Roasted Pork & Asian Pears

Ingredients:
4 Asian pears (I used Saitama), peeled and sliced
2 1/2 lb boneless pork roast
1/2 lb pearl onions*
2 tablespoon five spice powder
1/2 cup white wine or shaoxing
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Sprinkle the pork on all sides with the spices. Heat oil in a stovetop and oven safe dutch oven. Add the onions and pears and saute until the onions start to brown. Push the onions and pears to the sides of the pan and add the pork. Cook to slightly brown each side. Add the wine. Roast for 40 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Slice and serve. The juices make a great gravy, if you are into that sort of thing.




*I get bored too easily to peel tiny onions so I just use (undefrosted) frozen. They can be tricky to find but most stores seem to carry them during the holiday season. Stock up!

My thoughts:

I love Asian pears of pretty much any variety. We bought some locally grown ones at the farmers market but I've seen them sold at the regular supermarket as well. I've seen them labeled as "apple pears" due to their apple like crisp crunch and round shape but they are, indeed, a variety of pear. They hold their shape better than most regular pears do during long cooking time. They are also not terribly sweet so I feel free to use them in relatively savory ways. At any rate, this is a delightful, if slightly unphotogenic dish. Truly one of my better pork roast recipes; rustic yet flavorful. The pork was so tender, it practically melted beneath my fork. Not bad for a recipe with virtually no hands on time and very few ingredients. And it made the whole house smell fantastic!

Duck with Orange-Five Spice Sauce

for the duck:
1 5-6 lb duck
1/4 cara cara orange (1 large wedge)

dry rub:
2 tablespoons five spice powder
1 1/2 tablespoons orange peel*
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon sea salt

sauce:
1 1/2 cup cara cara orange juice
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons shoaxing
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced



Directions:
Preheat oven to 325. In a small bowl, whisk together the dry rub. Rub the dry rub into the skin of the duck. Place the duck on a roasting rack on a roasting pan. Stick the orange quarter into the cavity of the duck and roast for 2 hours or until cooked though. Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic in a small saucepan (using duck fat of a bit of olive oil) until softened. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Whisk in a bit of corn starch (dissolved in an equal amount of water) if it isn't thick enough. Ladle over sliced duck.

*Powdered/ground peel, not zest.

My thoughts:

Duck a l'Orange is the American version of a classic French dish that hit its peak during the '60s French cooking/home entertaining craze. While it still pops up on menus now and again, I thought it was time for an update. Five spice powder is one of my favorite spices, I've used it in both sweet and savory dishes and am always pleased with the savory-spicy flavor it gives anything it touches. I didn't want to leave tradition entirely behind so I used some Cara Cara oranges, their sweet but complex fruitiness was the perfect foil for the rich duck and spices. This dish scarcely takes anymore effort than roasting a chicken but is immensely rewarding, the duck is juicy and generously spiced throughout and the sauce is almost gilding the lily.

Get the most out of your duck:
Save the carcass and make duck stock.

Siphon off any fat that drips into the roasting pan every 20-30. Pour it into a heat safe container. Allow to cool then strain it using a mine mesh strainer. Store it in the fridge until ready to use.

Moo Shu Duck

Ingredients:

for the duck:
1 6 lb duck
zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons five spice powder
1 1/2 tablespoons ginger powder
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

for the filling:
1/3 cup dried tiger lily buds
6 dried cloud ear mushrooms
5 dried black or shiitake mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 bunch green onions, cut into 1 inch chunks
4 cups shredded napa cabbage
1/2 cup chicken or duck stock
2 tablespoons shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with an equal amount of water
1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

for the omelet:
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup diced green onion

for the pancakes:
2 cups flour
3/4 cup boiling water
sesame oil


Directions:
Preheat oven to 325. In a small bowl, whisk together the zest, ginger, sugar, salt, pepper and five spice powder. Rub the dry rub into the skin of the duck. Place the duck on a roasting rack on a roasting pan and roast for 2 hours or until cooked though*. Allow to cool slightly then shred the meat and set aside.

Add the flour and boiling water to a boil. Whisk together. Flour a clean, flat surface. Knead the dough until smooth, 3-5 minutes. Cover in plastic wrap and let sit for 30-40 minutes. Roll the dough into a tube about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into 16 equal pieces. Use the palm of your hand to flatten each one slightly. Brush the top of half the rounds with sesame oil. Top with a second pancake. Roll them together until they are 5-6 inches wide. Stack, covered with a damped cloth until ready to heat. Heat a nonstick pan and cook each pair for about 2 minutes on each side. Separate them into individual pancakes. Wrap the stack in foil until ready to serve. If needed, steam in a bamboo steamer or microwave them for a few seconds to reheat.


