You piqued my curiosity in the freezing tomato sauce thread. When I red
cook, I use a concoction which is basically soy sauce, water, ginger,
sugar, maybe something else (don't have _How to Cook and Eat in Chinese_
here at the office). Do you make a lot and freeze the extra? Freeze it
and reuse it? Or do you mean something else by "red-cooking sauce?"

Thanks!

Priscilla, whose mouth is starting to water for red cooked pork and turnips

Priscilla H. Ballou wrote:
> [snip] When I red cook, I use a concoction which is
> basically soy sauce, water, ginger, sugar, maybe
> something else (don't have _How to Cook and Eat in Chinese_
> here at the office). Do you make a lot and freeze the extra?
> Freeze it and reuse it? Or do you mean something else by
> "red-cooking sauce?"
>
Yeah, that's the stuff, with star anise (essential) and dried Sichuan
peppers and other options like a piece of cinammon bark and a hunk of
yellow rock sugar.

After you've enjoyed your red cooked pork and turnips, strain the
cooking liquid through cheesecloth into a jar and refrigerate it. When
it's cold, any fat in it will come to the top and congeal. I leave it
there as a sealant until the next time I use it (just like chicken
stock). It will keep for months in the refrigerator, I think, though
we usually reuse it quicker than that. Sometimes I have a larger
quantity than I know I will normally need, so I divide it and freeze
the excess.

The next time you use it, bring it to a simmer for a couple of minutes
and then taste it. Replenish whichever elements you think it needs --
star anise, five-spice powder, dried chile peppers, garlic, ginger,
whatever, or everything. Repeat the storage and reuse process until
you have to move. That's the only reason why our current batch is only
a year or so old.

-aem

aem wrote:
>
> Priscilla H. Ballou wrote:
> > [snip] When I red cook, I use a concoction which is
> > basically soy sauce, water, ginger, sugar, maybe
> > something else (don't have _How to Cook and Eat in Chinese_
> > here at the office). Do you make a lot and freeze the extra?
> > Freeze it and reuse it? Or do you mean something else by
> > "red-cooking sauce?"
> >
> Yeah, that's the stuff, with star anise (essential) and dried Sichuan
> peppers and other options like a piece of cinammon bark and a hunk of
> yellow rock sugar.

Right! It was the star anise I was forgetting. No dried peppers for
this tender-mouthed gal.

> After you've enjoyed your red cooked pork and turnips, strain the
> cooking liquid through cheesecloth into a jar and refrigerate it. When
> it's cold, any fat in it will come to the top and congeal. I leave it
> there as a sealant until the next time I use it (just like chicken
> stock). It will keep for months in the refrigerator, I think, though
> we usually reuse it quicker than that. Sometimes I have a larger
> quantity than I know I will normally need, so I divide it and freeze
> the excess.

But you were talking about freezing it, weren't you?

> The next time you use it, bring it to a simmer for a couple of minutes
> and then taste it. Replenish whichever elements you think it needs --
> star anise, five-spice powder, dried chile peppers, garlic, ginger,
> whatever, or everything. Repeat the storage and reuse process until
> you have to move. That's the only reason why our current batch is only
> a year or so old.

Wonderful! Thanks so much!

Priscilla

"aem" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>
> Priscilla H. Ballou wrote:
>> [snip] When I red cook, I use a concoction which is
>> basically soy sauce, water, ginger, sugar, maybe
>> something else (don't have _How to Cook and Eat in Chinese_
>> here at the office). Do you make a lot and freeze the extra?
>> Freeze it and reuse it? Or do you mean something else by
>> "red-cooking sauce?"
>>
> Yeah, that's the stuff, with star anise (essential) and dried Sichuan
> peppers and other options like a piece of cinammon bark and a hunk of
> yellow rock sugar.
>
> After you've enjoyed your red cooked pork and turnips, strain the
> cooking liquid through cheesecloth into a jar and refrigerate it. When
> it's cold, any fat in it will come to the top and congeal. I leave it
> there as a sealant until the next time I use it (just like chicken
> stock). It will keep for months in the refrigerator, I think, though
> we usually reuse it quicker than that. Sometimes I have a larger
> quantity than I know I will normally need, so I divide it and freeze
> the excess.
>
> The next time you use it, bring it to a simmer for a couple of minutes
> and then taste it. Replenish whichever elements you think it needs --
> star anise, five-spice powder, dried chile peppers, garlic, ginger,
> whatever, or everything. Repeat the storage and reuse process until
> you have to move. That's the only reason why our current batch is only
> a year or so old.
>
> -aem
>
Can you refer me to a place I can read about "red cooking." I have a lot of
chinese cookbooks that I could look it up -- but what would I look for in an
index, a specific dish, or under red sauce, or just how.
Mouth watering again,
thanks,
Dee

