Chinese Mise En Place and Cooking a Full Meal

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  • Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
  • How to cook for a family! Today we’ll be showing how to feed four people a full satisfying meal in the space of about an hour. We’ll be making four dishes: Beef and Gailan, Deep Fried Tofu, Steamed Pork Belly with Mianchi, and a simple Fishball soup.
    Now, I’m not sure how useful this’ll be - I’m sure some of you’ve already got a lot of experience with this kind of thing. But we figured it’s an important topic nonetheless.
    BEEF AND GAILAN
    Beef Loin (牛脊肉), 150g
    Gailan (芥兰), 250g
    Marinade for the Beef: ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch (生粉), ¼ tsp kansui (枧水) or sodium carbonate (碱面) or baking soda, ½ tsp soy sauce (生抽), 1 tsp liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1tbsp water, 1 tsp oil to coat
    Seasoning ‘sauce’: 1 tbsp water, 1 tsp soy sauce (生抽), 1 tsp oyster sauce (蚝油), ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp sugar, ½ tsp cornstarch (生粉)
    Aromatics: ~3 cloves garlic, smashed; ~1 inch ginger, smashed
    For use while stir-frying: 1 tbsp liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), ~1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil (麻油)
    1. Wash gailan, separate leaves from stalk. At the stalk, pull out the fibrous string. See if the stalk snaps (ala asparagus). If it does, toss the lower portion. If not, cut ~1 inch from the bottom and toss that inch. Alternatively, peel the stalk if you have time/feel like it.
    2. Slice beef to 2-3mm. Marinate using ‘marinade for beef’. Mix everything, adding the oil in at the very end of mixing to coat it all.
    3. Blanch gailan. ~30 seconds or until deepened in color. Strain well! Moisture can muff up the stir fry.
    4. ‘Pass through oil’ the beef, oil at 160C. I said 20 seconds in the video, but 10-15 seconds would probably be better.
    5. Stir fry. As always, longyau: get the wok piping hot, shut off the heat, add in your oil (~1.5-2tbsp), give it a swirl to get a non-stick surface. Flame back to medium high, add in the aromatics. Fry ~30 seconds, until fragrant. Swirl in the tbsp of Shaoxing wine. Quick mix. Add back the gailan. ~15 second fry. Add back the beef, ~15 second fry. Lower the flame to ~medium-low, add in the ‘seasoning sauce’. Mix, cook til thickened ~20-30 seconds. Heat off. Sesame oil in. Quick mix. Out.
    FISHBALL SOUP
    Video: • How to Make Fish Balls...
    Frozen Fishballs, ~8-12
    Dried seaweed: Zicai (紫菜) a.k.a. Gim, Raw Nori, ~3g.
    Water, ~1L.
    Romaine lettuce (生菜), ~8 leaves.
    Seasoning: 3/4 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp sugar, 1/8 tsp MSG (味精).
    Deep fried garlic crisp (蒜酥), ~2 tsp
    Sliced Scallions (葱)
    Toasted sesame oil (麻油), ~1 tsp.
    1. Add water and frozen fishballs (no need to thaw) to wok or pot.
    2. Once boiling, add seaweed. Cook for ~30 seconds, break it up a bit.
    3. Add the seasoning to the soup. Taste.
    4. Nestle in the lettuce. Shut off the heat. Transfer.
    5. Add the deep fried garlic, scallions, and sesame oil in the bowl to serve.
    DEEP FRIED TOFU
    Video: • Three Chinese Tofu Fry...
    Soft Tofu, preferably Puning Tofu (普宁豆腐), 400g. You will likely need to cut your tofu in half into triangles. The tofu we got was very small.
    Oil, for frying. ~3 cups if using large round bottomed wok.
    For the sauce: 25g Jiucai Chinese chives (韭菜), ½ tsp salt, optional 1 tsp fish sauce (鱼露), ½ cup water.
    1. Cut the tofu into triangles: Slice your tofu in half crosswise. Cut each crosswise piece in half at a 45 degree bias. Cut each into 3 pieces, ~1cm each.
    2. Heat the oil up until 180C, then drop in the tofu. Continue over max flame, oil at 150-160C, until the tofu slices begin to float.
    3. Lower the flame to medium, fry for ~7 minutes at 150C. Or until puffy & golden brown. Flip periodically.
    4. Remove the tofu, lay on a paper-towel lined plate.
    5. For the sauce: mince the jiucai. Add salt & mix it into the Jiucai. Then add the fish sauce & do the same. Then add the water.
    PORK BELLY WITH MIANCHI
    Pork Belly (五花肉), 250g
    Marinade for the Pork Belly: ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch (生粉), ½ tsp soy sauce (生抽), 1 tsp liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1 tbsp mianchi (面豉) or Japanese red miso, 1 tsp oil to coat.
    Ginger, ~1/2 inch. Julienned.
    Sliced Scallions (葱)
    1. Slice pork to ~3mm thickness
    2. Mix with the marinade.
    3. Mix the pork with the julienned ginger and toss on a plate. One layer but no need to be too paranoid.
    4. Steam for 8 minutes.
    5. Remove, sprinkle scallions.
    PICKLES
    Apologies for the continued lack of pickling videos from us. We’re… fermentation novices.
    Wang Gang’s video is here: • 厨师长教你四川泡菜的做法,史上最有质量的讲解...
    Sarcasmo57 and his wife also have a nice video here if you prefer English: • How to Make Pao Cai (C...
    And ChinaSichuanFood also has a good look: www.chinasichu...
    We also have an appetizers 101 video if you’re cool with something tangential: • Real Chinese Appetizer...
    And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!
    / chinesecooking. .
    Outro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพ
    Found via My Analog Journal (great channel): • Live Stream: Favourite...

