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Char Siu Pork Tenderloin marinade with some additional ingredients becomes a great sauce for the Chinese Barbecue Pork Noodle!
Breaking from traditional preparations to bring you this flavor packed sweet and spicy sauce served in the style of double pan fried noodles.
More Delicious Chinese Recipes
Sweet and Savory flavors of the marinade – hoisin, oyster sauce, brown sugar, rice cooking wine, honey and five spice powder combine to pack traditional flavors into pork.
Learn more about Five Spice Powder in the Five Spice Marinated Lamb Chops with Six Spice Mongolian Sauce recipe. Another flavor packed Chinese sauce that is delicious.
Ingredients in Five Spice Powder
Cinnamon
Star Anise
Sichuan Peppercorns
Fennel Seeds
Cloves
In this recipe I break from the traditional ingredient of red bean curd and/or red food coloring. I enjoy using red bean curd, it has a umami packed wine flavor that works well in braised meat dishes. Actually, this isn’t a total break from using bean curd, Hoisin sauce contains bean curd in the ingredients, see below.
The break from using it is mainly because picking up a jar of red bean curd is not something that most will use very often. As a result, leaving it sit in the far reaches of the refrigerator to die a slow death. Plus, not using red food coloring, I have never been a fan of food coloring, why add something when it doesn’t enhance flavor?
The end result of the marinade may not deliver the traditional red hue ring around the sliced pork but the flavors will not disappoint.
Hoisin Sauce – What’s the Flavor?
So what gives Hoisin that distinct, can’t put your finger on it, flavor? Lee Kum Kee describes Hoisin Sauce as –
“Irresistibly delicious sweet sauce made from selected spices, ground soybeans, and sweet potatoes. Excellent for marinating, stir-frying or dipping.”
Hoisin Sauce
The ingredients in Hoisin can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer as a result, flavors may be different. Lee Kum Kee list of ingredients include – sugar, fermented soybean paste, salt, sweet potato powder, sesame paste, cspices, dehydrated garlic and salted chili peppers.
Obviously, with this variety of ingredients it is easy to see how Hoisin gets its complex flavors.
Barbecue and Noodles?
Before you jump to conclusions, hear me out. Chinese Barbecue Pork Noodle is packed with flavor besides, there is a method to the madness. Many moons ago, working in a Chinese restaurant, we would have a rotation of “family meals” that the staff would eat before service.
One ingredient, due to an excess of end cuts of bbq pork that were not pretty enough to serve to the guests was occasionally used. These pork cuts were tossed into fried rice and would make its way into wok tossed noodles.
There was another dish that staff created that used Chinese egg noodles that were dried on a flat top grill this was a unique use. As a result these two ingredients made their way to “family meal” in one dish. That version was simpler and was often served out of hotel pan, not very glamorous.
This version is packed with more flavor than that noodle dish that was made to feed the masses before the storm of service started.
Twist on Double Pan Fried
If you are familiar with Double Pan Fried Noodles, you will appreciate this twist on the dish. Double Pan Fried Noodles are made by first cooking and cooling egg noodles. The noodles are then formed into a nest. They are placed into a wok with hot oil.
The noodles are fried for about a minutes or so. This changes the noodles slightly, giving them a slightly chewy texture. The noodles are then drained on a wok strainer to remove the excess oil.
Double Pan Fried Noodles
Once the noodles have drained for a few minutes, the noodles are then “Pan Fried”. The noodles are placed into a wok over a medium heat. The wok is swirled to get the flattened fried noodle nest to toast, giving the noodles a crisp exterior and then flipped and repeated.
For plating, the Double Pan Fried Noodles are broken/pulled apart to provide a nest on the plate. A thickened sauce is then poured over the top of the noodles. Crispy and chewy noodles with the sauce dripping through the noodles, without a doubt, giving the dish a unique texture and eating experience.
Bringing it All Together
Chinese Barbecue Pork Noodle
Because of my love of wok cooking techniques and the flavors of Asia, Chinese Barbecue Pork Noodle is a result. Dry the cooked and cooled Chinese noodles in as saute pan over a medium heat or on a griddle gives the noodles a chewy texture similar to a double pan fried dish. Be sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
Prepare the sauce and add to the sauteed veggies or prepare them separate and assemble them over the noodles. It’s up to you. Alternatively, prepare like a chow mein. Toss the noodles in the saute pan with the sauce and veggies, the noodles will soften more but the sauce will cover the noodles evenly.
