Month: July 2023

Fruit Flavored Beef Jerky

written 07/29/2023, updated 07/29/2023

What

Beef Jerky, Fruit Flavored, Oven Baked

Ingredients

*Measurements are all to your taste

Main: Beef

Marinade: Soy Sauce, salt, sugar, fruit jam, fruit juice (your choice in flavors, I used strawberry and raspberry jam, and mango/strawberry juice), lemon/citrus juice, red wine, Shaoxing wine

Optional: fresh-squished strawberries, pepper, garlic, etc

Supplies: Plastic zipper bag, racked baking sheet or air fryer basket, liner to catch drippings, toothpicks

Time

30 minutes Prep + Overnight set + 45 minutes Bake = 1 hour, 15 minutes + overnight (for 350F Bake)

Steps

Prep

  • Prepare the beef: Slice to your desired thickness and size
  • If thicker, then poke holes in it
  • Put beef in plastic zipper bag
  • Prepare the marinade: combine soy sauce, red & Shaoxing wines, salt, sugar, lemon/citrus juice, fruit jams, your optional ingredients and fruit (to your desired taste), and then pour into zipper bag
  • Really combine them with the meat
  • Add the fruit juice
  • Close and place in refrigerator overnight

Cooking

  • Take meat out of refrigerator to room temperature
  • Lay the beef slices on the rack OR, using toothpicks, suspend them between the rack slats
  • Make sure to have a drip catcher underneath

Route A: 300F for 45 minutes

  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150C)
  • Bake for 45ish minutes (depending on thickness) until desired consistency/hardness

Route B: Lowest Temp for 2-6 hours

  • Set oven to 300F (150C)
  • Lower to 270F (133C)
  • Add beef
  • Cook for 10 minutes (to make it safe to eat)
  • Lower temperature to lowest possible temperature of oven (traditionally, it’s 145F/63C), prop open oven door with wooden spoon for ventilation
  • Cook to desired dryness

Route C: Use dehydrator/air fryer

–

Notes

  • Cut with the grain for MORE chewiness, cut against the grain for LESS chewiness
  • Thicker slices will take more time, thinner slices with take less time
  • If you thread the toothpicks into the ends of the beef strips and then hang those in between the rack slats, it will dry evenly
  • Don’t marinate for too long or the meat consistency will change

Pork Xa Xiu

written 07/29/2023, updated 07/29/2023

What

Char siu (xa xiu) pork baked and broiled in oven

Ingredients

*Measurements are all to taste

Main: Pork (Country-style, boston butt)

Marinade/Basting Sauce: Soy Sauce, Brown Sugar, Garlic Powder (or minced garlic), Salt, Hoisin Sauce, Shaoxing Wine, Red Wine, Red Fermented Bean Curd, Five-Spice Powder

Additional: Honey

Optional: Lee Kum Kee Char Siu Sauce

Supplies: Lined baking sheet with rack, foil, basting brush, tongs, plastic zipper bag, bowls

Time

10 minutes Prep + Overnight set + 45 minutes Bake = 55 minutes + overnight

Steps

Prep

  • Prepare the pork (country-style comes pre-sliced)
  • Stab holes in the pork to help it soak in the marinade
  • Set in a plastic zipper bag
  • In a bowl, prepare the marinade: combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder (or garlic), salt, hoisin sauce, shaoxing wine, red wine, 1 cube of fermented bean curd, Five-spice powder
  • Taste and adjust as needed
  • Here, you can set aside a portion of the marinade (for basting during cooking), or just combine all of it with the pork in the bag
  • Make sure to combine it well with the meat
  • Leave overnight in refrigerator (no longer than 1 night, lest it change the texture of the meat)

Cooking

  • Remove meat from refrigerator to set to room temperature
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
  • Prepare the baking sheet and rack: line with foil and pour in some water underneath (prevents drippings from smoking during cooking)
  • If you didn’t save some of the marinade for basting, prepare it now using the same ingredients OR use Lee Kum Kee’s Char Siu Sauce mixed with other ingredients plus honey (Note: I needed a good amount each time. It depends on how many pieces of pork… plus I like sauce)
  • Set the pork on the rack and place it in the oven.
  • *DON’T WALK AWAY*
  • 15 minutes after start, pull them out and baste them all over, both sides
  • Return to oven
  • If need more sauce, prepare
  • 15 minutes after that, take out and repeat the basting, both sides
  • 10 minutes after, baste again
  • Route A: Set oven to Broil on HIGH for 5 minutes

OR

  • Route B: Increase temperature to 450F and bake for 5 minutes
  • Baste with honey all over, and let set a few minutes before slicing
  • ENJOY

Notes

  • My equipment: Ninja Foodi 10 in 1 XL Oven
  • Red fermented bean curd really is necessary for this to be authentic in both color and taste. I tried a few times without it, and it’s not nearly as good. Same with the Shaoxing wine
  • Easy method would be to use Lee Kum Kee’s char siu sauce (or equivalent) for both marinade and basting, but I would still mix in a few ingredients on top of it
  • Honey makes the xa xiu carmelize on the edges. It’s great! That’s also the point of broiling/raising the temperature at the end
  • Be careful of smoke during the cooking process
  • Try not to set the meat longer than overnight because it can really affect the texture of the meat. I made a batch after 2 or 3 days in the fridge and it ended up rubbery and not good
  • Dogs go crazy when they smell this cooking 😀