Комментарии • 547

  • @ChineseCookingDemystified
    @ChineseCookingDemystified  4 года назад +296

    Hey guys, a few notes:
    1. Obviously, there’s not too many universals discussed in this video or anything. We were wracking our brain for actual potential guidelines to give, but we kept on thinking of exceptions depending on where in China you are and what exactly you were cooking. I hope ‘what us cook a family meal’ was useful, but obviously I’m sure there’s many of you guys out there that’re more experienced in the practice than a couple DINKs in their 30s. So if you have any other tips, definitely drop a line.
    2. So for us, if we were feeding more… let’s say 5-6 people… we’d probably do the same kind of thing as we did here, but also include some sort of braised dish. It’d make for a longer cooking time of course, but it’s something that you could start earlier in the day and have simmering there for a bit.
    3. On a similar note, another ‘start earlier in the day and leave it simmering’ kind of option is a, well, actually proper soup. Especially for Cantonese families, the soup is kind of a cultural institution. Steph often talks about going to her Grandmother’s house on Sundays for a family meal, and the house would always immediately smell like soup upon entering.
    4. The tofu that we used here was Puning tofu, which’s conveniently, like, completely ready to deep fry. I know that you will not be able to find this kind of tofu, which is ok. Use soft tofu. You will need to cut the tofu beforehand, which we outlined in our tofu frying 101 video, but if you like you can actually also cut the tofu into even smaller wedges than we outlined (which I’ve been enjoying recently). Something like this (s3.cdn.xiangha.com/caipu/201510/2017/201701578220.jpg/MjUwX2MyOjEvM15yYjI6MS84XzE4MA.webp ) also comes out very nice after frying.
    5. A few people on the Patreon discord were very interested in the steamed pork belly with mianchi (again, subbing akamiso is ok there). I think that we definitely need to do a ‘basic steamed meat’. I really quite enjoy this sort with mianchi, but there’s a ton of options. Shrimp paste or Cantonese salted fish are two other especially classic choices with pork belly. You could do a sauce based off of a douchi flavor profile (black fermented soybeans). You can do lean pork. You can do beef. You can do some bone-in chicken. I think that could potentially be a useful one.
    6. On that note, I know that a lot of the dishes we do on this channel are the kinds of things that’d… fill that ‘intense dish quota’. It’s just the nature of the thing, in some ways. People are generally most curious about dishes they eat out at restaurants; and on a similar note, we’d naturally more interested in exploring more complex dishes as well. If you ever want to cook something we make but don’t know how to round it out, definitely ask us in the comments. We enjoy the intellectual exercise :)
    7. This was very much a… PRD meal haha. Two Cantonese dishes, two Teochew dishes. As for elsewhere in China? We could probably make a full Sichuan meal in the same way, but then other cuisines we’re a little less familiar with. One day! There’s so much still to learn.
    As an aside, I apologize for being a liar about the previous couple Reddit posts (re hand pulled noodles) being out ‘at the normal time’. I’m working on a monster of a post where I cover the Lanzhou Lamian, the Chenmian, *and* also revisit Biang Biang noodles. Ended up getting slowed down due to (1) the radical increase in scope (is ‘feature creep’ possible in recipes?) and (2) having to sort out some visa stuff (always fun in the age of COVID).

    • @YelDohan
      @YelDohan 4 года назад +12

      My family usually assemble the meal like this: one meat/seafood dish, two vegetable/tofu dishes, a soup, the mandatory rice, and the fruit for dessert. This ensures nutritional balance.

    • @ChineseCookingDemystified
      @ChineseCookingDemystified  4 года назад +13

      @@YelDohan Totally :) I know this meal was a little short on veg so we tossed a bit more lettuce in the soup than we generally would. Beef + Gailan is a little awkward because it's like... half a meat dish and half a vegetable dish haha

    • @joelbrittain6379
      @joelbrittain6379 4 года назад +4

      I love the way your missus aggressively attacks the ginger skinning. It always looks like Stephanie Scissorshands

    • @Hotsaucedeluxe
      @Hotsaucedeluxe 4 года назад +1

      "Shrimp paste or Cantonese salted fish are two other especially classic choices with pork belly."
      You totally reminded me of a recipe I had when I was younger. Thanks, i'll probably make it this weekend.

    • @burgers641
      @burgers641 4 года назад +4

      Do you normally plan for leftovers with this method? I'm wondering if that means you would need to add extra dishes specifically to ensure some is left at the end, since each dish can't grow too much. I'm guessing the "family of four" means the two of you would have some left from all this :)

  • @jenny3416
    @jenny3416 4 года назад +459

    So happy to finally see a video on the logistics of cooking so many dishes

    • @gfunk449
      @gfunk449 4 года назад +10

      No kidding! It always looks amazing when somebody puts together a 4 course Chinese dinner. How do you make it practical for everyday meals, and not just for when guests come over?

    • @domw3239
      @domw3239 4 года назад +2

      Yeah more videos like this would be perfect!

  •  4 года назад +513

    It's like a list of everything I do wrong.

    • @caroline10081
      @caroline10081 3 года назад +11

      I try to clean up as I cook but in the end, there's still a counter top full of dirty pots and pans!

    • @armoredcoreenjoyer
      @armoredcoreenjoyer Год назад

      faaaacts

  • @TheWhiteDragon3
    @TheWhiteDragon3 4 года назад +332

    As much as I love how much general information was packed into this video with open spots allowing us [the viewer] to imagine our own customized processes for different meals, I would absolutely love to see move videos of this format. Just watching a husband and wife prep a regular weeknight meal every now and then. Love your work and everything you do!