Meanwhile, rehydrate the mushrooms and lily buds in hot water. Cut off any hard bits on the lily buds and tie them in a knot. Thinly slice the mushrooms. Set aside. Whisk the omelet ingredients together. Cook the eggs in a flat layer in a nonstick skillet or work. Slice into strips. Set aside. Heat the oil in a wok. Add the vegetables, lily buds, mushrooms and broth. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil and shaoxing. Stir fry for 1 minute then add the cornstarch mixture. Cook until the mixture boils. Add the egg and duck. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Serve in pancakes with hoisin sauce.



*If you would like to reserve the duck fat for another recipe, drain it off the bottom of pan every 1/2 hour to 45 minutes and pour into a heat safe container. Duck fat is amazingly tasty to cook with.

My thoughts:

This is a bit of a time consuming recipe, I admit, but it is worth it. The pancakes are super simple to make (who knew?) and the duck is so flavorful that when you sit down to eat, you won't remember that it took the better part of an evening. If you are a planner, make the duck ahead of time and just toss it in with everything else when you actually want to eat. Normally moo shu is made with pork (or occasionally chicken) but we found a duck for a good price and thought it would make an excellent variation. We were right, the meat is succulent and adds a richness to the mixture that is similar to what you would get from pork but slightly more complex. Not to slight pork, you know how deep my love for pork runs, but it is a wonderful, delicious change. Some of the ingredients are a bit exotic but any Chinese (or even Korean in our experience) store will have them and since they are dried they keep for ages, possibly even years. I really would try to find them all, they add the perfect textures and flavors to the dish and are sorely missed if absent.

Leftovers hold up surprisingly well. Just refrigerate the pancakes and filling (separately)in air tight containers and reheat them over low heat the next day. What a treat it is to have homemade moo shu pancakes for lunch!

Pumpkin Five Spice Sweet Rolls

Ingredients:

for the rolls:
4 cups flour
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1/3 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 oz dry yeast
2 eggs, at room temperature

for the filling:
4 to 5 tablespoons butter, creamed
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons Chinese 5 spice powder*

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, sprinkle the yeast on the water. Using an electric mixer with a dough hook combine the yeast, butter, sugar, egg and pumpkin. Add the flour and mix on low until smooth. The mixture should become a sticky dough at this time but it shouldn't feel damp or look wet. If it does, mix in a small amount of flour. Knead on a floured surface or in a stand mixer until smooth (but still slightly sticky).

Place the ball of dough in a buttered bowl. Cover with a tea towel or loose plastic wrap and let rise for about 45 minutes or until it doubles in size. It is okay if it rises longer or higher than that.

Preheat oven to 350. Remove dough from bowl and place on a clean, floured surface.



Roll the dough out in a large, 1/3 inch thick rectangle.



Spread the creamed butter over dough in a thin layer reaching all of the edges.





In small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and 5 spice powder. Sprinkle evenly over the buttered dough.



Roll dough into a tight log. Cut into 1 inch thick slices.




Discard the end slices if they are very small. Gently reshape each roll so they are round again.



Place in three 9 inch round cake pans that have been lightly sprayed with nonstick baking spray, forming a circle with one roll in the middle.




Allow to rise about 1/2 hour until they are about level to the top of the cake pan.




Bake for 15 minutes, then check to see if they are done. Pay careful attention to the creases where the rolls touch each other, you don't want any pockets of raw dough! Return to oven to fully cook as needed. Remove to a wire rack to cool for a minute then invert and ice.

Excellent with cream cheese sweet roll icing.

*I bought my bottle at H Mart (a Korean grocery store with lots of pan-Asian ingredients) but even McCormick makes a version now, so it is easily found at most grocery stores.


Yield: about 14 rolls

My thoughts:

This recipe took sort of a circuitous route into existence. I try to only post seasonal recipes and this time of year my most popular and favorite recipes to make always involve pumpkin, so I wanted to come up with a new way of using pumpkin.

I had been thinking about making pumpkin 5 spice ice cream until I decided that the flavor (five spice powder is a mixture of cinnamon, star anise, cloves, ginger and Sichuan peppercorn) might be better suited to a twist on the traditional cinnamon roll.

I really liked the idea of the five spice-pumpkin ice cream but wasn't confident that it would be good enough to post. I know that ice cream made with a ground spice often ends up with an unappetizing grainy texture so I had planned to break down the powder into the specific ingredients and use whole cloves, star anise, Sichuan peppercorn, cinnamon sticks and ginger and strain them out. However, I was worried that the flavor of so many whole spices might overpower the pumpkin. Five spice ice cream still sounds great (and I can't wait to make it) but for this recipe I really wanted the pumpkin flavor to be present and distinct. So I decided against it but was still in love with the idea of the five spice-pumpkin combination; five spice is similar to the traditional pumpkin pie spices but a little fresher and more dynamic.

