Stir-fries in Chinese Soul Food are so fast, I made the Chinese Rice Cakes with Chicken and the Beef with Asparagus on the same night.
Chinese Soul Food is a book you’ll actually cook from, not just look at the pretty pictures
I’ve had the good fortune to attend one of Hsiao-Ching Chou’s dumpling classes at Hot Stove Society in Seattle, so I was really looking forward to Chinese Soul Food. I’ve cooked about a half a dozen dishes from it, so far.
The verdict: Chinese Soul Food makes Chinese home cooking accessible with easy to follow recipes and a solid guide to ingredients. It bills itself as the “friendly guide” to dumplings, stir-fries, et. al. and it is absolutely is that. For me, it’s worth for it the stir-fry section alone. The Beef and Asparagus is great, the Chicken with Snow Peas, the Rice Cakes with Chicken and Shiitakes. They’re simple, delicious, and great for weeknight meals.
I’m an avid home cook, but far from pro, and I’ve had an Americanized chicken stir-fry in my rotation for years. Chinese Soul Food provided a few small lessons that led to huge breakthroughs. In the past, I wasn’t getting stir-fries done in 15 minutes or less with the sauciness I was looking for. The directions are clear and well-written. I’m confident I’ll get good results with other recipes as I cook through the book. The Sweet and Sour Spareribs are on my stove as I type.
Pork and Chinese Cabbage Dumplings with Soy-Ginger Dipping Sauce from Hsiao-Ching Chou’s Chinese Soul Food.
Dumplings are one of Chou’s hallmarks and because they’re a little more specialized, it’s one area where the book could use a little more more content. There are a few photos providing guidance on folding, but a step-by-step tutorial and/or video would be a huge help if you haven’t done it before. The good news is there are videos posted on her My Chinese Soul Food site, but they’re not referenced in the book.
I used store bought wrappers, so if you’re at all nervous about making your own, there’s no shame in using the prepared dumpling skins. I chickened out on making the dumpling dough until I could get to the market for the specific rolling pin. The right tools will help you get a job done right. I can tell you the Pork and Chinese Cabbage filling tastes great.
Finally, if what you’re looking for are the Chinese-American style dishes you grew up with, like Cashew Chicken, Mongolian Beef, General Tso’s Chicken, Chinese Soul Food has those, too. The Guilty Pleasures chapter offers recipes based on many of the dishes served in her family’s restaurant in Columbia, Missouri.
My Instagram followers picked the beef and asparagus as the first dish to cook from the book. It was a hit. We’re just getting into local asparagus season in the Northwest, and the folks at Sasquatch Books allowed me to publish the recipe with this review.
Beef with Asparagus and Shiitake Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine or dry Marsala wine
- 1 to 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ pound flank steak
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- ½ pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1.-inch segments
- 6 to 8 medium dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in warm water to reconstitute, stems removed, caps sliced in half
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper powder
Instructions
To make the sauce, in a small bowl, put the soy sauce, water, ginger, wine, and garlic, and stir to combine. Set aside. To make the filling, in a medium bowl, put the beef, celery, onions, soy sauce, and pepper, and mix well. Set aside.
Trim the flank steak of any large pieces of membrane. Cut the flank in half or thirds lengthwise, or with the grain. Depending on the total width of the flank, you may get two or three sections that are about 3 inches wide. Cut these sections against the grain into ⅛-inch slices. Place the beef in a medium bowl. Add the soy sauce and mix well. Add the cornstarch and mix well again.
Preheat a wok over high heat until wisps of smoke rise from the surface. Add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and heat until it starts to shimmer. Gently add the beef and, using a spatula, quickly spread it into a single layer in the bowl of the wok. Sear the beef for about 15 seconds and then stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, breaking up any pieces that have stuck together. Remove the wok from the heat, transfer the beef to a medium bowl, and set aside. Rinse the wok and dry with a towel.
Return the wok to the stove over high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and heat until it starts to shimmer. Add the asparagus and mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the spear shave turned dark green. Add the beef and stir to combine. Add the sauce, and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the sauce has penetrated all the ingredients. Add the sesame oil and pepper, and give it one last stir. Serve with steamed rice.
Notes
*(c)2018 by Hsiao-Ching Chou. All rights reserved. Excerpted from Chinese Soul Food by permission of Sasquatch Books.