    • @torifrei8396
      @torifrei8396 3 года назад +7

      I was thinking the exact same thing 😊 And to see the processes with different sets of dishes would help to get the concept down to create menus more logically 😅 I've already learned so much from this one! Thank you both! ❤️

    • @itsmederek1
      @itsmederek1 3 года назад +5

      When you say "As much as" you are supposed to end with a negative. For example: As much as I loved the editing of the video, the content was lacking. That is proper English. Your comment caught my eye and I thought you were going to shit on the video because it started with the words "As much as". Just so you don't have a weird English interaction in the future^^

  • @joshuaharper372
    @joshuaharper372 4 года назад +46

    Some of my friends' moms would make 2 or 3 new dishes each day, making sure there would be enough of each left over to reheat the next day. That way they had 4 or 5 dishes each say at supper: half leftover from yesterday and half fresh that day. So each dish they made was a bit larger than typical, but they wouldn't have to juggle as many at the same time.

  • @PCDisciple
    @PCDisciple 4 года назад +23

    Incredible video. The basic fact of a Chinese meal being based around multiple medium sized dishes is something that never gets brought up!

  • @yassenwu2686
    @yassenwu2686 4 года назад +360

    It is not only a guide to Chinese cooking for western audiences,but also a really useful guide for Chinese people who have no idea how to prepare a proper meal,these days most cooking videos in Chinese are all about make things fancy or just showing off,few of them can hardly serve the rule of guidance for actual daily cooking.For me there's nothing more satisfying than a balanced meal with family.Great work as always and keep up!
    Oh and I made some lemon ribs yesterday according to your videos(sauce from lemon chicken and rib preparation method from orange ribs)and it was an absolute killer.Thanks again for these awesome recipes!

    • @bodyno3158
      @bodyno3158 4 года назад +5

      And WangGang‘s videos mostly focus on one dish...few people mention about this cooking schematic and procedure.

    • @yassenwu2686
      @yassenwu2686 4 года назад +11

      @@bodyno3158 WangGang's videos are more like something you would like to learn if you want to open a small restaurant,he's so skillful but only on a professional level which most people cannot reach without years of training and proper equipment,and sometimes it's just so frustrating to learn that his recipes can be somehow very difficult to replicate even though it looks like easy for him.

    • @cokezero9254
      @cokezero9254 4 года назад

      @@yassenwu2686 that's why 老饭骨 is my new fav now. most of their stuff could easily be made at home

    • @deadpeach07
      @deadpeach07 4 года назад

      @@cokezero9254 can you send the link for that channel

    • @chazM6116
      @chazM6116 4 года назад

      just needs to translate into English

  • @mynameisandong
    @mynameisandong 4 года назад +113

    Great video! Wok soup is genius!! Also, I see you guys got that gimbal, nice :)

    • @AudreysKitchen
      @AudreysKitchen 3 года назад

      ❤️

    • @ChineseCookingDemystified
      @ChineseCookingDemystified  3 года назад +18

      Haha just saw this comment man. This video was actually just filmed on an iPhone... we've been finding the phone to be 'good enough' if we've got shitty lighting situation (like in our kitchen) anyhow. The Nikon simply does not like low light environments... I'm sure your BMPCC could handle it better though

  • @MichaelJin74
    @MichaelJin74 4 года назад +99

    My family does the same when it comes to soup. Only difference is that the veggie water to blanch we use as a base for the soup.

    • @gfunk449
      @gfunk449 4 года назад +5

      The veggie water has all the nutrients, right??

    • @quinneyrodgers5772
      @quinneyrodgers5772 4 года назад +6

      @@gfunk449 in China that also has all the pesticides. Outside of China - sure, that's the way to go.

    • @Arthiel7
      @Arthiel7 3 года назад +1

      @@gfunk449 it's a common misconception! It's actually always less than 5% of the nutrients! :)

  • @muffinmuaddib5221
    @muffinmuaddib5221 4 года назад +35

    I am so happy you made this video. I was always astounded how my friends mom could pump out 7 - 8 dishes in an hour when I and some friends would stop by for lunch.
    Really inspired me to be able to do the same. But the different mentality of multiple dishes vs one main definitely has been tripping me up. Gracias and hope to see more videos in the future.

  • @mouseymedic
    @mouseymedic 4 года назад +33

    Thanks for these non-traditional type of recipes. Growing up/living in the West, its super useful to get some perspective on how these eastern dishes should be served/logistics, rather than just knowing how to make each one individually.

  • @sandonhess3396
    @sandonhess3396 4 года назад +13

    Can we have more of these style of videos? How you tied all the dishes together through common ingredients and cooking methods to make a more varied meal with less was something I've not thought about. I'd love to see more of your insights on this.

  • @emraef
    @emraef 4 года назад +6

    I love how nonchalant this video is, really makes chinese cooking look a lot more approachable.

  • @michaelleue7594
    @michaelleue7594 2 года назад +1

    I would watch several videos like this along the same theme. Figuring out the logistics of a complicated set of dishes is definitely a topic worthy of an entire series.

  • @bob22222222222222100
    @bob22222222222222100 2 года назад

    The quick wok soup is the best thing I’ve ever seen. It’s such a great way to make a fast, easy, filling, cheap component of a meal

  • @VitalChinese
    @VitalChinese 4 года назад +5

    Such a well organized detailed round up of an authentic Chinese full meal. The video is well edited and narrated that I can imagine the amount of effort spent making it. Usually the best quality creators are the most humble and passionate, and this channel is the number one example.

