(Resto Review) My expectation failed me…tremendously. Never to shell out a cent…again. 

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A little break from issuing out recipes, please allow me to express my feelings
re this “vaunted” Wagyu serving resto.
With Pangs, fetched my daughter, Cha,
last Sunday where she and her Mom heard mass
while I engaged in my usual  weekend exercise.
Breakfast at her unit or out usually follows our activity.
That bright sunny day, she thought of having us taste and analyze
dishes of this site.
My expectations failed me again...tremendously.
My D300 was ready but did not bother to take out from the bag and snap. Useless.
So, below pictures are those of our products. Not theirs.

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Should corned beef be “slab type”, this must be the color. Not brown due to wanton addition of
“no-brainer spices and herbs that hands of whosoever thought of it can get a hold of”.
OR

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be like this, if “shredded type”.
The one served to me had “out of this world concoction”.
It was “sour-ish, bland, added with rosemary or fennel, I believe”.
Acidity was overpowering.
Announcing to the world that you serve “wagyu”,
then just lightly fry it for patrons to savour and enjoy what you’re rallying about.
The most that you can concoct on a shredded corned beef is to make it into a hash
that is adding cubes of potatoes. Saute or fry with very little spices (hint of garlic and onion).
YOU DO NOT HIDE THE BEAUTY & TASTE OF YOUR HOME-MADE CORNED BEEF.
Let the beefy-ness of your “wagyu” come out.Now the TAPA
(salted, dried or boiled a bit strips of beef)

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Unlike the one above, which is processed from just plain U.S. cattle,
Their “Tapa” is “acidic, with again full of un-wanted flavor of different additions”…and so blackish.The SAUSAGE?

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As if marinated in vinegar, that is aside form “mashy texture of the flesh”
that could be due to “double grinding” instead of using a silent cutter or a bowl chopper.
WHY?
Oh no.
Kindly read my disclaimer below.
Am not here to put that resto down.
With those “costly” meals, please don’t serve us with ” blind-foldedly prepared recipes”.
No “WAGYU” that I’ve tasted of.
Just improve.Another technological recipe coming out next post.

Pork Shu-Mai (The Health-Centered Formulation).

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PORK SHU-MAI
(The Health-Centered Formulation)
The process deviates from the usual, which incorporates cubes of fat (pork and/or beef),
mainly to soften bite-effect of all-lean meat
and also to render juiciness to overall profile of the end product.
In lieu of said fat, grated healthy veggies are utilized to simulate “moist” outcome
plus the careful addition of just right & proper ingredients
technologically resulting to rounded-tasteful dim sum.
Behold the shu-mai packed with health-centered ingredients.
Ingredients:
(1 kilo outcome making 50 pieces of 20 grams per piece)500 grams ground all lean pork (zero fat-from ham part)
50 grams grated carrots
50 grams grated turnip (“singkamas”)
50 grams grated “sayote”
3 grams fine salt
10 grams cane sugar
2 grams ground black pepper
45 grams Shiitake or button mushroom, soaked in mushroom water for an hour,
drained and cut to small pieces
30 grams tapioca starch
15 ml. low-sodium soy sauce
15 ml. oyster sauce
230 ml. water (for soaking mushroom)
50 pieces shu-mai wrapper
Note on wrapper:
Major supermarkets sell shu-mai or siomai wrappers
which are thinner than those for dumpling.
Round ones are better. Squares can be cut on edges to make them circular.
Chili Garlic Dipping Sauce:
100 grams crushed-chopped fresh garlic
100 grams crushed chopped “labuyo” (bird’s eye chili pepper)
20 ml. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
low-sodium soy sauce
calamansi or lemon
black beans – optional
Cooking Media:
Steamer
Water
Brush
EVOO
Suitable small pan
Tongs
Procedures:
1.    Combine ground pork, carrots, turnip, “sayote”, mushroom and water.
This is the “meat blend”. Tumble and mix well by hand. Set aside.
2.    Combine low-sodium soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, sugar and black pepper in a bowl
and whisk thoroughly to dissolve solid ingredients until smooth.
3.    Scatter mixture in all parts of “meat blend”
for uniform flavor dissemination when tumbled and tossed by hands.
Tumble thoroughly.
4.    Place a wrapper at palm of one hand, scoop 20 or so grams and wrap to your desired form.
5.    When done refrigerate formed shu-mai for an hour to attain firmness.
6.    Heat EVOO, fry garlic until brown, add in “labuyo”
and continue frying for 3 minutes to attain a “toasted” profile.
Pour in soy sauce. Bring to boil then set aside.
7.    IF STEAMING: Boil enough tap water in a steamer.
Line refrigerated shu-mai in steamer’s slotted top container.
Steam for 6 minutes. Remove by using rubber spatula.
Note on steaming process:
Should you wish, you may use brush to apply little oil
unto slotted container for easier removal.
8.    IF DEEP FRYING: Heat EVOO in pan and deep fry a batch of shu-mai (4-6 pieces)
for 3-4 minutes depending on desired done-ness.
Use tongs to turn dim sum.
9.    In a dipping container mix soy sauce with desired amount of fried chili-garlic,
squeeze in 1 or 2 pieces calamansi. Mix.
10.Savour the luxury of home-made shu-mai.

