Japanese Style, Chinese Mabo Dofu...

Mabo Dofu on Rice

Another of my favorite comfort foods is Mabo Dofu.  It's basically a Chinese dish that is tofu and some type  of meat in a spicy sauce.  My mom would make it often when I was a child, but she would use a prepackaged seasoning box.  

There used to be a Japanese cooking show that I would love to watch  in the mornings here in LA, but unfortunately, they stopped airing it or it's not on a channel that I get.  It was called 3 Mins Cooking, but the show was about 15 mins, so I'm not sure how they came up with the title.  I got a lot of simple recipes from this show and this version of Mabo Dofu is a loose interpretation.  They added Napa Cabbage (Chinese Cabbage), but I also added mushrooms to it.  

Chinese Chicken Powder, Miso, Tobanjan, Oyster Sauce, Hoisin, Sugar & Sake

**I was just looking at my post and realized I didn't put any Soy Sauce into the sauce...lol.  I didn't miss it, but it would add extra flavor ;o) **  8/13/11

I always say my recipes are not very authentic, I'm sure this is definitely NOT how a Chinese cook would make this, so I call it "Japanese Style".  I figure that if it tastes good, it is good enough for me :o)  The funny thing is, I'm such a purist about Japanese food when we go to a restaurant and make snide remarks when it's not very authentic, but when I cook at home, I throw in all types of odds & ends...lol  

In the base, I put in...Gara (which is basically a Japanese Chicken Stock Powder, the one I used this time has Chinese flavorings in it.), Miso, Tobanjan (a Korean spicy paste, see not authentic ;o), Oyster Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, a touch of Sake, sugar & salt.

I was just re-reading my post and just realized that Tobanjan is not Korean, it's Chinese...lol  When I make Korean dishes and need to make it spicy I use Tobanjan instead of Gojuchang (which IS Korean and similar), so I always THINK of it being Korean;o)  Sorry for the confusion!

All mixed up w/water...

I blended the above ingredients with water...

Bunapi Mushrooms, Eryngi (King Oyster) Mushrooms, Napa Cabbage

I love Bunapi Mushrooms.  I love how beautifully white they are and have a very light, crisp flavor to them.  They are a breed of Bunashimeji mushrooms developed by Hokuto Corp.  You can find these at many Asian markets & specialty grocery stores.

http://www.hokto-kinoko.co.jp/en/products/index.php#bunapi

Ginger, Garlic & Green Onions...

After Sauteeing...

I saute the garlic & green onion in a bit of Rice Bran Oil & Sesame Oil then add the other veggies including the ginger then set it aside.

Ground Pork...

I then saute the Ground Pork w/a touch of Rice Bran Oil until it is pink, not cooked all the way through, so it won't be dried out in the final dish...

After Adding Liquid...

Then add the liquid and cook the pork through and let the sauce concentrate down a touch...

After Adding Tofu & Veggies...

Next I add in the tofu & veggies until it's all heated through and add a potato starch slurry to thicken it up.  If it gets too concentrated down, I add a little water to it.  Don't add too much water or you will lose all the flavor.

Voila...garnished w/green onions...

Japanese Style, Chinese Mabo Dofu

Love eating it on top of rice where all the flavors get seeped in...

Another Tonkatsu Dinner...

Tonkatsu Dinner w/Tonjiru (Pork Miso Soup) & Tontoro (Pork Cheeks)

I'm a little late on my new post and checking out everybody else's because we took a mini vacation to the Florida Panhandle and then drove to New Orleans for a fabulous eating fest!  I'll write a review of the places that we went to in my next post :o)

In the meantime, this post is another one about Japanese Tonkatsu (pork cutlet).  I used different cuts of pork than the last time.  This time I used all Kurobuta Pork (Berkshire or Black Pork) that is fattier and more flavorful  than normal pork. It's originally an English breed and the Japanese took it to Kagoshima Prefecture to breed them there.  It can be found at many Japanese markets and restaurants.

My previous Tonkatsu post...

http://myhomecookedmeals.blogspot.com/search/label/Tonkatsu

Sliced Pork Belly in Package

I used Pork Belly this time for the Tonjiru Soup (Pork & Potato Miso Soup).  The slices look just like bacon, but it's not cured.

Chopped Pork Belly for Tonjiru

I sliced it up before cooking it.

Potatoes, Cabbage & Turnip for Soup...

The soup had miso, pork belly, potatoes, cabbage, Japanese turnip & pork stock in it.  Turnip isn't usually used in it, but I had a lot, so decided to throw it in;o)

Ton Toro (Pork Cheek)

I love this cut of pork and get it whenever I can find it.  It's usually used for Yakiniku (Japanese Style Korean BBQ), but I thought I'd try making it into tonkatsu and loved it!  It's a very fatty piece of pork, so I'm sure some people would think it's overkill frying it...lol  I also sometimes use this for the Tonjiru Soup.

Kurobuta Pork Loin

Last time I had the butcher cut and pound pork butt for me.  This time I used the Kurobuta Pork Loin.  I like this cut better when it's Kurobuta because it's fattier and has a richer flavor to it.  My friend, Nami, recently posted her Tonkatsu recipe.  I'd already made mine, so didn't get a chance to use her tips.  It's amazing how many different ways there are to make the same foods!  I just make Tonkatsu the easiest way there is...just season the flour, egg wash & Panko (breadcrumbs) then dredge the pork in it.  Nami adds oil to her egg, scores the fat of the pork, pounds it  & double frys the pork!!  I double fry French Fries, but never thought of doing that for Tonkatsu.  I'm going to use her tips next time I make any type of cutlet :o)

Nami @Just One Cookbook's Tonkatsu Post...

http://justonecookbook.com/blog/recipes/tonkatsu/

Breaded Loin & Pork Cheek

Tonkatsu Ready to Fry...