  • @dootleedoot3344567
    @dootleedoot3344567 4 года назад +14

    My family is from Shanxi/Beijing and we do the wok soup too sometimes. But more frequently, we take the super thick and starchy cooking water from boiling handmade noodles/dumplings, add some vinegar and finish with a soup/congee.

    • @mayabarabi9782
      @mayabarabi9782 3 месяца назад

      Hi! Can I please DM you with questions about northern chinese food? Tysm!

  • @DarDarBinks1986
    @DarDarBinks1986 4 года назад +19

    Setting a place for the dog? How adorable!

  • @zalibecquerel3463
    @zalibecquerel3463 4 года назад +51

    Wonderful video! I've always been curious about this sort of thing and have always found cooking Chinese food for several people very difficult. The first thing I learned was not to have too many stir-frys. The second (at least in the west) was to use a low oven to keep a couple of dishes warm. Using the steamer basket in a rice cooker also works for some dishes. Keep up the great work!

    • @ChineseCookingDemystified
      @ChineseCookingDemystified  4 года назад +9

      Yeah definitely. Too many stir fries can build up, absolutely. One thing that's helpful is to either prep stuff for your stir-fries by blanching/passing through oil like we did here, or either do a sort of 'step-by-step' stir fry. It's a lot quicker to whip together a stir-fry when you're not actually really cooking anything in there besides aromatics :)

    • @zalibecquerel3463
      @zalibecquerel3463 4 года назад +6

      @@ChineseCookingDemystified Definitely. Particularly when you do things like prep the garlic and ginger for all dishes at the same time, and pre-mixing your sauces.

    • @elwynbrooks
      @elwynbrooks 3 года назад +2

      The steamer basket is a life saver for sad busy students like me living away from home. Toss in a meat paste cake thing, make rice, you've got a whole meal

    • @zalibecquerel3463
      @zalibecquerel3463 3 года назад +2

      @@elwynbrooks So convenient! Try diced chicken thigh, lap cheong, rehydrated shitake mushrooms, on top of chinese cabbage.

  • @AncientMysteriesAndInnovations
    @AncientMysteriesAndInnovations 4 года назад

    I worked as an American in Chinese chef positions for eight years, mise en place is absolutely essential for Chinese cooking, too.

  • @vimo1601
    @vimo1601 4 года назад +2

    YES!! This is the kind of video I want to see! It's so useful to understand how dishes are eaten, how meals are put together and how you plan it out. I love understanding better how people eat at home. Awesome!

  • @guyfawkes8873
    @guyfawkes8873 4 года назад +2

    Honestly when I lived in China on week nights it would mostly be adding a single dish or two to what was already left over in the fridge from the weekend so we would still have 3-4 dishes on the table by friday. Dunno if that's the most common approach in chinese households but it does involve a lot less planning x)

    • @jeiberry
      @jeiberry 4 года назад

      That's how I grew up with a cantonese-in-america household at least *shrug emote here*

    • @shuhaolu3257
      @shuhaolu3257 4 года назад

      Yeah in our family and in our region, i would say lunch is the biggest meal... dinner would be just the leftovers and maybe congee

  • @mandelbomb99
    @mandelbomb99 2 года назад

    To me, everything about this video is absolutely wonderful! From the easy dishes, the practical use of one cooking method being used for another, to the cleanup method. This is such a perfect all-around family meal video!

  • @Thevietvegan
    @Thevietvegan 4 года назад +1

    Growing up, my mom would cook meals like this too (obviously Vietnamese dishes though). Seeing how a Chinese family would do it is fascinating and makes me nostalgic for eating my family's multi-dish style meals. Thank you for walking us through this!

    • @bodyno3158
      @bodyno3158 4 года назад

      Vietnamese foods are fricking dope for summer, you guys really know how to keep people's appetite up in steamin' hot weather.

  • @bionboy
    @bionboy 4 года назад +26

    This is the type of practical video I needed!

  • @maxpowr90
    @maxpowr90 4 года назад +96

    I think this is just a video to show off Steph's knife skills.

    • @gfunk449
      @gfunk449 4 года назад +1

      After peeling garlic and ginger, I'm basically spent. Cooking is for pros.

  • @pinkmonkeybird2644
    @pinkmonkeybird2644 4 года назад +2

    Thank you! One of the most important skills I’ve acquired over the years of home cooking is timing dishes to be ready at roughly the same time. It takes practice to orchestrate even a simple healthy meal so that everyone can sit at the table and enjoy that time together. And I’m with you; I clean as I cook, mainly because, regardless of who does the final washing up, I cannot relax and enjoy my meal if I’m looking at a sink full of dirty dishes.
    I’d love some tips on how to maximize every inch of kitchen space, as I’ve got a small kitchen as well. I’ve done a decent job managing my pantry dry goods and spices, but I need help with cooking utensils and pots. Thanks in advance, and please keep up the great work. I’ve made so many great dishes from your videos, and I’m grateful you and Steph are willing to share what you know.

  • @sallylee4924
    @sallylee4924 4 года назад +4

    My parents have a different approuch to meal planning. Instead of categorizing by intensity, they categorize by protein vs veg.
    For a usual 3 dishes 1 soup, the 3 dishes would be: 1 just meat, 1 just veggies, 1 mix of meat and veggies. For 4 dishes, they usually either add a fish or a egg dish. The soup is usually something with a clear broth, and with a mix of meat and veggies again.