Pouring the sauce over plated dried noodles gives a Double Pan Fried feel to the dish. Sweet and Spicy Sauce with the chewy crispy noodles served with Char Siu Pork Tenderloin.
Enjoy!
Print Recipe
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Chef Tony Zentgraf
Enjoy this Uniquely Flavored Sweet and Spicy Sauce over Dried Chinese Noodles. Served in the style of Double Pan Fried, you will enjoy the textures and flavors.
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Marinating the Char Siu Pork Tenderloin
Trim the Pork Tenderloin of any unwanted fat and silverskin.
In a bowl, combine all marinade ingredients.Mix to thoroughly combine.
In a resealable bag or container, pour the marinade over the pork and mix to combine.
Refrigerate the marinade overnight.
Cooking the Char Siu Pork Tenderloin
Preheat your grill to high. If using oven preheat to 375°
Remove the pork from the marinade, remove excess marinade form the pork.Do not throw out the marinade.Keep refrigerated until ready to make the sauce for the noodles.
Insert a wireless thermometer if available.Set up the cook on the app.
Grill or roast the pork until the internal temperature reaches 145°Remove from heat and let rest.
Preparing the Noodles
Cook the dry Chinese noodles as per directions on package.Strain the noodles and toss with vegetable oil to coat. Cool on a sheet pan in the refrigerator. Air drying helps the drying process over heat.Undercooking the noodles is recommended because of the carryover cooking as the noodles cool in the refrigerator.If using precooked packaged noodles, soak the noodles in warm water and gently work your fingers into the noodles to separate them. Drain the water and let air dry. You can let them dry overnight on a sheet pan in the refrigerator if desired.
Heat a griddle or saute pan to a medium heat.
Add the noodles and separate them so they do not stick together.
Dry the noodles turning occasionally to evenly brown them. Keep an eye on them so they do not burn. This will take about 15 minutes depending on the level of heat used.
The noodles should have areas where they are dried and areas where they are not. Brown the noodles as much as you desire. A golden brown gives a nice crunchy texture.
Reserve the noodles until ready to use.
Preparing the Sauce
Add the marinade to a saucepan.Bring the marinade up to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 1 minute.
To the boiled marinade add the chili paste, chicken broth and rice vinegar.(you can add less chili paste if you want it mild)
Bring the sauce to a boil.
Thicken with cornstarch. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon. Optional – You do not have to thicken the sauce if you are going to toss together with the noodles.
Reserve the sauce until ready to assemble the noodles.
Sauteing the Vegetables
In a saute pan, heat the vegetable oil.
Saute the onions and carrots until they are softened and gain some color.
Add the garlic and celery, saute until fragrant.
If using baby bok choy, pre blanch and reserve aside or toss into the pan with other veggies.
To assemble the dish – Place the dried Chinese noodles on a plate. Pile as you wish.Arrange the vegetables over the top of the noodles.Pour the sauce over the vegetables and noodles. If desired arrange the baby bok choy on the side.
Slice the Char Siu Pork Tenderloin and serve over the top or on the side.ENJOY!
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Tortellini & Parmesan Cream Sauce is a great recipe to use the Mediterranean Marinated Roasted Chicken!
Tortellini with Parmesan Cream Sauce & Mediterranean Roasted Chicken
Roasted Chicken
Parmesan Cream Sauce
Assembling the Pasta Dish
Recipe
Great Weeknight Meal!
This pasta dish can be ready to throw together in a snap with some preparations. Start with a leftover Mediterranean Marinated Roasted Chicken you roasted/grilled yourself or use one you picked up from the grocery store. Shred the chicken a day ahead or when you are ready to cook.
This is an easy to make cream sauce that can be made ahead and refrigerated. Pull out what you want to use and store the rest. Reheating the sauce is where it can get tricky. Low and slow with reheating the sauce is vital. If you heat at too high of a temperature, the sauce may break. Don’t worry, low and slow to reheat. I recommend reheating the sauce in a separate pan to keep an eye on the sauce as it reheats.
Assembling the Pasta Dish
Chop up some garlic, onions and whatever veggies you like. Heat some water to a rolling simmer so it is ready to cook the tortellini. Then once you have the chicken shredded and the sauce reheated you are ready to get cooking!
In a saute pan, heat some olive oil and saute the onions until they become translucent. Add the garlic and the veggies. (if using broccoli, it may be best to pre blanch the broccoli to soften) Saute the veggies until softened.
