CHINESE FOOD IN AMERICA has a long history associated with cheap and hearty takeaways. Plates with chop suey dress and sugar-glazed chicken are the classic heavyweights of Chinese-American cuisine, often served with deep-fried wontons or a fortune cookie.
For decades, this food – delicious in itself and wonderful, if not the healthiest – was the only Chinese food Americans knew, largely thanks to generations of immigrants from a small part of the vast country.
“For over a century, from the gold rush period to the 1960s, the Chinese population in America was mostly Cantonese, as was Chinese food in America,” said David R. Chan, a food historian who has eaten more than 7,500 Chinese Restaurants in America.
In the 19th century, multitudes of immigrants from southeast China adapted their dishes for the American palate with a limited repertoire of ingredients – the high-carbohydrate, low-cost food that has been associated with the entire kitchen.
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It persisted mainly because Americans have an affinity for low-carbohydrate, low-cost foods (pizza, fries, hot dogs). It was not until the 1970s and 1980s, after the US resumed diplomatic relations with mainland China, that other Chinese peoples began to emigrate to America and new provincial dishes began to appear.
And in many cases, this new cuisine, combining authentic recipes with surprising new flavors and a greater variety of nutritious ingredients, wasn’t born until the American-born children of these immigrants grew up and opened their own restaurants. .
Think Johnny Lee in Los Angeles, who specializes in Hong Kong-style barbecues, which is steeped in South American barbecue culture. Over in Massachusetts, Nadia Liu Spellman serves up an updated version of her mother’s Fujian mother’s spicy cucumber salad – crispy pieces of English cucumber marinated in umami-colored vinegar and fizzy chillies.
We took four amazing recipes from some of the best modern Chinese restaurants in America and simplified them for the home cook. Everyone will completely change the way you think about Chinese food. Together they make a spectacular four-course menu.
Sliced beef in hot and spicy oil
The lip-tingling, slowly built-up burn of this starter made it a bestseller at the Duck House Chinese Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, where it’s most commonly eaten over rice. Duck House co-owner Harvey Liu recommends washing everything down with a harder cider or an IPA.
Alex Lau
What you will need:
2 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 pound thinly sliced beef brisket
2 tbsp corn starch
1 cup bean sprouts
2 large leaves of a napa cabbage, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp chopped ginger
2 cloves of garlic
1 spring onion, cut into 2 cm pieces
4 dried chili peppers
1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns, finely ground
4 tbsp hot broad bean paste
1 tbsp warmed vegetable oil, finely chopped green onions, chopped garlic and crushed paprika flakes for garnish
How to do it:
1. Mix the cooking wine and soy sauce in a large bowl. Add the brisket and marinate for 15 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of water and stir in the corn starch. Put aside.
2. In a large saucepan of boiling water, cook the bean sprouts and cabbage for 2 to 3 minutes, until they wither slightly. Strain and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a serving bowl.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, green onions, chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns until flavorful, about 1 minute. Add the flavorful bean paste and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover for 10 minutes.
4. Strain the solid ingredients and add the beef, simmer for about 1 minute until it is just cooked through. Transfer the beef to the serving bowl with bean sprouts and cabbage. Pour in some broth. Garnish and serve. Feeds 2
Smoky and sweet Char Siu Pork
This protein-rich meal comes from Chef Johnny Lee at Pearl River Deli in Los Angeles. It is inspired by the quick-casual Chinese grill shops in Hong Kong, with glittering pieces of roast pork and poultry hanging in shop windows. “My memories are eating from styrofoam boxes over rice,” says Lee. “This recipe works with most cuts of pork, including pork loin, tenderloin – even ribs.”
Alex Lau
What you will need:
1 1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup hoisin sauce, plus 1 tbsp
2 1/2 tbsp chu-hou paste (or add 2 1/2 tbsp more hoisin sauce)
1/3 cup dark soy sauce, plus 1 tbsp
1/4 cup Shaoxing wine
1/4 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder
2 1/2 pounds of pork chops cut into 1 inch steaks
2/3 honey
How to do it:
1. In a large bowl, add the sugar, 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup hoisin, the chu-hou paste (or more hoisin), ⅓ cup of dark soy sauce, the Shaoxing wine, and the five-spice Chinese powder stir. Add the pork and marinate overnight or for at least 3 hours.
2. Preheat your grill to medium height. Place the pork on the grill over indirect heat, close the lid, and cook until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each steak reads 155 ° F for about 45 minutes.
3. Mix the rest of the hoisin and soy sauce, honey and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over low heat and reduce until the glaze is slightly sticky. Cool to room temperature. Spread this glaze over the pork and serve. Feeds 4
Tomato and egg over rice
“There are limitless variations in this recipe,” says Lucas Sin, the head chef at Junzi Kitchen in New York City. “I grew up in Hong Kong and my father was a big tomato grower. I remember those fresh tomatoes that were cut up and fried with eggs. It’s one of those perfect tomato dishes like spaghetti and meatballs. “
Alex Lau
What you will need:
2 eggs
3 tbsp vegetable oil
3 spring onions (mash the white pieces with the flat side of a knife and cut into 1-inch segments; finely chop the green pieces to garnish)
2 medium-sized tomatoes, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2 inch wedges
Sugar at will
Steamed rice, for serving
How to do it:
1. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon water. In a large pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Move quickly, add the eggs and cook, constantly squeezing and folding with chopsticks until just firm, about 10 seconds. Remove from heat and place on a plate.
2. Wipe the pan and set it back to medium height. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the white spring onions and cook, stirring, until flavorful and just starting to turn brown, about 15 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, until they start to crumble, about 3 minutes. Add salt and sugar to taste.
3. Add the boiled eggs to the tomato sauce. Stir to combine for about 15 seconds. Remove from heat and garnish with the spring onion greens. Eat with warm, steamed rice. Feeds 1
cucumber salad
“This dish is balanced – sophisticated yet simple,” says Nadia Liu Spellman, the owner of Dumpling Daughter in Massachusetts. “Acid, sugar and salt play an important role and bring the best out of the cucumber.”
Alex Lau
What you will need:
1 English cucumber, cut into thumb-sized pieces
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp chilli oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
How to do it:
1. In a medium-sized bowl, toss the cucumber with 1/2 tablespoon of salt. Let rest for 1 hour.
2. Mix the sugar and vinegar in a large bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Rinse the cucumber well, add to the vinegar mixture and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
3. Strain the cucumber, discard the marinade and place in a large bowl with the garlic, oils and soy sauce. Serve chilled. Feeds 4
A version of this article appeared in the September 2021 issue of Men’s Health.
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