

next couple of layers16 to 20 of the bigger leavesfor


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this pickle. Make a triangular incision into each of the

cabbage leaves to cut out the large, tough white rib and

discard it. Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in

a pickling container, stir until the sugar dissolves, and

gently pack the leaves into the container. Cover and

refrigerate.

pickled ramps:2 pounds ramps, scrubbed, whiskers trimmed.Small ramps with narrow leaves that fit comfortably into

your pickling container can be left whole. Those with

large broad leavesmore common later in the ramp season

should be trimmed: leave 1 inch of green and reserve the

trimmings for another use, like scrambling up with some

eggs. Bring the brine to a boil before pouring over the

ramps. Cool and then refrigerate. Optional: Add 1 teaspoon

shichimi togarashi (Japanese 7-spice powder), 1 teaspoon

kochukaru, and 1 tablespoon whole white peppercorns to thebrine. Note that if you want to keep pickled ramps for

more than about a month, its best to separate the green

leaves from the whites and pickle them separately. Use the

pickled greens first (or dont pickle them, and use them

in a different preparation) and then the whites (the

greens will turn soft after about a month, the whites will

keep for a few months).

pickled sunchokes:2 pounds sunchokes (also calledJerusalem artichokes), peeled and cut into -inch-thickbatons. Bring the brine to a boil before pouring it over

the sunchokes. Optional: Add 1 teaspoon shichimi togarashi

(Japanese 7-spice powder) to the brine.

pickled tokyo turnips: 4 cups (typically about 2 bunches)

Tokyo turnips:Tokyo turnips are diminutive turnips thatlook like something out of Super Mario Brothers; Scrub

them well and trim their tops so theres just inch or so

of green still attached to the turnips.

REMIXING THE PICKLE: When the pickles are gone, the

brines left, and if youre at all creative in the

kitchen, you can find a way to put it to use. Season

sauces, stocks, even cocktails (when youre old enough).

pickled mustard seeds:MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP1 cup yellow mustard seeds


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1 cups water

1 cups rice wine vinegar

cup sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Combine the mustard seeds, water, vinegar, sugar, and salt

in a small saucepan and bring to the gentlest of simmers

over low heat. Cook the mustard seeds, stirring often,

until theyre plump and tender, about 45 minutes. If the

seeds look to be drying out, add water as needed to the

pot to keep them barely submerged. Cool and store in a

covered container in the refrigerator. Pickled mustard

seeds will keep for months.

pickled watermelon rind:MAKES 1 QUART These are a littledifferent from the other vinegar pickles, as thewatermelon rinds take to a sweeter pickling medium and

require some cooking to tenderize them. Pickled watermelon

rinds are good on their own or as part of a pickle plate.

Rind of medium watermelon, including inch red flesh

1 cup rice wine vinegar

cup water

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon plus teaspoon kosher salt1 whole star anise

1 thumb-sized knob of fresh ginger, peeled

1. Cut the watermelon rind into 1-inch-thick slices.

Carefully slice the skin off each slice, and cut the

slices into 1-inch chunks.

2. Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, star anise,

and ginger in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to

dissolve the sugar. Add the watermelon rind and boil for 1

minute, then carefully transfer to a quart container. Cooland then refrigerate. These pickles are ready to eat in a

couple of hours and will keep for about a week and a half

they start to lose flavor and get too soft after that.

pickled shiitakes:MAKES A GENEROUS QUART4 loosely packed cups (about ounce) dried shiitake


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mushrooms

1 cup sugar

1 cup usukuchi (light soy sauce)

1 cup sherry or red wine vinegar

Two 3-inch knobs of fresh ginger, peeled

1. Steep the shiitakes in boiling water (or really hot tap

water) in a medium mixing bowl until softened, about 15

minutes.

2. Lift the shiitakes from the steeping water, trim off

and discard their stems, and cut the caps into -inch-

thick slices. Reserve 2 cups of the steeping liquid, and

pass it through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any sand or

debris.

3. Combine the reserved steeping liquid, the sugar, soy

sauce, vinegar, ginger, and sliced shiitakes in asaucepan. Turn the heat to medium, bring to a simmer, and

simmer gently (bubbles should lazily rise up to the

surface), stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Let cool.

4. Discard the ginger, and pack the shiitakes (and as much

of the liquid as necessary to cover them) into a quart

container. These pickles are ready to eat immediately and

will keep, refrigerated, for at least 1 month.

napa cabbage kimchi (aka paechu kimchi):MAKES 1 TO 1QUARTS

1 small to medium head Napa cabbage, discolored or loose

outer leaves discarded

2 tablespoons kosher or coarse sea salt

cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

20 garlic cloves, minced

20 slices peeled fresh ginger, minced

cup kochukaru (Korean chile powder)

cup fish sauce cup usukuchi (light soy sauce)

2 teaspoons jarred salted shrimp

cup 1-inch pieces scallions (greens and whites)

cup julienned carrots

1. Cut the cabbage lengthwise in half, then cut the halves

crosswise into 1-inch-wide pieces. Toss the cabbage with


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the salt and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a bowl. Let sit

overnight in the refrigerator.