Add the parmesan cream sauce and chicken. Toss to combine. Over a low heat, reserve the assembled sauce in the saute pan until the tortellini are cooked.
Cook the tortellini according to packaged instructions. If using fresh made tortellini, cook until the pasta has risen to the top and is thoroughly cooked. Drain the water or using a spider, skim the tortellini from the pot.
Add the tortellini to the Parmesan Cream Sauce and toss or mix using a spoon until coated. Or plate the pasta in a bowl, top with the veggies and chicken in the sauce. Finish with parmesan cheese!
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Spicy sausage is a classic Italian flavor in many dishes. Here in the U.S. we can find some variety of sausage, sweet or hot in either link or ground bulk usually in 1 lb packages.
Substituting chicken or shrimp would be a great variation on the dish. If you still want that spice in your substitution of protein, just add a 1/4-1/2 tsp of chili flakes when sauteing the vegetables. If you really want a different spice there is a Cajun variation in the recipe.
Change up the Ingredients
This recipe can be used as a refrigerator roulette, what veggies do you need to use? Zucchini, broccoli, a jar of olives that has been floating around in the back of the fridge? (guilty on the last one) Just substitute what you have.
Prepare the Sauce Separate
In the recipe the Roasted Garlic Sauce is prepared in a separate pot. This way you can easily add it to the remaining sauteed ingredients without over cooking them.
The Roasted Garlic Sauce is great as a sauce for a vegetarian lasagna with white sauce.
Thicken the sauce with some cornstarch at the end, after you add the cheese, the sauce will not separate in the oven when the lasagna is baked.
Enjoy!
Print Recipe
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Chef Tony Zentgraf
You can substitute Chicken for the Sausage if you would like. Add red chili flakes if you want to add a kick. Recipe Variation- Blackened Chicken – toss diced or sliced chicken in some blackening or cajun seasoning before you sear the chicken in the pan. The residual spice on the chicken and in the pan will make the roasted garlic cream sauce cajun spiced. It is a real interesting twist on the standard cream sauce pasta dish. Pin Recipe Share on Facebook
This recipe for Easy Parmesan Cream Sauce is a great alternative to Alfredo Sauce. There are similarities but this one has more flavor!
Have It Ready in the Fridge!
Make this Parmesan Cream Sauce ahead and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It is a great sauce to have on hand. Use it for a quick weeknight meal tossed with pasta, tortellini or even on a naan as a oven made pizza with your favorite toppings.
Shred some leftover chicken or a roasted one you picked up on the way home. Add your favorite veggies and pasta you will be glad you had this sauce ready.
Have you ever thought of making a white sauce lasagna? This sauce works great in lasagna with some roasted vegetables layered in between the ricotta and lasagna sheets. Layer the sauce just as you would a red sauce.
You will want to double or triple up the recipe to make sure you have enough sauce in the lasagna. What’s left over, just put it in a container and store in the refrigerator.
Similar to an Alfredo with More Flavor!
Traditional Alfredo Sauce has minimal ingredients, butter, cream, parmesan and some nutmeg and possibly black pepper. As with many recipes, you will find numerous variations on Alfredo Sauce.
Some variations out there are as basic as cream and parmesan with a splash of pasta water to loosen up the sauce. Others become more elaborate with the addition of other thickeners or even variations on the dairy used.
This sauce uses cream and half & half, giving a lighter texture and mouthfeel to the sauce. Not to mention a few less calories, if you are watching fat content. Adding garlic, onions, red chili flakes and white wine give a boost in flavor too!
Although this is not an Alfredo, this white sauce is versatile and delicious. Great additions to the sauce would be some pesto or sun dried tomato pesto to give a twist on a traditional white sauce.
Try the Easy Parmesan Cream Sauce in these Recipes!
Enjoy!
Print Recipe
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Chef Tony Zentgraf
Great alternative to Alfredo with more flavor! Have it premade in the refrigerator to use in weeknight pasta meal! Lasagna Sauce or Pizza Sauce too!
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Mention @culinaryseasons or tag #culinaryseasons!
Assembling the Sauce
Mince the garlic & dice the onion into ¼”.
In a sauce pot, heat the olive oil.Add the onions and sauce until translucent. Try not to brown the onions.
Once the onions are translucent, add the garlic and saute until fragrant.
Add the red chili flakes (or black pepper if desired) Saute for a 15 seconds to release the oil in the pepper.
Turn up the heat to high and add the white wine and reduce by half.