  • @marscrasher
    @marscrasher Год назад +1

    more of these kinds of videos would be really helpful. sometimes i see a recipe you post here and want to try it but know i cant make a big portion of it and am not sure how it would fit into a larger meal (lack of experience cooking like this). i find myself coming back to this video often and think more like it would be a great help

  • @vibelucid
    @vibelucid 4 года назад +9

    Awesome. A Kenji style POV real-time cooking video for a meal like this would be cool

    • @ChineseCookingDemystified
      @ChineseCookingDemystified  4 года назад +18

      The thing is... Kenji's a better cook than we are haha. Plus just listening to him talk about stuff's generally quite interesting. We're a lot less naturally engaging on camera, thus the script/narration sort of style we do here. Easier for us amateurs :)

  • @sceptre1067
    @sceptre1067 4 года назад +1

    re rice cookers... bought first one as bachelor in early 90s here in Minnesota. Back then only friend who didn’t scoff at it was from Hong Kong. But after a month any roommate I had realized why it was so useful... 😀

    • @ChineseCookingDemystified
      @ChineseCookingDemystified  4 года назад +3

      The early students that went to the west to study back in 80s/90s would ALWAYS brought a rice cooker with them. Even now, our friends that studied aboard would bring a rice cooker with them. Kinda like jade, it's a bit of an 'amulet of protection' lol -Steph

  • @evapetrone8380
    @evapetrone8380 4 года назад +3

    Much needed addition to the canon! I appreciate the bird's eye view of how a meal would come together, and I am particularly interested in some of the lighter, less flashy dishes that are not normally focused on. For instance, I'd love to see more 'basic' soups mentioned. I have a million ways I could put together a western soup, and there are plenty of examples of meat stock / master stock rich Chinese soups but very little focus in the west on the common soups that might be served with every meal. I am clueless as to how much seaweed is too much, what are alternative soup bases/flavorings, or where to begin with additions. Thanks again for the upload!

  • @Lewis-TheNthLevel
    @Lewis-TheNthLevel 3 года назад

    I've been watching your videos for a while, and they've really helped my refine what I'd learnt from recipe books, but (until last year) never actually seen done in a genuine way in China. Beyond that, I've got to say that the two of you are utterly adorable. You present in a calm, measured, and fluent way - and I think that you're one of the best channels, and certainly one of my favourite on RUclips.

  • @KaingMusic
    @KaingMusic 4 года назад +1

    I’ve been so curious about this essential aspect of your kitchen. Timing is everything, especially when cooking several dishes, and it’s insane to spend two hours when you only need one. Thank you so much! Love you two!!

  • @joffreysrevenge3045
    @joffreysrevenge3045 7 месяцев назад

    long time sub here - i have watched every video on this page. honestly these videos are the best. you should definitely do at least one of these a month. im constantly racking my brain trying to think of things to accompany steamed whole chicken or red braised pork belly. the functional, typical, tuesday night dinner ideas are honestly the best thing imo. appreciate all you and stephanie do and love your yt/ig.

  • @royrottleb9362
    @royrottleb9362 4 года назад +1

    You guys did so many amazing videos to show „western“ people how to do Asian cooking. That was incredible!
    But with this video you stepped up even higher 😎
    Absolutely amazing. Thank you very much for it and lots of love to you from Germany.
    Keep up the outstanding job you do 😊

  • @obrachet
    @obrachet 3 года назад

    Great idea to explain the full entangled process of making a meal for 4 people. Very interesting, great best practice! Thanks!

  • @ziggymack2233
    @ziggymack2233 4 года назад

    Thank you for this mise en place video and you all's approach to cooking chinese cuisines in general

  • @MantraHerbInchSin
    @MantraHerbInchSin 3 года назад

    I like this video, not anything strict, just how you guys do it. And the soup, I agree that is the best way to do it. Helps cleaning and I love soup

  • @Chewie316
    @Chewie316 4 года назад +10

    Steph's got it right though on the veggie rinse. There's been too many E.coli cases here because the veggies still have sediment, so scrub them as best as possible. I do.

  • @-laodoushunancuisine4641
    @-laodoushunancuisine4641 2 года назад

    Wow, what a lovely meal! Big thank! You got meat, vegi, soup, snacks and fruits. That is a perfect PROPER CHINESE MEAL! Hope you could make more videos like this to intro our Chinese meal! I am also working on intro my family daily meal, if someone like to see more different proper Chinese meal welcome!

  • @KamalikaMukherjee81
    @KamalikaMukherjee81 4 года назад

    I love your explanations and the way you break down the ingredients and the technique for everyone's easy comprehension.

  • @reginabillotti
    @reginabillotti 4 года назад +1

    Rice cookers are fantastic. I use it whenever I'm cooking rice (except for making risotto). And they are not unitaskers. You can cook other grains, lentils, and steam vegetables in them.

  • @aaronsakulich4889
    @aaronsakulich4889 4 года назад

    I LOVE this video. Multiple fast easy recipes... good general concepts... all the cuts to photos and the associated text commentary... Chris wandering into the kitchen with a beer once all the hard stuff is done... a little bit of salt about people's attitudes towards cleaning... this made my day!

