5 Spice Braised Brisket

Living in sunny So Cal brings visitor. I am house guest this weekend. I wanted to have something ready for dinner when we get home from a day of sight seeing.

This brisket recipe actually is quite versatile. It can be served cold, with salads or even as a sandwich meat. My father used to love brisket sandwich! You can reheat this, lay this over rice or noodle. As you will see here, I made a lemon old noodle. Reheated the meat and the gravy. Serve it over stir fried or steamed bok choy.
If you like stew, substitute the brisket with stew meat, add peeled and cubed daikon and taro, some nappa cabbage,  an extra cup of water to the recipe. You will have a Asian 5 spice beef stew.

Sliced brisket, served over stir fried bok choy and lemon cold noodle.

5 Spice Braised Brisket
2 lb Brisket
2 medium onion. Cleaned, peel and cut into 1/2" large slices
2 cloves of garlic. Peeled and smashed.
2 1/4" slices of peeled ginger - lightly smashed.
2 green onion. Cleaned and cut into 1" pieces
1 tbsp 5 spice
1/2 cup low sodium shoyu
3 cups water
Pepper to taste
Vegetable oil for frying.
Directions:
Heat a dutch oven of wok till hot. Add oil. Once the oil is hot, add ginger and garlic. Cook both till it is lightly browned and fragrant.

 Add Green onion piece, cook for a few min to flavor the oil

 Push the vegetable to the side. Brown the meat in the hot oil

 For about 4-5 min on each side

 Once the other side is browned. Add onion to the rest of the vegetable. Let it cook for a few mins till the onion is caramelized

 Add 5 spice to the vegetable

 Mix well and toast the spice for 1-2 mins.

 Mix the vegetable with the meat

 Add Shoyu

 Then water.

 Bring it to a boil. Low the heat to low and let it simmer/braised for about 2 hours till the meat is tender.

 Check the liquid from time to time. Add more water as needed.
You will want more gravy if you are making this into a stew. If you are leaving this as a brisket dish. You need to have about 1 cup of gravy.

Remove the meat. You can separate the meat and the gravy and store both separately in the fridge.
Cut the meat thinly across grain.
You can serve the sliced meat with the gravy on the side.
 

Enjoy
Aloha

Flourless Chocolate cake

My very dear merchandiser was turning 30. She is the ultimate chocolate lover. I wanted to do something special for her. It was a weekday. I need to keep it simple. This is a recipe originally from William Sonoma. I love how simple it is. In here I am showing you the traditional way to melt and  chocolate and better. You can easily put the chocolate and butter in a large bowl and microwave for 60-90 sec. Stir well. It works just as well.

Flourless Chocolate Cake
8 oz bittersweet chocolate - broken up into small pieces
1 stick butter - cut into small pieces
4 eggs, separated
1 tbsp rum
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
Powdered sugar for dusting
Directions:
Heat oven to 325F.
Measure and cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 8" spring form pan. Please make sure the bottom of the pan fits tightly and it is not going to leak.
Grease an 8" spring foam pan. Line with the paper

 Grease/butter the paper

 In a double boiler or a large bowl over simmering water. Melt chocolate and butter

 Whisk to mix

 Till the ingredients is combined, and smooth. Remove from the double boiler and let it cool.

Separate 4 eggs - put the yokes in a small bowl, the white in a large bowl.

 Add rum and vanilla to the egg yokes

 Whisk to mix

 Add Cream of tartar to the egg while

 Start beating the egg white with a mixer. Once it starts to become foamy, slowly add in 1/2 the sugar, continue to whip the white. Add the other half of the sugar once the white starts to form some peaks.

 Whip to mix. Do not over beat the egg white, set aside

 To assemble the cake:
Slowly add the egg yoke mixture to the chocolate

 Mix well.

 Lighten the chocolate with 1/4 of the egg white

Fold in the rest of the egg gently

Till completed incorporated

 Pour the batter into the prepared spring form pan

Back at 325 F for 20-22 min till the sides the set and the center is still slightly soft. It will be puffy
Remove from oven and let the cake cool in the pan.
Once cool. Remove the side and store in the fridge for 4 hours
The cake will deflate.
Transfer the cake to a serving plate.
Sprinkle with powder sugar.
Ready to serve.

I love to serve the cake with a simple dob of whipped cream and a few fresh raspberry on the side.
It is very rich.
Serve 10.

Enjoy
Aloha