Complete your technological cooking adventure
by using “chopsticks” in partaking each and every piece of shu-mai.
Doing so adds excitement to your meal.

HOTOTAY SOUP (the more technological cooking approach).

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HOTOTAY SOUP
(The More Technological Cooking Approach)
HOTOTAY Soup is typically of Chinese kitchen origin fully accepted by Pinoys to be part of their own.
Modifications are introduced into it converting the “new version” as that of modifying-region’s native recipe.
I grew up knowing and hearing my old folks talked about HOTOTAY as an
“energy boosting meal”.
Being full of healthy ingredients, it was (or still is) served to women who had newly given birth,
or to people who just came from sick-bed and wished to recuperate faster
or to any one wishing to partake healthy meal.
I believe (IMHO) it was the inspiration behind the concoction of “Iloilo’s Batchoy”,
the “Lomi” of Batangas and the now very popular…
”TANTANMEN Noodle”.
Allow me to deal on these at the end.
The recipe herein detailed spells the different stages of its prep
creating a dish full of extracted flavor and taste rounded-ness
without the “bara-bara” dousing of millions of ingredients.
(wanton and blindfolded addition of un-needed materials)
I did not add fresh egg at the last-for I have a different idea how to offer it.
Other raw mats like: mushrooms, garlic, green onion leaves, oyster sauce etc.
are optional and dependent unto your call.
Let’s start this real health-focused complete dish.
Good for 2 servings.
INGREDIENTS:
Pork:
¼ kilo all-lean. Boil to tenderness in 500 ml. tap water added with
2 grams fine salt &
2 grams ground black pepper
Once done, remove from broth cut to cubes.
Broth will be used as the main soup later.
Chicken:
1 small breast, de-boned and cubed.
Shrimp:
6 pieces,  head & tail cut, de-shelled, de-veined.
Pork Liver:
100 grams, sliced.

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Egg:
1 piece, scrambled, fried, sliced thinly.
Veggies:
100 grams sliced cabbage
50 grams cubed “sayote”
50 grams sliced carrots
1 medium white onion sliced roundedly
2 bunches cleaned “baby bok choy” or Chinese Pechay, end joint-stalk cut