  • @jesstucker6201
    @jesstucker6201 4 года назад

    this video was WICKED useful, thank you so much for sharing!! (also it makes me so happy to see people cleaning as they cook, it's something that is not often prioritized)

  • @siongheeleong8078
    @siongheeleong8078 4 года назад +1

    That general rule of thumb for the number of dishes for Chinese/Asian meals being roughly equivalent to the number of diners is that difference between Chinese/Asian meals vs Western meals where one large main course with sides to support. For stir-frying, it's not about stir frying large portions of one dish but small portions of same dish. Most of the time is really spent on the prep work instead of the cooking. Stir-frying is generally quite fast.
    I find this interesting to see how others cook a few dishes within a relatively short space of time. Most of my reference is my mother and her cooking. There are a number of parallels. The general cooking order seems roughly similar - deep-fry first, followed by meat dishes, then the stir fried veg. The deep fried dishes keep their heat longest, next the meat, then the veg - the same order of cooking. Steamed dishes are often done using the rice cooker while the rick is cooking with the steamer attachment. Only if the steaming plate is big and can't fit, then a wok/pot or a separate steamer is used. If a wok/pot is used, cooking order is adjusted accordingly. Soups are often prepared separately because they are boiled soups and not cooked soups (what you did here). Boiled soups generally require at least 1-2 hours, unless you go the double-boiled route or the slow cooker route. Thus, soups are ready whenever you are ready to serve.

  • @gfunk449
    @gfunk449 4 года назад +1

    Another neat thing you can do with the rice cooker is to just toss in some chinese sausage and green veggies in it. It'll steam as the rice cooks. It's the same concept as bao zai fan (煲仔饭)!

  • @xucongzhan9151
    @xucongzhan9151 3 года назад +1

    Hahahaha wok soup! It is indeed a great idea, though in Guangdong people don't like it that much. See, we value our "slow-cook" version of the soup more, which is much richer.
    Fun fact: In my school days at least, my buddies and I usually referred to it as "刷锅水", in a somewhat mocking manner, which literally means "wok washing water".😂 It came for free in our school canteens (usually seaweed with egg, or gourd with some meatless ribs), and we usually had a small bowl of it after meals, just like a cup of after-lunch coffee.

  • @sariyahm
    @sariyahm 4 года назад

    I really appreciate this channel. I don't usually watch any non vegan cooking videos, but there's always so much to learn from you guys!

  • @exmanitor
    @exmanitor 2 года назад

    Would love to see another example of this, with different dishes! Love your channel!

  • @TricksterModeEngaged
    @TricksterModeEngaged 4 года назад

    I can honestly say this channel has really improved my cooking skills and organization. Thanks!

  • @gideonTeli
    @gideonTeli 4 года назад +1

    i really liked this video... i hope you do more full meals.

  • @NewbiaLeogetti
    @NewbiaLeogetti 4 года назад +42

    This is very helpful! My question is: how do you keep the first dishes you cook from getting cold before you finish the last dishes? This has always been the biggest puzzle for me.

    • @adrianlindsaylohan
      @adrianlindsaylohan 4 года назад +10

      I don't know about in their instance. But my process is I cook things that can either be served at room temp or microwave well first (e.g. salads can be room temp, braised meats, soups, and rice reheat well). Then I cook things that either do not reheat well or have a lot of herbs that might wilt last (e.g. vegetables, deep fried things, or steak).

    • @ChineseCookingDemystified
      @ChineseCookingDemystified  4 года назад +66

      So first off, know that you do have some flexibility.
      You're not a restaurant, not everything needs to come steaming hot from the wok! Stir-fries can stay comfortably warm for ~15 minutes or so. Deep fried dishes, a bit longer. You have the most flexibility with starches, a bit less with meat, and the least with vegetables. Soups and braises can stay warm for a while, especially if you serve in a claypot or cast iron.
      Finish off with your stir fries, and try not to be too ambitious with the number of them. With more than two stir-fries, you might want to explore other options like serving on a iron hotplate (which a cast iron pan can fill in wonderfully for). Your stir fried vegetable should be the very last thing you make, unless you're making a 'wok soup' (less crappy name tbd lol) after... in which case it'd be 2nd to last.
      If you find any of the dishes too cool give them a super quick nuke. Steph's parents actually have their microwave right next to their dining room table haha, if we're chilling and chatting & eating slowly, they'll sometimes randomly nuke stuff halfway through the meal. For the two of us, making just 2-3 dishes for ourselves... that's usually not too much of a problem though :)

    • @ChemicalCorpse1
      @ChemicalCorpse1 4 года назад +16

      alongside everything that was already said, I tend to leave certain dishes that I finished in a warm place like the oven or a microwave while I finish everything else off. This should slow down the cooling process.

    • @Ai-yahUdingus
      @Ai-yahUdingus 4 года назад +18

      My mom uses the oven to keep foods hot. Try 170F or as low as your oven can go.

    • @philso7872
      @philso7872 4 года назад +13

      My Mom would use a second dish as a cover to keep the heat in the dishes that got finished earlier. It was remarkably effective. With some forethought, the other dishes will not be far behind. A lid from a pot works great too, especially if the pot is going to be washed anyway.

  • @mrspowerpuff5
    @mrspowerpuff5 4 года назад

    This is such a useful video! Thank you for explaining the differences between different cultural meal styles, this video has already helped me expand my thinking on how to make well balanced, flavorful meals without overloading a single dish with too many ingredients! Thank you!

  • @vernshein5430
    @vernshein5430 4 года назад

    The sign of mastery is plating all these foods and having them steaming hot and not over warmed in an oven.

  • @kukanakamaoli
    @kukanakamaoli 4 года назад +1

    Love it! Clean as you go! That’s how I was taught too! But it sure helps when there are people there to help wash and put away dishes.

  • @rectify2003
    @rectify2003 4 года назад

    Thats not a meal, its a feast.
    Good job Mr and Mrs Guylan 😀

  • @martytu20
    @martytu20 4 года назад +95

    2:27 low key flexing on a Zujiroshi rice cooker.

    • @ChineseCookingDemystified
      @ChineseCookingDemystified  4 года назад +45

      Haha Zojirushi's make awesome rice. And honestly? I find the 50 minutes it takes to make rice to be *perfect* for sorting a meal in the meantime.