2. Combine the garlic, ginger, kochukaru, fish sauce, soy

sauce, shrimp, and remaining cup sugar in a large bowl.

If it is very thick, add water cup at a time until the

brine is just thicker than a creamy salad dressing but no

longer a sludge. Stir in the scallions and carrots.

3. Drain the cabbage and add it to the brine. Cover and

refrigerate. Though the kimchi will be tasty after 24

hours, it will be better in a week and at its prime in 2

weeks. It will still be good for another couple weeks

after that, though it will grow incrementally stronger and

funkier.

Thai Coconut Milk Toast Crunch

A Mission Chinese Joint

Ingredients

1.1 cup coconut milk (original recipe and most of the

remix suggestions below call for half & half)

2.1 can sweetened condensed milk

3.1 stick unsalted butter, softened

4.4 thick slices of bakery white bread or Texas toast5.Sugar

6.Kafir lime leaves (optional)

1.Warm coconut milk almost to a simmer. Turn off the

heat and add kafir lime leaves.

2.Steep, covered, for 10 minutes, then strain. Sweeten

with condensed milk to taste.

3.Spread 2 tablespoons of butter on each slice of

bread. (It's OK. Its dessert).

4.Toast or bake the buttered bread until the edges are

lightly browned.

5.Dip each piece of toast in sugar, then sprinkle on a

bit more to coat evenly.

6.Torch the sugared toast on a metal rack set over a

pan. Keep the torch nozzle 2 to 3 inches from the

toast, and move it across the surface of the bread.


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Tip your pan to coax melted sugar

toward unmelted sugar. Avoid

torching the edges, because

unsugared bread can ignite.

7.If you're torchless or timid, use

the broiler instead of a torch.

Serve brled toast in a hefty

puddle of sweet coconut milk.

A few possible French Toast CrunchVariations

TYPE NAME METHOD

Indian Cardamom Toast Crunch Sprinkle cardamom on toast*; addyogurt to half and half

Irish Baileys Toast CrunchAdd Baileys to half and half; use potato

bread

Mexican Horchata Toast CrunchAdd horchata to half and half; sprinkle

cinnamon and cocoa on toast*

Japanese Match Toast CrunchAdd matcha to half and half; neatly cut

off bread crust

French French French ToastCrunch Substitute cream for half and half;double the amount of butter

Pirate Rum Raisin Toast CrunchUse raisin bread; add grog to half and

half

Breakfast Cinnamon Toast CrunchSprinkle cinnamon on before sugaring

toast*

Vegan Breakfast Cinnamon Toast CrunchUse focaccia and margarine for bread

and butter; sprinkle cinnamon on toast*;use sweetened soy-milk instead of dairy

Thai Kaffir Toast CrunchSubstitute cocnut milk for half and half;

infust with kaffir lime leaves

ItalianAmaretto-Mascarpone

Toast CrunchAdd amaretto to half and half; frost

bread with mascarpone before sugaring

Greek Baklava Toast CrunchFlavor half and half with honey and rose

water; garnish with pistachio


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Christmas Eggnog Toast CrunchUse eggnog instead of half and half;

sprinkle nutmeg on toast*

TropicalBanana-Coconut-Cilantro

Toast CrunchSpread banana on toast; use coconut

milk; garnish with cilantro

*Always add spices before sugar. Spices will burn.

Further Reading

Any of the cookbooks referenced above:Momofuku by David Chang and Peter MeehanMomofuku Milk Bar by Christina Tosi and David ChangLucky Peach Magazine by David Chang, Peter Meehan and Chris YingMission Street Food: Recipes and Ideas from an Improbable Restaurant byAnthony Myint and Karen LeibowitzThe Art of Living According to Joe Beef: A Cookbook of Sorts by DavidMcMillan, Frederic Morin, and Meredith EricksonInto the Vietnamese Kitchen, Asian Dumplings, Asian Tofu or anything byAndrea NguyenIdeas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work by Aki Kamozawa andAlexander H. Talbot

Online resources:

http://ridingshotgunla.com/http://blog.ideasinfood.com/http://www.gilttaste.com/http://www.davidlebovitz.com/http://thepopchef.blogspot.ca/http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/

http://honest-food.net
http://ridingshotgunla.com/http://blog.ideasinfood.com/http://www.gilttaste.com/http://www.davidlebovitz.com/http://thepopchef.blogspot.ca/http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/http://honest-food.net/http://blog.ideasinfood.com/http://www.gilttaste.com/http://www.davidlebovitz.com/http://thepopchef.blogspot.ca/http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/http://honest-food.net/http://ridingshotgunla.com/

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The Way of the Wu-Chang: the Art of the Kitchen Remix