I think I couldn't have come up with a better recipe incorporating five spice powder and pumpkin than these rolls. The fresh, pumpkin flavor is distinct but contained in the dough and is a great contrast to the distinctive flavor provided by the five spice powder in the sugar mixture. They are wonderfully addictive. We couldn't even wait for the them to cool before we devoured several. Really, they are better than any cinnamon roll I've ever had.

The dough is very soft and easy to work with; it rolls out like a dream. And while, yes, this recipe isn't exactly healthy, unlike a lot of sweet roll recipes, it only calls for 4 tablespoons of butter in the dough (unlike the 1/2 to 1 cup I've seen in cinnamon bun recipes) and I was able to get by with only 4 tablespoons in the filling. Not bad for a sweet roll that tastes so decadent.

Sichuan Peppercorn & 5 Spice Encrusted Pork Loin

Ingredients:
2 lb pork loin

spice mixture
2 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons smashed Sichuan peppercorns
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon five spice powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

steam flavoring
1/4 cup whole star anise
1/4 cup white tea leaves

mesquite chips

Directions:
Whisk together the spices. Rub on all sides of the pork. Store any leftover spice mixture in an air tight container.

Place a 8x8 square disposable heavy duty baking pan on the bottom of your charcoal grill and arrange the coals on either side. Pour water in the pan to the halfway point and the tea and star anise. Place mesquite chips in a foil packet, poke holes in the foil, and place on the coals. Place the pork on the center of the grate, over the disposable tin.



This will allow the pork to cook evenly on indirect heat. Keep the lid ajar until you start to see smoke.



Cover, leaving the top vents open and cook, turning the pork occasionally, until fully cooked, about 2 hours.



Note: If you notice that the smoke stops smelling like mesquite, replace the packet. Also, if the temperature seems to dip, add a couple of (cold) coals and uncover for a few minutes.

Tip: Crush the Sichuan peppercorns in a molcajete (like my husband is demonstrating below) or just crush them with your fingers.

My thoughts:

This is some seriously juicy, flavorful pork. The "slow and low" method keeps the loin from drying out and the spices seal in the juices. It really is my favorite way to cook pork loin, which as a fairly lean cut of meat is easy to over cook. Not using this method. It is incredibly easy but yields tender, juicy meat every time. In this version the Chinese spices permeate the pork, infusing it with a spicy, sweet flavor that pairs well with everything. Leftovers are great in sandwiches.

Chinese Influenced Boneless Pork Ribs

Ingredients:

2 lb boneless pork ribs
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 red chiles, seeds removed and diced
3 shallots, minced
1/3 cup black vinegar
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons black sesame oil
2 tablespoons fermented black bean paste
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons palm sugar
1 tablespoon malt syrup
1 tablespoon five spice powder


a couple drops liquid smoke (optional)



Directions:

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet. Cook the pork for 1 minute on each side. Place in the slow cooker. Pour the remaining ingredients over the meat. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. If the sauce is very thin, pour into a saucepan and cook until thickened. Drizzle on ribs and serve.

My thoughts:

This is one of the easiest and tastiest meals you can make. It's a snap to put together and the resulting ribs are meltingly tender. Perfect over white rice for a simple, no fuss meal. Not to mention incredibly affordable- boneless pork ribs are frequently found on sale for under $2 a pound.

Roasted Pineapple Five Spice Sorbet

Ingredients:
5 cups cubed fresh pineapple (one whole pineapple)
6 oz pineapple juice
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 tablespoon Chinese Five Spice Powder


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Place the pineapple in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pieces look caramelized. Cool. Place in a blender with the five spice powder, lime and pineapple juice. Pulse until smooth. Pour into a ice cream maker. Churn according to product directions until frozen. For a more firm texture, freeze up to 4 hours before serving.

My thoughts:

It must be pineapple season in Hawaii because all of the local stores have had really large, juicy whole pineapples for about half their usual price. As a result, I think I have eaten more pineapple in the last couple of weeks than I think I have over the course of my entire life. I had bought two pineapples for a recipe and ended up only using one so this left me with a rapidly ripening pineapple without a destiny. So I chopped it up and tossed it in the Vita-Mix where it promptly became frothy. I was tempted to drink it as is but resisted the urge and instead froze it. I am glad I did, the sorbet was one of the best I've ever had. I had actually thought about making the same flavor but as ice cream but I think it was better served in sorbet, the caramelize pineapple flavor really shines.

