Grilled Skewed Beef with Onion and Chili Peppers

中文： 香辣烤牛肉串

I have done grilled skewed beef for so many times that I can do it right with my eyes closed O(∩_∩)O~  however, I am never getting tired of BBQ, neither is my husband.  We grill and BBQ at any chances when the weather allows. 

Ingredients：

2 pounds of chuck eye roast
1/4 to 1/3 low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
2 to 3 tablespoons rice cooking wine
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced with garlic presser   
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 egg white
2 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 cup chicken stock/ water or as needed
freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons white sesame seeds
red pepper flakes
cumin
extra white sesame seeds

Directions：

Dice the chuck eye beef into 1/2 by 1/2 inch cubes.  Add the beef to a medium bowl, along with soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice cooking wine, sugar, paprika, ginger powder, minced garlic, onion, egg white, corn starch, black pepper, salt and white sesame seeds.  Mix with a pair of chopsticks or a wooden spoon while slowly adding chicken stock / water.

Cover with plastic and allow the beef to marinate in refrigerator for 2 days.

Remove the beef from fridge half hour prior to the grilling time. 

Skew the beef together with stainless skewers

Start the grill and wait until the interior temperature reaches 400F/204C.

Spray the grill rack with oil.  Add skewed beef.  Spray the beef with a little bit oil too so that they won’t stick to the grill racks.

Cast iron grill racks are a lot like cast iron pans.  The more you use them, the more they get seasoned.

Flip the beef over.  Caramelization is starting.

Keep grilling and flipping until both sides are golden brown.

Mix cumin, pepper flakes and white sesame seeds in a small bowl.

Sprinkle the mixed spiced over grilled beef.

And now it is done.  What you need now is a can of cold beer!

O(∩_∩)O~

Spicy Skewed Venison

中文菜谱：烤鹿肉串

It is the hunting season again in Michigan.  Recently I received some delicious gift from a friend, venison meat!  A bag of ground venison was made into beautiful chili which I posted it last time.  Today I am sharing my recipe to make spicy skewed venison, another my favorite way to eat venison meat. Super tender and juicy, and super tasty too! O(∩_∩)O~

Ingredients：

1 pound venison
1/2 onion, thinly sliced or chopped
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon rice cooking wine
2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 to 3 teaspoons sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons sesame oil
 1 teaspoon corn starch
a pinch of baking soda
1/2 egg white
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
oil for pan frying
toasted white sesame seeds
ground cumin
red pepper flakes

Directions：

Cut venison into cubes.  Add to a large bowl along with rice cooking wine, oyster sauce, salt, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, corn starch, baking soda, egg white and black pepper.  Mix with a wooden spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 

Because venison meat is extra lean, I add corn starch, baking soda and egg white to tenderize it.  Baking soda works great.  A pinch will do the work.  Too much of it will ruin the venison flavor.

Skew the seasoned meat with bamboo skewers

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.  Add oil, and then the skewed venison.  Pan fry until both sides are golden brown.

Sprinkle with toasted white sesame, ground cumin and pepper flakes.

Serve immediately. 

I love serving dishes on sizzling platter with wooden tray which can keep the food hot for a longer time O(∩_∩)O~

Spicy Venison Chili

中文菜谱：鹿肉CHILI

I usually make chili using beef.  It doesn’t occur to me until recently that venison chili is also very awesome too!

 The venison came from one of friend who loves hunting.  She hunts every year and is really good at it.  She sent me one bag of ground venison which I make venison chili with, and another bag of chunky meat which I am planning to grill. 

Ingredients：

1 pound of ground venison
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 large or 2 small size onions, peeled and diced
2 to 3 jalapeño peppers, chopped
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 to 2 tablespoons ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 can diced tomatoes  / tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can cooked kidney beans
2 to 3 cups chicken stock
freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste

Directions:

Heat a cast iron pot over heat.  Add minced garlic, chopped onion and jalapeno peppers.  I use 4 1/4 quarts Le Creuset soup pot which is perfect for stewing.

Sautee until the onion becomes semi-transparent.  Add ground venison.  Continue to sautee for a couple minutes.

I grind chili peppers, cayenne peppers, coriander seeds and cumin seeds together with a coffee/ spice grinder

Add ground spices and black pepper

Mix well with a wooden spoon

Add diced tomato/ tomato sauce and tomato paste. 