Dee Randall wrote:
> >
> Can you refer me to a place I can read about "red cooking." I have a
> lot of chinese cookbooks that I could look it up -- but what would I
> look for in an index, a specific dish, or under red sauce, or just
> how.

I'm not sure how to help, partly because I haven't yet found whichever
box in the basement has most of my cookbooks. In particular, there was
one titled something like "Chinese Casserole Cooking" that was mostly
red-cooked dishes. But just look in the index of your books for
"red-cooked" this or that and you ought to find something. If not,
look for "soy sauce chicken" or "stewed oxtails" or something like
that. The casserole book called one dish "Lemon Chicken", which turned
out just to mean that after simmering in the loo sauce you topped it
off with a lemon and sugar mixture at the end. So look for that, too.
Red-cooking just means to simmer something in a dark liquid. A Chinese
equivalent to stews and braises. Maybe someone else can help....

-aem

Can you refer me to a place I can read about "red cooking." I have a
>> lot of chinese cookbooks that I could look it up -- but what would I
>> look for in an index, a specific dish, or under red sauce, or just
>> how.
>
> I'm not sure how to help, partly because I haven't yet found whichever
> box in the basement has most of my cookbooks
>
> -aem
>

I have been following the red cooking posts with great interest as I once
had red cooked pork and it was wonderful. I googled "red cook recipes" and
got more than 750,000 recipes. Hope that helps Dee, it will certainly give
me something to do for the next few days!! Chris.

--
If replying personally, please remove the .au from the address.

> wrote in message
...
> Can you refer me to a place I can read about "red cooking." I have a
>>> lot of chinese cookbooks that I could look it up -- but what would I
>>> look for in an index, a specific dish, or under red sauce, or just
>>> how.
>>
>> I'm not sure how to help, partly because I haven't yet found whichever
>> box in the basement has most of my cookbooks
>>
>> -aem
>>
>
> I have been following the red cooking posts with great interest as I once
> had red cooked pork and it was wonderful. I googled "red cook recipes" and
> got more than 750,000 recipes. Hope that helps Dee, it will certainly give
> me something to do for the next few days!! Chris.

ME, TOO!
Thanks.
Dee
>
> --
> If replying personally, please remove the .au from the address.
>

In article . com>,
"aem" > wrote:

> Dee Randall wrote:
> > >
> > Can you refer me to a place I can read about "red cooking." I have a
> > lot of chinese cookbooks that I could look it up -- but what would I
> > look for in an index, a specific dish, or under red sauce, or just
> > how.
>
> I'm not sure how to help, partly because I haven't yet found whichever
> box in the basement has most of my cookbooks. In particular, there was
> one titled something like "Chinese Casserole Cooking" that was mostly
> red-cooked dishes. But just look in the index of your books for
> "red-cooked" this or that and you ought to find something. If not,
> look for "soy sauce chicken" or "stewed oxtails" or something like
> that. The casserole book called one dish "Lemon Chicken", which turned
> out just to mean that after simmering in the loo sauce you topped it
> off with a lemon and sugar mixture at the end. So look for that, too.
> Red-cooking just means to simmer something in a dark liquid. A Chinese
> equivalent to stews and braises. Maybe someone else can help....

"Chinese potroast" is how I explained it to someone at work.