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Other Ingredients:
10 ml. “patis” (fish sauce)
15 ml. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
2 grams fine salt
2 grams ground black pepper
3 ml. sesame oil
PROCEDURES:
(for truer flavor rounded-ness, please follow the sequence closely)
1. In suitable pan, fry chicken cubes in heated EVOO. Toss & tumble until brown-about 5-8 minutes or to desired done-ness. (this process fries & cooks the chicken to palatability).
2. Add in boiled lean pork, carrots, “sayote”, sprinkle salt & pepper on top. Continue tossing for 5 minutes. (this cooks the otherwise tough carrots & “sayote” while disseminating to the whole batch the flavor of seasoned-boiled taste of pork while, also, all tossed ingredients absorb salt & pepper)
3. Add in white onion, shrimp and liver. Tumble for 2 minutes. (almost last stage of sautéing as onion, shrimp & liver are softer & cook easily)
4. Add ½ of “patis”. Continue mixing well. (salt renders saltiness in full while “patis” shares off little saltiness & full seafood-or fish- flavor).
5. Set aside.

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6. Summon the pork broth and bring to boil.
7. Once boiling, pour in cabbage and “baby bok choy”.
8. Add in remaining ½ of “patis” and cook veggies in boiling broth for 15 seconds. (over boiling green veggies will render “un-palatable sight” to dishes.
9. Pour unto desired serving bowl, arrange veggies and meat to be “desirably sumptuous to the eyes”.
10. Scatter sliced scrambled egg…pour in sesame oil.
11. Enjoy the bliss of healthy offering.
NOTES:
1. I did not add mushroom pieces. It’s your choice.
Should you wish, you can add such together with the batch of onion, shrimp etc.
2. I did not add garlic and green onion leaves as doing so
will make the HOTOTAY tastes like “MAMI”. But again, your choice.
3. Oyster sauce (IMHO) will render the dish a “stew” like profile and NOT  “soup”.
VARIATIONS POSSIBLE:
1. Add in boiled noodles, “chicharon crumbs”, fried garlic & sliced green onion leaves on top will make it…like…
LA PAZ BATCHOY.
2. Change pork into fried ground beef (with little of its oil), add noodles of your choice
and top with green onion leaves’ slices for…the now very famous…
TANTANMEN NOODLE SOUP.

Oven Toastered Pork Loin

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OVEN TOASTERED PORK LOIN
Being just 2 at home, each time Pangs (wife Marilyn) and I get up,
after a short pm nap, in time to prepare for Sunday dinner,
we normally raid the ref.
As always, meat, veggies or fish, excess or left overs from
plant’s trials/production will we find.
This time found a bit big slice of pork loin.
As I usually hate prepping the range or lighting up fire via gas oven,
I normally summon other ways of cooking my food…which,
often, I will land using the ever helpful:
SMALL OVEN TOASTER.
That’s it.  Let’s get this meat ready to meet our tummy.

INGREDIENTS:
Meat:
1/2 kilo pork loin thinly sliced about ¼ inch
Meat Rub:
2 grams ground black pepper
1 gram chili powder
1 gram paprika powder
3 grams garlic powder
2 grams nutmeg powder
2 grams coriander powder
2 grams fine salt
10 ml. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Veggies:
1 piece small carrot, de-rinded, cut into strips
1 small “sayote”, de-rinded, stripped
1 small head of broccoli, de-stemed,  quartered
2 grams fine salt
1 gram ground black pepper
1 slice butter (any brand of about 2 x 2 x 3 inches)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Except for EVOO & ½ of salt, combine all ingredients for meat rub. Blend well.
2. Rub meat well with EVOO covering all sides.
3. Sprinkle to all sides the meat rub. Toss and tumble to coat all.
4. Set toaster temp to high. Turn on top and bottom heating rods until fiery red.
5. In suitable rack or toaster’s flat bed container,  “BROAST” meat
for 15-20 minutes each side. (this depends on your done-ness preference)
6. Out. Sprinkle with other ½ of salt. Set aside. Cover with foil.
7. After quick boiling water blanching (about 2 minutes),
make bed of different colorful veggies.
8. Season with the little slice of butter on top, sprinkle salt & pepper.
9. Add in your “TOASTERED PORK LOIN”
10. Share with your loved one(s). Enjoy.NOTE: And why did I add salt at last stage which was after cooking?
When you add salt to meat, any kind, before cooking, it absorbs outside moisture
including thereat inside juices of your meat
which in fact toughens the resulting end product.
This is so if cooking medium is: grilling, broiling, roasting or frying.
But if you’re stewing, saucing or souping, then add your salt as you wish.
Believe you me.
Also, in view of the cooking medium used,
I coined the word BROAST which is
a portmanteau of the words broil & roast.