    • @Bear-cm1vl
      @Bear-cm1vl 4 года назад +1

      @@ChineseCookingDemystified, even the 2-1/4 hours for a Zojirushi to cook GABA brown rice is not an issue because the timer function will have the rice ready by the time you have it set to. I spent a long time debating a few hundred US dollars for a rice cooker, but haven't regretted the purchase for a second, especially when I figured out the porridge and mixed rice settings.

    • @Iamkitkatbar
      @Iamkitkatbar 4 года назад

      I'm buying one next paycheck

    • @adorabell4253
      @adorabell4253 4 года назад

      @@Bear-cm1vl I'm still talking myself up to it. I want one of the fancier ones because I make different types of rice and other grains as well. But, seems like it'll have to wait till post covid now.

    • @tomjeffrey2891
      @tomjeffrey2891 4 года назад

      @@adorabell4253 I have never heard of this brand of rice cooker, I have only ever used the cheap common ones found at any store. What is special about this one?

  • @sarahveeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
    @sarahveeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 4 года назад

    Really, really appreciated walking through a normal meal prep like this! Would love to see more!!

  • @Leoga79
    @Leoga79 4 года назад

    👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 these videos are seriously awesome video’s! So informative and inspiring. Thanks for sharing!

  • @kathyleenbullard4260
    @kathyleenbullard4260 6 месяцев назад

    Great video, I’d love to see more on this topic! I’m full chinese and I love to cook, but I grew up in the states and have no idea how to cook these wonderful dinners with multiple dishes that my mom used to make. This is a great glimpse into the how to!

  • @Cyberia398
    @Cyberia398 3 года назад

    Favourite cooking video of all time! If you can do one of these every few months...

  • @nickeut
    @nickeut 4 года назад

    I loved this format! That’s really cool to show a full meal prep! Please do more!

  • @delyar
    @delyar 4 года назад

    This is possibly your best video yet

    • @delyar
      @delyar 4 года назад

      And who’s music in the outro?

  • @HeadlessChickenTO
    @HeadlessChickenTO 4 года назад +1

    I miss this kitchen logistics of multiple dishes to complete a large meal. As I work in a kitchen, but I haven't set foot in mine since our lockdown in early March. My kitchen operates for a college cafeteria and I'm generally their caterer and sous chef, hence why I haven't been working as the school is shut down. But my kids help me keep some if this in practice, they won't always eat what the adults have so multiple offerings is typically necessary in my household. And my wife being from Hong Kong and I'm Canadian born and raised, our diets and preferences don't always intertwine.

  • @dan26dlp
    @dan26dlp 4 года назад

    Everything you make looks amazing

  • @gosunflower
    @gosunflower 4 года назад

    Love your hand gestures

  • @michaelvilain8457
    @michaelvilain8457 4 года назад +1

    Very useful to see how you balance so many dishes; very different from how I learned to cook western style stuff (meat, veg, starch).

  • @sdaiwepm
    @sdaiwepm 4 года назад

    So helpful! The in-wok steamer rack was cool - maybe a "Chinese kitchen essentials" video?

  • @rob0tmassacre
    @rob0tmassacre 4 года назад

    I love seeing you share more chinese EATING culture on here! This is exactly how I've always eaten growing up, and I prefer to serve guests this style if I'm preparing chinese dishes. For 3-4 people, it'll usually be an intense dish, a soup, and a stirfry/quick veggie meal :)

  • @Nathan-gs5tw
    @Nathan-gs5tw 4 года назад +2

    Fantastic!
    I love Chinese cooking but i tend to get overwhelmed easily when trying to make 4 things at once. Would love another video like this where you make a different set of dishes (maybe all vegetarian?). You really need to change your cooking mindset vs western cooking, because I tend to give each dish the same amount of care as I would a "hearty" western meal. I've actually found when i just feel like some "lazy" korean (corn and cheese, kimchi pancake, steamed dumplings, stir fry veggies etc) that it works out the best and is less stressful, probably because I can just get out of my head a bit about getting it all "perfect"

  • @proudrio
    @proudrio 4 года назад

    I love your channel! Im a chef here in shanghai and I learn a lot about local Chinese cooking here with you two.

  • @PandemoniumMeltDown
    @PandemoniumMeltDown 4 года назад +4

    I cannot imagine not cooking rice in my Zojirushi
    I also urge westerners to go and discover asian food markets in the west for these herbs and vegetables are too yummy to be ignored.

  • @CaliRed1865
    @CaliRed1865 3 года назад

    your channel has been the best this year. Since lockdown I've really gotten into cooking, especially chinese cuisine, and your videos are fantastic at explaining things to a cooking simpleton like myself. I've got a carbon steel wok, the main staple ingredients, and I've used all of them, so nothing has been wasted.
    All that to say, OMFG I LOVE YOUR SCHNAUZER!!!

  • @bchoor
    @bchoor 4 года назад

    Really awesome. Would love to see more of these family dinners. Super informative. Also, big about keeping a clean kitchen as you cook.

  • @Revima
    @Revima 4 года назад +1

    Hey, Just wanted to say thanks for makin these videos. Always a joy to open up my YT and see it. :)

  • @davidkolo
    @davidkolo 4 года назад +1

    im glad you changed the end theme, i have heard that song waaaay too much in my life lol

  • @jakeneos
    @jakeneos 4 года назад

    this was such a cool video! i love the thought process of how the meal comes together, and seeing you guys just enjoy that meal casually afterwards was really nice, thanks guys

  • @tokyonikolaos3283
    @tokyonikolaos3283 4 года назад

    You guys so totally rock! I am inspired! Cooking Chinese for dinner parties or for guests has been such a logistical nightmare for me (or chefs). This video showed me how it can be done. Great stuff, thank you!