Once the wine is reduced, remove the sauce pot from the heat and let cook for a couple of minutes. This will help to keep the cream and half & half from breaking when you add them to the pot.
Pour in the cream and half & half, mix to combine. Return the pot to the burner.
Over a medium heat, bring the sauce up in temperature. Avoid boiling the sauce. On a rolling simmer, let the sauce reduce for 5 minutes to allow the cream and half & half to incorporate into the sauce.
Taste the sauce at this point. You are looking for a balanced flavor. It should not taste too much like cream. If it does let the sauce simmer for a few more minutes to allow the flavors to come together.
Whisk in the grated parmesan cheese about a ½ cup at a time. Allow the cheese to melt before adding each addition.
Once all the cheese is incorporated into the sauce, taste to see if more cheese needs to be added. The parmesan cheese adds flavor but also acts as a thickener. At this point, you can add additional cheese to adjust flavor OR to thicken further.
Adjust seasoning with additional black pepper or salt if needed. Parmesan cheese will add saltiness to the sauce, you may not need salt.
If desired, you can use cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce to the desired thickness. This is recommended if using as a sauce for a pasta bake such as lasagna. It will help to keep the sauce together during the baking process.
Use the sauce immediately or cool and reserve in the refrigerator to have for later use.
Reheating the Sauce
Reheat the sauce in a saucepan over medium heat.
Slowly bring the sauce up to temperature to avoid breaking the sauce.Too high of heat too fast will cause the sauce to potentially break.
Add chicken & veggies and serve with your favorite pasta!ENJOY!
This Garlic & Cannellini Bean Saute was paired with the Pan Seared Mediterranean Rockfish recipe, the flavors were made to go together!
Cannellini Beans are Italian Aren’t They?
The cannellini bean is found in many Italian recipes such as Tuscan Stewed Beans otherwise known as Fagioli all’Uccelletto. A simple recipe recipe that is made from cannellini beans, passata (crushed strained tomatoes), garlic, olive oil and sage.
Cannellini beans origin gets a bit cloudy depending on where you look. The location of where they were originally harvested points three directions. Italy isn’t the only country where they are grown and are found in food heritage. Argentina actually lays claim to the bean origins. Yet, the Argentinian name for the Cannellini Bean is Alubia, this name has origins to the Middle East.
Traversing the Atlantic
So what direction did the white bean travel? From Italy or the Middle East to South America? Because of Italy’s known use of the Cannellini Bean and the explorers leaving Europe in the 1500s it may seem to be the case, it’s actually not. White beans were first cultivated in South America and brought back to Europe with the return of the explorers.
Most likely, the Middle Eastern name Alubia was brought to South America via the Spanish travelers. Since Spain and Portugal had been occupied by the Moors, a European term for Muslim influence. It is possible that the name was adopted into Spanish language and became known as a bean.
What Made Cannellini Beans So Popular?
Also known as a White Kidney Bean, these beans when cooked are slightly nutty, mild flavor that has a fluffy texture. These beans are great to use in stews, sautees, and braises. Because of their creamy texture, the bean pairs well with numerous spices and ingredients.
Upon the Cannellini Bean being brought back to Italy it found its new home in the Florence region. The Medici family ruled Florence and when Catherine Medici became Queen of France, she brought with her her Italian family chefs. The Medici family’s love of Cannellini Beans along with the culinary influences Catherine Medici brought to France, it is no wonder the Cannellini Bean can be found in such French classic dishes such as Cassoulet.
Not Just an Italian Favorite
Since trade routes around the mediterranean into Egypt and other Muslim countries were established, the Cannellini Bean was introduced and became a favorite bean there as well. The climate proved perfect to grow the bean. Alubia or white beans can be found in many recipes around the Middle East.
The white bean can be found from South America, Spain, Italy, France, the Middle East and of course it made its way to the U.S. with Italian immigrants.
Whatever the cultural cuisine you are accustomed to, the use of White Kidney Beans, Cannellini Beans or Alubia Beans have probably been used at one time or another.
Enjoy this recipe for Garlic & Cannellini Bean Saute!
Print Recipe
Author: Chef Tony Zentgraf
This hearty bean saute pairs well with fish, chicken or even pork. Enjoy this as a side or an entree!
More Delicious Chinese Recipes
Cinnamon
Star Anise
Sichuan Peppercorns
Fennel Seeds
Cloves
Hoisin Sauce
Double Pan Fried Noodles
Chinese Barbecue Pork Noodle
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