Minutes to prepare ultra quick to cook. Lightly Souped Pomfret (Pinangat in Filipino)

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I wanted to innovate Pinoy (Filipino) fish recipes and refrain from utilizing
Bangus (milk fish) & Tilapia.
WHY?
Frequently, 7 in every 10, they’re “lasang lumot” (taste like moss)
And why Pomfret (Pampano)?
Primordial reason is-its somewhat “buttery” or “creamy” flavor vividly satisfies your palate
more so if the part taken comes from the area of the belly.
Believe you me, tastier than “Bangus”
& way way far up than “Tilapia”.
Secondly, highly manageable to prep as they’re not as boney as milk fish.
Finally, should you have L.O. (left over), in tightly sealed food container,
(to prevent odor cross contamination)
cast unto fridge or chiller or freezer
then withdraw few days after, adding little water if need be,
re-heat via boiling (PLEASE REFRAIN FROM MICROWAVING).
There you go. Notwithstanding overdone veggies, truly fresh taste as in original-day cooked.
“Panginoon ko” (Oh my God!),
farmers & traders of milkfish & Tilapia might give me a run for my life.
INGREDIENTS:
1 medium size thoroughly cleaned Pomfret
4 pieces medium tomatoes-each cut into 4 pieces
2 pieces large white onion roundedly-sliced (not chopped)
3 pieces banana pepper (or chili finger or “sili pansigang”)
2 grams ground black pepper
8 pieces cleaned mustard leaves
10 ml. cooking oil
5 ml. “patis” (fish sauce)
200 ml. tap water (tubig lang sa gripo nyahaha) or fish stock
PROCEDURES:
1. Heat pan pour oil.
2. Saute 1/2 of sliced tomatoes until overdone (“labug na labug na mga kamatis”)
3. Pour in 1/2 of sliced onion, saute also to overdone state
4. Add in “patis” & black pepper. Toss a bit.
5. Pour in water (or stock) and bring to boil.
6. Upon boiling, slowly toss in Pomfret and let cook for 3 minutes each side.
7. When done, turn off or remove pan from fire.
8. Pour in mustard leaves & banana peppers…COVER.
9. Un-cover after 2 minutes, pour in unto serving tray
& garnish with the other half of tomatoes & onions.
10. Enjoy the aroma, taste and vibrance of this Pinoy comfort recipe.

P.S. (Pahabol)
Some may opt to add a packet or sachet of your fave “sinigang mix”
in the sauteing stage.
This gives your recipe a tasty marriage of “Pinangat” & “Sinigang”.

…and NOW the finished product.
Oh heck, never mind the “plating” “plating” thing…
“gutom na’ko” (am starving)

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READY. GET SET. GOOoooooooo.
I need more “patis” and “sili labuyo” (bird’s eye chili pepper) for “sawsawan” (dipping sauce).
Another rice please?
Burp. Burp.

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SEE?
Who cares about high blood glucose content.
2 cups of rice solved.
Oh BTW, don’t mind the calculator in that office table of mine.
Focus on the reddish drink in the glass full of ice.
That is:
HONEYED WATERMELON JUICE
This is easy to prepare:
1/2 watermelon de-seeded, de-rinded, sliced into smaller pieces
15 ml. honey
1 cup full of ice cubes.
Unto blender, pour in watermelon pieces, honey and 1/2 of ice cubes.
Mix well until no sight of ice cubes is evident.
Pour unto glass. Add 4-6 pieces ice.
Yipidoooooo.

Give it a try.
Easy. Quick. Healthy.