Jennifer K
TVWBB Super Fan
Okay, so I got carried away trying out different Chinese food on the Performer. My timing was wonky - bit off more than I could chew, so to speak, as I get this urge not to waste live coals… I dollied up my mixed results with fancy garnishes and such, as you’ll see if you can fight your way down to the last few pics. I've used thumbnails, since this post is picture heavy. Thank you for looking.
My third cook on the Performer started out the way Chinese food does, with tons of little bowls and bottles, and the pungent smell of anise, soy, garlic etc pervading my kitchen. Below is the BBQ pork tenderloin after marinating overnight, twice cooked pork balls mixture (left), and shrimp and chive mix for dumplings (wrappers next to pork tenderloin). I forgot to take pics of my wings until the finished plate – had a lot going on.
I got busy making the dumplings.
Put the pork balls in the steamer – phase one of the “twice cooked” concept.
After steaming I rolled those pork balls in a blend of hoisin sauce, light soy, and sesame oil and put them on bamboo skewers. Meanwhile the chicken wings were cooking on the Performer along with the BBQ pork, using Stubbs briquettes and a mix of hickory, oak and apple chips. When the wings were done, the pork balls went on, along with the dumplings in a cast iron skillet.
I kept the wings warm in foil while everything else finished cooking, then plated them on crispy rice noodles and delegated my honey to take a pic, since I was busy outdoors. The angle doesn’t show the carrot flowers at the bottom of the cucumber “leaves” but you can see the gap where there were six or so wings that went MIA while I was out of the kitchen!
Next up, the pork balls came off, and I poured some water into the dumpling pan and put the lid on to get them steaming. The BBQ pork was still not done, so it kept the dumplings company on the Performer.
Back in the kitchen I had noodles underway and some bok choy and Chinese broccoli. My honey thought I wouldn’t notice that one of these pork balls went missing ( see skewer far left) while I was outside playing with the dumplings… next time take the picture BEFORE you gobble up the “evidence”, mon ami…
The shrimp dumplings were ready at last – crispy on the bottom and steamed on top. I flipped them over for some color on the steamed surface. Dead easy garnish with red bell pepper and a green onion.
My honey was busy carrying stuff to the table, and took a pic while I was slicing the BBQ pork.
Plated the pork, threw the noodles in a bowl and finally we got to eat!
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
VERDICT: The BBQ pork was much better then my usual oven cooked version - the Performer made a huge flavor difference. The pork balls were also way better thanks to the charcoal braising. The dumplings were decent, but not great. I think I left them steaming too long as a few dried out and they all got more rubbery than they ought to be. That said, they had an interesting flavor - the wrappers definitely took on smokiness and I can see these would be fantastic if I can get the timing right.
My all-out failure of the night was the chicken wings. They were very juicy and tender, but not remotely crispy. Some were burned, others didn’t have much color at all. They tasted… meh. Too light on the garlic and chilli sauce and too heavy on the honey. Need a better recipe next time. I didn’t marinate them long – only about an hour. Maybe I should have marinated them overnight, like the BBQ pork.
I love Asian and Indian cooking, and I can see how the WSM and the Performer will add a whole new element. Next time I’ll do fewer dishes and practice on getting the cooking technique right for each of them!
Earlier in the day, I'd baked a pavlova, so at least I got to console myself with a yummy dessert after the wings-gone-bad. Here's the before and after shots.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
My Chinese cooking day was a lot of fun, and we have leftovers for days. Eating those will be a dirty job!
My third cook on the Performer started out the way Chinese food does, with tons of little bowls and bottles, and the pungent smell of anise, soy, garlic etc pervading my kitchen. Below is the BBQ pork tenderloin after marinating overnight, twice cooked pork balls mixture (left), and shrimp and chive mix for dumplings (wrappers next to pork tenderloin). I forgot to take pics of my wings until the finished plate – had a lot going on.
I got busy making the dumplings.
Put the pork balls in the steamer – phase one of the “twice cooked” concept.
After steaming I rolled those pork balls in a blend of hoisin sauce, light soy, and sesame oil and put them on bamboo skewers. Meanwhile the chicken wings were cooking on the Performer along with the BBQ pork, using Stubbs briquettes and a mix of hickory, oak and apple chips. When the wings were done, the pork balls went on, along with the dumplings in a cast iron skillet.
I kept the wings warm in foil while everything else finished cooking, then plated them on crispy rice noodles and delegated my honey to take a pic, since I was busy outdoors. The angle doesn’t show the carrot flowers at the bottom of the cucumber “leaves” but you can see the gap where there were six or so wings that went MIA while I was out of the kitchen!
Next up, the pork balls came off, and I poured some water into the dumpling pan and put the lid on to get them steaming. The BBQ pork was still not done, so it kept the dumplings company on the Performer.
Back in the kitchen I had noodles underway and some bok choy and Chinese broccoli. My honey thought I wouldn’t notice that one of these pork balls went missing ( see skewer far left) while I was outside playing with the dumplings… next time take the picture BEFORE you gobble up the “evidence”, mon ami…
The shrimp dumplings were ready at last – crispy on the bottom and steamed on top. I flipped them over for some color on the steamed surface. Dead easy garnish with red bell pepper and a green onion.
My honey was busy carrying stuff to the table, and took a pic while I was slicing the BBQ pork.
Plated the pork, threw the noodles in a bowl and finally we got to eat!
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
VERDICT: The BBQ pork was much better then my usual oven cooked version - the Performer made a huge flavor difference. The pork balls were also way better thanks to the charcoal braising. The dumplings were decent, but not great. I think I left them steaming too long as a few dried out and they all got more rubbery than they ought to be. That said, they had an interesting flavor - the wrappers definitely took on smokiness and I can see these would be fantastic if I can get the timing right.
My all-out failure of the night was the chicken wings. They were very juicy and tender, but not remotely crispy. Some were burned, others didn’t have much color at all. They tasted… meh. Too light on the garlic and chilli sauce and too heavy on the honey. Need a better recipe next time. I didn’t marinate them long – only about an hour. Maybe I should have marinated them overnight, like the BBQ pork.
I love Asian and Indian cooking, and I can see how the WSM and the Performer will add a whole new element. Next time I’ll do fewer dishes and practice on getting the cooking technique right for each of them!
Earlier in the day, I'd baked a pavlova, so at least I got to console myself with a yummy dessert after the wings-gone-bad. Here's the before and after shots.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
My Chinese cooking day was a lot of fun, and we have leftovers for days. Eating those will be a dirty job!