I make my own dice tomato which is thicker and more flavorful. 

Add chicken stock and salt.  Cook over high heat until the mixture boils.  Reduce to simmer for about 2 hours.

Stir with a wooden spoon occasionally to prevent burning on the bottom.

Drain cooked kidney beans

Add the beans and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes.

Serve hot immediately. 

That is why I love to cook and serve with Le Creuset cast iron cookware.  Not only it looks good on table but also keep the food hot for a really long time.

These thin naan bread goes really well with hot chili.

Come pull up a seat and have a bowl of hot spicy venison chili! O(∩_∩)O~

Beef Shank and Tendon Stew with Dried Bamboo Shoots

中文：牛筋牛腱笋干煲

Half of the beef shank and tendon I cooked in an instant pot was used in a Daikon stew .  The other half was used in a dried bamboo shoot stew here.

Bamboo shoot is a widely used ingredient in China.  We cook it fresh when bamboo shoot is in season.  Any extra bamboo shoots can be sun-dried and used or cooked later.  Sun-dried bamboo shoot has longer shelf life.  The drying process intensify bamboo’s flavor and add chewiness, in a good way. 

I use bamboo shoot which is a gift from a friend all the way from China.  That is exactly why this dish is so so so good! O(∩_∩)O~

It is cooked almost exactly the same way as that Daikon stew.

Ingredients:

1 large piece of cooked beef shank, cut into cubes
12 pieces of cooked beef tendon, cut into cubes
dry bamboo shoots
3 to 6 fresh chili peppers, coarsely chopped
2 to 3 gloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
1 small piece of ginger root, sliced
2 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
2 to 3 tablespoons rice cooking wine
1/4 to 1/2 cup of soy sauce
2 to 3 tablespoons cooking oil
salt to taste

Directions：

These bamboo shoots are from a dear friend.  But you can also find them in any Asian grocery store.  

They come in many forms. 

Soak the bamboo shoots for 1 day and rinse well under cold running water.  Cut or dice them up. 

Heat a wok over high heat; add oil, and then garlic, ginger, red chile peppers and Sichuan peppercorns;   sauté for half to a minute. 

Add beef tendon and shank cubes along with oyster sauce and rice cooking wine.  Sit fry over high heat until the liquid evaporates. It takes about 5 to 8 minutes. 

Add beef stock and bamboo shoot

When it boils again, transfer the stew to a tagine pot.  I use a Le Creuset enameled cast iron 2 quart tagine pot .  Love it very much.

Simmer over medium low heat for 15 to 20 minutes

Serve hot immediately.

During the cold winter, I love to a Staub fondue universal base  to keep stews or soups hot.  It doesn’t just look pretty but also very functional too.

Light the fire gel  up with a multipurpose lighter

Time to enjoy! O(∩_∩)O~

Grilled Bacon Wrap Potatoes

中文： 培根烤土豆

We harvest some potatoes from our backyard.  We can’t wait to taste our own potatoes so I make grilled bacon wrapped potatoes with fresh rosemary which is also from my garden. 

Oh man, they taste so so so good!O(∩_∩)O~

It doesn’t look like much at first glance.

Do a little bit diggin 

What? We have red skin potatoes too? 

A big on

Some small one

And funny on 

All done

Although we buy local potatoes from local farmer’s market all the time.  But eating the ones we grow in our own backyard is totally different.  I am so proud, haha O(∩_∩)O~ 

Ingredients：

3 to 4 medium size potatoes
7 to 8 slices of bacon, cut into halves
1 pinch of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
freshly grinded black pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons of McCormick grill seasoning , flavor of your choice
1 to 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

Directions：

Clean and rinse the potatoes under running water.  Add to a medium pot and enough water to soak them in the pot.  Cook over medium high heat for 14 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked though. 

Cut the potatoes into wedges or cubes.  Add to a big bowl along with black pepper, rosemary, grill seasoning, olive oil and salt. 

Gently mix them together.  Wrap each of potatoes with one piece of bacon.  Secure with toothpicks.

Preheat the grill to 400F/ 204C.  Add potatoes. 

Grill until both sides are golden brown. 

Do not rush the process by cranking the heat up.  Medium low heat works the best here. 

Sprinkle with extra grill seasoning on to

Serve immediately

I love to serve them on a sizzling plate

Bon Appétit!