Mongolian Pork

Ingredients:
4 lb pork tenderloin
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 inch chunk ginger, grated
1 onion, cut into thin slices
1 shallot, grated
1/2 cup broth
1/2 cup light soy sauce*
1/2 cup shaoxing cooking wine
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce*
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons black vinegar
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon five spice powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon black sesame oil
1 teaspoon Maggi Seasoning

to serve:
cooked rice
chopped scallions

Directions:
Place all ingredients in the slow cooker. Give it a quick stir. Cover and cook on low for about 5 hours or until the pork is completely cooked through. Slice thinly then return to the slow cooker on high for 10 minutes before serving. Serve over white rice garnished with chopped scallions.

*I have been using Wan Ja Shan sauces to great success. They are easy to find and have a tasty, authentic flavor. They even have organic soy sauces!

My thoughts:

This my interpretation of a take-out favorite, Mongolian Pork. I think Mongolian Beef might be a bit more common but one of our favorite Chinese take-out places has a yummy Mongolian pork. Mongolian pork (or beef or chicken) isn't strictly authentic Chinese food, it is one of these Chinese-American take-out concoctions. Generally a rather saucy vegetable-deficient meat dish it is salty-sweet and wonderfully addictive. I think the pork is a little lighter tasting than beef and making it in the slow cooker is a breeze. If you pop some rice in the rice cooker as I did, the whole meal takes maybe 5 minutes of hands on time. Faster than actual take-out!

Spiced Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
6 oz semisweet chips
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, at room temperature*


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg, beat until fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, the spices and oatmeal. Mix until well combined. Fold in chips. Place tablespoon sized blobs of dough on the lined cookie sheet about 1/2 inch apart and bake for 12-14 minutes or until they look "set" and the bottoms are just golden. Carefully remove to a wire rack to cool completely.



Yield: about 2 dozen cookies



*This was my first time baking with Eggland's Best eggs which have less cholesterol, more omega 3s and vitamin E (among other health benefits). I was pleased with how they turned out, they tasted and acted the same as my usual eggs so why not add a little extra nutrition?

My thoughts:

I woke up to a cool and dreary day today so it seemed like a perfect excuse to whip up a batch of cookies. These are chewy, spice-kissed and full of chocolate.Make them today!

Five Spice Duck with Roasted Mango Sauce

Ingredients:
1 5 lb duck

for the dry rub:
zest of one lime
2 tablespoon 5 spice powder
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

for the mango sauce:
1/2 cup cubed mango
1 whole mango
1 1/2 inch knob fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon bourbon
zest and juice of 1/2 lime


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Place the whole mango on a pan and bake 1 hour or until soft. Remove and allow to cool for one hour. Meanwhile, whisk together the rub the dry rub into the skin of the duck. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. Reduce heat to 325. Place the duck on a roasting rack on a roasting pan and roast for 2 hours or until cooked though*. Meanwhile, scoop the roasted mango out of the skin. Place in a saucepan with the cubed mango, cornstarch, ginger, bourbon and soy sauce. Heat, stirring occasionally until a thick sauce forms. Serve with the duck.



*If you would like to reserve the duck fat for another recipe, drain it off the bottom of pan every 1/2 hour to 45 minutes and pour into a heat safe container. Duck fat is amazingly tasty to cook with.

My thoughts:

My husband is obsessed with duck. Obsessed! But it is somewhat hard to find at the store and often very expensive. We've been wanting to make one for ages as I had actually never cooked a duck before and he loves them so. We had come across a reasonably priced duckling during a free trial visit to a big box store and snapped it up. I wanted to make sort of a modern version of the kitschy '60s staple duck a l'orange and thought mango would be perfect fruit to pair with duck. After attending the mango festival last year I have become a firm believer that everything tastes better with mango! So I decided to make "duck a la mango" with a Chinese twist instead of a French one. The roasted mango has an almost caramelized flavor and soft texture that is wonderful in the sauce while the fresh mango provides some texture contrast. The duck, of course, is excellent. Succulent and with just a hint of spice.

Sweet & Spicy Peanuts

Ingredients:
2 cups unsalted, roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon chipotle chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt

Directions:
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 250. Toss all ingredients together except for the salt. Make sure the nuts are evenly coated. Arrange in a single layer on one of the baking sheet and bake 25-35 minutes, or until the peanuts look mostly dry, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with salt and allow to cool on the remaining lined baking sheet.


Tip: Set the oven timer for 5 minutes, stir the nuts. I (carefully!) reached in the oven and tossed them with a spatula then set the timer again until 30 or so minutes were up.

My thoughts:

I made these for our neighbors who, by the wafting scent of their Old Bay redolent crab feasts they host each year, like things a little bit spicy. The sugar provides a nice sweet component and helps the spices stick to the nuts. This was Matt's second favorite of the 6 kinds of nuts I made this year. I have to admit, I only had a couple (after a marathon day of nut flavoring I was in nut overload) but they were very good, just the perfect middle ground between sweet and spicy. The five spice powder was a great idea if I do say myself, it gave a complex flavor to the nuts without having to measure tiny amounts of spices.