Priscilla
--
"And what's this crap about Sodomites? It's always Sodomites this and
Sodomites that. What about us Gomorrahians? We were there too; we
deserve some mention. Sodom always gets the credit, and Gomorrah always
does the work." - JohnN in alt.religion.christian.episcopal

In article >,
Priscilla Ballou > wrote:

> In article . com>,
> "aem" > wrote:
>
> > Dee Randall wrote:
> > > >
> > > Can you refer me to a place I can read about "red cooking." I have a
> > > lot of chinese cookbooks that I could look it up -- but what would I
> > > look for in an index, a specific dish, or under red sauce, or just
> > > how.
> >
> > I'm not sure how to help, partly because I haven't yet found whichever
> > box in the basement has most of my cookbooks. In particular, there was
> > one titled something like "Chinese Casserole Cooking" that was mostly
> > red-cooked dishes. But just look in the index of your books for
> > "red-cooked" this or that and you ought to find something. If not,
> > look for "soy sauce chicken" or "stewed oxtails" or something like
> > that. The casserole book called one dish "Lemon Chicken", which turned
> > out just to mean that after simmering in the loo sauce you topped it
> > off with a lemon and sugar mixture at the end. So look for that, too.
> > Red-cooking just means to simmer something in a dark liquid. A Chinese
> > equivalent to stews and braises. Maybe someone else can help....
>
> "Chinese potroast" is how I explained it to someone at work.

Following up to myself...

Although that's almost more a cultural niche designation than it is a
culinary analogy.

Priscilla
--
"And what's this crap about Sodomites? It's always Sodomites this and
Sodomites that. What about us Gomorrahians? We were there too; we
deserve some mention. Sodom always gets the credit, and Gomorrah always
does the work." - JohnN in alt.religion.christian.episcopal

"Dee Randall" <deedoveyatshenteldotnet> wrote in message
...
>
> "aem" > wrote in message
> ups.com...
>>
>> Priscilla H. Ballou wrote:
>>> [snip] When I red cook, I use a concoction which is
>>> basically soy sauce, water, ginger, sugar, maybe
>>> something else (don't have _How to Cook and Eat in Chinese_
>>> here at the office). Do you make a lot and freeze the extra?
>>> Freeze it and reuse it? Or do you mean something else by
>>> "red-cooking sauce?"
>>>
>> Yeah, that's the stuff, with star anise (essential) and dried Sichuan
>> peppers and other options like a piece of cinammon bark and a hunk of
>> yellow rock sugar.
>>
>> After you've enjoyed your red cooked pork and turnips, strain the
>> cooking liquid through cheesecloth into a jar and refrigerate it. When
>> it's cold, any fat in it will come to the top and congeal. I leave it
>> there as a sealant until the next time I use it (just like chicken
>> stock). It will keep for months in the refrigerator, I think, though
>> we usually reuse it quicker than that. Sometimes I have a larger
>> quantity than I know I will normally need, so I divide it and freeze
>> the excess.
>>
>> The next time you use it, bring it to a simmer for a couple of minutes
>> and then taste it. Replenish whichever elements you think it needs --
>> star anise, five-spice powder, dried chile peppers, garlic, ginger,
>> whatever, or everything. Repeat the storage and reuse process until
>> you have to move. That's the only reason why our current batch is only
>> a year or so old.
>>
>> -aem
>>
> Can you refer me to a place I can read about "red cooking." I have a lot
> of chinese cookbooks that I could look it up -- but what would I look for
> in an index, a specific dish, or under red sauce, or just how.
> Mouth watering again,
> thanks,
> Dee
OK. I've found it. And it is something I definitely want to cook!

Goggle "red cooking"+China and it will bring you fewer hits.

One thing in relation to the topic regarding storage, I read this:
"The slow "red cooking" techniques necessitate quick eating, or the hot
oiliness of some dishes turns into something less appetizing."
I assume that if you drain this sauce off the chicken or pork, put it in the
refrigerator (or freezer) that you then use later for a similar dish?

What about the ingredients makes this sauce that has had meat in it last for
months. I would be throwing it out in 3 days. It must be the salt in the
soy sauce that protects it?

Thanks, so much.
Dee