  • @joshrogers7816
    @joshrogers7816 2 года назад

    Oh my, wish I'd watch this yesterday. I spent most of the afternoon prepping 3 dishes (all your recipes) the evening meal. My tablet was red hot as I switched between RUclips and Redit. Still the meal was good but I did wonder how an actual family member would have the time day after day to get meals on the table. Once again this is an excellent video, Many thanks.

    • @ChineseCookingDemystified
      @ChineseCookingDemystified  2 года назад

      Yeah, I think the logistic and mise en place also lies in what dishes you choose to make. For a week night family dinner, only one main would be enough, the rest would be a quick stir fry and some veggies. When we're lazy and want to have varieties of ingredients, we just make hot pot, haha.

  • @derbinken2399
    @derbinken2399 4 года назад

    Never seen that waterbending technique for stopping the cooking of the veg, I'm definitely going to use that.

    • @ChineseCookingDemystified
      @ChineseCookingDemystified  4 года назад +1

      Haha it's kinda my own weird thing, I just feel like I want to splash it evenly over the vegetable. Might've picked it up from someone though, not sure.

  • @jeffreydlayman
    @jeffreydlayman 4 года назад

    This is fantastic! It's so helpful (and fascinating!) to understand the workflow of preparing a meal like this. I hope you make more like this in the future.

  • @MrMatheusZanella
    @MrMatheusZanella 4 года назад +7

    RUclips brought me to Wang Gang because of you!!! Thanks again guys... you rock.... ps: now I’m addicted

    • @ChineseCookingDemystified
      @ChineseCookingDemystified  4 года назад +8

      Enjoy! Wang Gang is awesome. You'll learn a lot just from absorbing the rhythm of how he cooks.

  • @TheMovingEye
    @TheMovingEye 3 года назад

    07:18 was really, really helpful reminding me of the basics of a wok meal (at least one version of the basics), i.e. Shaoshing, aromatics, food stuff (in the order of time needed for cooking), sauce. In combination with the veggie three way video explaining three different flavor profiles it's very helpful for freestyling wok dishes.

    • @ChineseCookingDemystified
      @ChineseCookingDemystified  3 года назад +1

      Cheers, glad it was useful :) I was actually feeling a bit bad because I felt I was just rushing though that part.

  • @dougflewellen2940
    @dougflewellen2940 4 года назад

    When I saw your personal wok, I was hooked. I have that EXACT size and metal type. I am proud of my seasoning on the wok so I can clean it after anything I cook. Including scrambled eggs. And this step back from recipes and focus on process was a very useful and entertaining video. Excellent..

  • @lazygardens
    @lazygardens 4 года назад

    If a southern USA granny does it in the skillet she fried pork chops or sausage in, without the dumplings, it's called "Red Eye Gravy"

  • @Britzzio
    @Britzzio 4 года назад

    Interesting video! Usually I cook Asian dishes for 2, so there is less logistic issues: this helps with scaling up! Also I totally agree with the statement about the cook and cleaning after himself. There is always the time to do it and especially in small kitchens it's fundamental!

  • @kanewalters8415
    @kanewalters8415 4 года назад +1

    Miniature Schnauzers Rock!! I have 2 and although I have been watching you for ages, when I first saw yours, you guys went straight the the top of coolest you tubers ever.

  • @ninnusridhar
    @ninnusridhar 3 года назад

    This is basically the Indian breakfast routine. Rice, sambar/curry, stir fried veg of some sort, a vegetable stew of a sort. For a family of 6 in South India. Dinner is usually a simpler affair, usually of leftovers.

  • @rajinder2k4
    @rajinder2k4 4 года назад

    Perhaps you intended this for a long time but in my perspective your videos have only now started to evolve

  • @florcitabs
    @florcitabs 4 года назад

    I can only say: amazing and I really love you both (and your dog). Everything you upload is interesting, useful and fulfilling. Thanks so much

  • @AWDYDOOD
    @AWDYDOOD 4 года назад +4

    shoutout to my man WANG GANG

  • @TheGrammargestapo1
    @TheGrammargestapo1 3 года назад

    i'm not sure why, but derived disproportionate enjoyment out of seeing that bottle of MR MUSCLE cleaning stuff lol

  • @Nemo_Anom
    @Nemo_Anom 2 года назад

    Chinese (and Japanese) food are among my favorites. Thanks for the interesting video. I like the variety. I've never liked the Western idea of one main dish with a couple of small dishes.

  • @AianaRaven
    @AianaRaven 3 года назад

    I usually wash as I cook as well! This is the way.

  • @Mjbrooks194
    @Mjbrooks194 4 года назад +1

    It's awesome to see the full process! I'm awful at planning out my big dinners, my last dinner of 4 Chinese entrees took me about 5 hours to make haha. This is a really good baseline for planning out my next attempt.

  • @denaspringer2929
    @denaspringer2929 4 года назад

    Thank you for making these videos!

  • @frankandrews58
    @frankandrews58 4 года назад

    This video is awesome and finally get to see your face, so excited. Awesome channel and love every minute!!

  • @VWYL900802
    @VWYL900802 4 года назад +1

    Aka, how mom cooks dinner every night.
    Mom starts making soup, bring to boil, then put in pressure cooker for 4-5 hrs. Anything over will lose the integrity of the soup. And the meat and veggies in the soup is another dish for the regular mix for dinner.

  • @thehollows
    @thehollows 4 года назад

    I love your channel so much!