Mung Bean Jelly (綠豆涼粉)

Here is a nice cold dish for the summer, or an appetizer for any season:

I. Ingredients

1. 1 cup of Mung Bean Starch powder, from any Chinese Market (see product package below). Note- The product package shows "Green" Bean Starch, in English, a misnomer.
2. A nonstick 8" x 8" x 1" baking pan. Note- Need the 1" depth to hold the boiling hot jelly safely, in Step 3 below.
   
   

II. Mung Bean Jelly

1. Add 1/2 cup of mung bean starch powder into a 1-cup measuring cup.  Slowly pour in 1/2 cup of water, and stir till fully dissolved. 
2. Boil 3.5 cups of water in a medium-sized pot, and let simmer at low heat. Gradually pour in the starch mixture prepared in Step 1, while stirring constantly till bubbles come up to the surface consistently and the mixture level starts to rise (by now mixture in the pot turns somewhat-transparent). Turn off heat. Note- Use 3 cups of water (vs 3.5 cups above), for slightly harder jelly. Also, corn starch can be used if mung bean starch is hard to find. Use 2.5 cups of water in Step 2 (vs 3.5 cups), because Corn Starch Jelly ends up much more watery.
3. Slowly and gradually pour the boiling hot mixture into a nonstick 8" x 8" x 1" baking pan. Let sit for 2-3 hours at room temperature.  
4. Insert a plastic knife around the edges of the jelly pan, and carefully flip the jelly out onto a large plate. Cut the jelly into 1/2" x 1/2" x 1" slices, and add into the Smashed Cucumber Salad we posted early. Note- Keep the unused jelly at room temperature, because refrigeration hardens the jelly. 

Smoked Chicken and Smoked Pork Ribs (燻雞、燻小排)

Using a regular no-frills BBQ Gas Grill as a smoker seems an interesting thing to try, for making Chinese-style Smoked Chicken (燻雞), Smoked Pork Ribs (燻小排), and in the future, Smoked Pork (湖南臘肉), for the Chinese New Year. For one thing, the smoke generated in the cooking process is easily dispersed, because this is outdoor cooking. And then, the grill gets used into the autumn, and maybe even, the winter.

I. Ingredients

1. Smoking Equipment- A no-frills BBQ Gas Grill. A large wok (12"-14") with a lid, a steaming plate (or a pizza screen), or a large steamer pot, and aluminum foil. Note- Use a beaten-up old wok or steamer pot, as shown above and in this excellent video (using a steamer pot), because direct fire underneath is pretty harsh on the equipment. I found my inexpensive 13.75" wok (without lid), as shown above, from Walmart. A well-fit dome-lid that is trapping the smoke inside can be easily found online or from stores, and it's a worthwhile investment, because it's reusable across woks (see picture below). A dome-lid allows room for a whole chicken, or duck, underneath. Note- The wok's wooden handles are wrapped with aluminum foils to avoid being burnt into ashes on top of the grill. In addition, an old 3-burner gas grill, burning natural gas, not propane, is used here. 
2. Smoke-Producing Ingredients- 1/4 cup of flour (any type), 1/4 cup of raw rice (any kind), 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 3-4 Tbsp of Dry Tea Leaves (or 2 Tbsp of fine-grained tea ground; use green, red or black tea, but not herbal tea).
   
   
3. For Part II- 4-6 pounds of chicken leg and thigh, or chicken leg quarters (with skin and bone). For marinating, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of five spices per pound.
4. For Part III- A full rack of baby back ribs. For marinating, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of five spices per pound.

II. Smoked Chicken (燻雞)

1. [Marinating] Marinate 4-6 pounds of chicken leg and thigh, or chicken leg quarters (with skin and bone), by rubbing ~1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of five spices per pound, on both sides (mix salt and five spices first, and rub evenly with hand). Let sit in open air in fridge over night, or 4-6 hours. Drain any fluid, and wipe both sides of the chicken with a slightly damp (NOT wet) paper towel to make sure the seasoning is evenly spread on the meat. 
2. [Searing] Sear the chicken pieces skin-side-down till the skin is golden, in a dry pan (with no oil, at medium heat, on a regular stove indoor).
3. Place two large sheets of aluminum foil in a cross pattern at the bottom of the wok (as seen in the top picture). Spread the mix of the Smoke-Producing Ingredients evenly on the foil.  Add another large piece of foil that's poked with some holes (by a fork) on top of the Smoke-Producing Ingredients. Now add a pizza screen or a steaming plate on top of the top layer foil. 
4. Place the chicken pieces skin-side-up on the pizza screen (or steaming plate). Cover the wok with the lid securely, and place the wok on top of the grill grate. Note- Might consider placing a coffee mug on top of the center of the lid, to ensure the lid is closed tightly (with added weight). 
5. Turn on the BBQ Grill burner to high heat under the wok. Once the smoke starts to escape from the edge of the lid, turn the heat to medium-low or low, and smoke for another 60-65 minutes.  Note- For chicken, internal temperature needs to reach 165-degF, or, no pink fluid when cutting open a thick-meaty part (roughly, 10-12 minuets per pound for leg and thigh, and 12-15 minuets per pound for a whole chicken). 
6. Take the chicken pieces out, let them rest for 5-10 minutes (tent with aluminum foil to keep warm), before carving and serving with greens or salads.The outcome from our grill is shown below.
   

III. Smoked Pork Ribs (燻小排)

1. [Boiling] Get a full rack of baby back ribs, and cut it into two half-racks. Immerse the two halves in water in a large pot, bring to boil and let simmer for 30 minutes.
2. [Marinating] Marinate the ribs, by rubbing ~1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of five spices per pound, on both sides (mix salt and five spices first, and rub evenly with hand). Let sit in open air in fridge over night, or 4-6 hours. Drain any fluid, and wipe both sides of the ribs with a slightly damp (NOT wet) paper towel to make sure the seasoning is evenly spread on the meat. 
3. Place two large sheets of aluminum foil in a cross pattern at the bottom of the wok (as seen in the top picture). Spread the mix of the Shmoke-Producing Ingredients evenly on the foil.  Add another large piece of foil that's poked with some holes (by a fork) on top of the Smoke-Producing Ingredients. Now add a pizza screen or a steaming plate on top of the top layer foil. 
4. Place the ribs meat-side-up on the pizza screen (or steaming plate). Cover the wok with the lid securely, and place the wok on top of the grill grate. Note- Might consider placing a coffee mug on top of the center of the lid, to ensure the lid is closed tightly (with added weight).
5. Turn on the BBQ Grill burner to high heat under the wok. Once the smoke starts to escape from the edge of the lid, turn the heat to medium-low or low, and smoke for another 60 minutes. Note- After boiling for 30 minutes in Step 1, the ribs are almost fully cooked.
6. Take the ribs out, let them rest for 5-10 minutes (tent with aluminum foil to keep warm), before carving and serving with greens or salads. The outcome from our grill is shown at the top of this post.