Ton Toro Ready to Fry...

Ton Toro!

I made a dipping sauce of Kewpie Mayo, Japanese Mustard, Tonkatsu & Worchestershire Sauce for the Tontoro.  They are like Chicken McNuggets made w/pork, but so much better...very addictive!

Tonkatsu

I really need to get better at slicing the cabbage thinner;o)

Tonjiru!

I really liked the Tonjiru better with the Pork Belly instead of Pork Butt.  Pork Butt dries out too quickly...

Pork Chops w/Scratched Potatoes AND my 2 Month Blog Anniversary :o)

Pork Chops & Scratched Potatoes

You know what they say, "Time flies when you are having fun...", well today is my 2 months anniversary since I started my blog.  It's hard to believe how fast the time has gone, it's seems like I've been doing this much longer!  It could be because I did start posting my food photos about a year and a half ago on Facebook.  I had registered on Blogger about 5 months ago, but never did anything with the blog. Then 2 months ago I couldn't sleep and was tossing and turning and thinking that maybe I really should start the blog.  I got up at 3 am and went on my Facebook account and I saw that one of my friends "liked" about 20 of my food photos at once and that is why I made my final decision to start the blog (thanks Blair!!).

I think I've improved my blog tons since I first started.  Especially my photos!  The first person I showed my blog to was my brother since he likes my food and is into photography.  His comment was "You need better photos and don't do a half assed job!"...lol..I was very offended then, but now I completely I understand what he was talking about. Criticism is hard to receive most times, but it can be helpful at times:o)  You really do need a thick skin when writing a food blog since there is so much competition out there.  My thorn is Tastespotting & Foodgawker, they are such great sites, but I have such a love/hate relationship with them.  I think the people that have submitted know exactly what I'm talking about;o)  I'm so happy when I get accepted, but so miffed when I get rejected.  After the rejections I start mumbling and yelling at the computer and Hubby thinks I'm bonkers.  He just nods his head and smiles and acts like he agrees with me...lol  He's been the best with supporting me and my blog.  He still helps me a lot with taking photos and is not peeved even when the food is half cold by the time we sit down to eat it some nights!  

The upside of the foodie blogging world is that there are so many nice people out there!  I've already made some good friends from all over the world.  Everyone is so supportive of each other.  I've heard that their are some catty people out there, but fortunately, I  have not run across anybody like that yet.  Thank you, to all the super sweet people I've met so far!!

Pork Chops

I mentioned in my Roast Chicken post that I've been "dry brining" lately and is what I did with these pork chops.  I think with pork I need to stick with the wet brine.  They tasted good, but I think they would have been more tender if I had brined them in salt water.  I scored the fat, so the chops wouldn't curl up during the cooking process.

Scratching Yukon Gold Potatoes...

My hairdresser loves eating and cooking ALMOST as much as I do.  I think we spend half the time discussing dishes that we've made.  He is really great at baking which I am not and makes the best cookies during Christmas time.  I got the idea of "scratching" the potatoes from him.  He said that he learned this from an English friend of his.  I don't remember exactly how he said it was done, so I improvised...thanks, Mark!!  

I boiled the potatoes with the skin on for about 20 mins until I could easily poke a chopstick in it.  I didn't want to cook it too much because I'd be roasting them too.  After taking them out of the water I peeled them, cut them in half and then scratched them with a fork.  I then seasoned them and rubbed with olive oil and then roasted them for about 40 mins @400 degees in the toaster oven.  The scratching helps them to get crisper and more flavorful.  This is even better when you roast them with a chicken and you get all the luscious flavors from that!

Searing in Cast Iron Skillet...

I seared the pork chops in a hot skillet for a few minutes on each side...

Nicely Browned...

After turning the chops over, I seared the other side until it was browned then put the whole skillet in a 450 degree oven until the chops reached 135 degrees.  I then covered with foil and let it rest.

Scratched Potatoes

Ready!

Dinner Last Night...Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlet)

Tonkatsu

This is another of my favorite Japanese dishes.  It's a very homey dish in Japan that you eat often at home   or  you can go out and get it because there are so many restaurants that serve it!  In Japan, many of the restaurants are specialized.  For instance, a place would mainly serve Tonkatsu or Sushi or Yakitori or Ramen  etc.   Traditionally, tonkatsu is served with raw, thinly sliced cabbage and rice. There are many restaurants that serve the Tonkatsu with all-you-can-eat rice & cabbage!

The sauce that is used for it is "Tonkatsu Sauce", it's similar to a Worchestershire Sauce that's sweeter and thicker. My favorite brand that I grew up from childhood is Bulldog.  Some restaurants make their own gourmet sauce.  It's also good with a little Japanese yellow mustard.

Pork Round

There's a new butcher in the area called Lindy & Grundy and I've been wanting to try it, but I heard that when they first opened it was very crowded, so I waited until now to go.  OMG, they are the best!  It is run by two sweet young ladies and they are actually the butchers that break down all their meats!  The night before I went, they said that they had just cut up 2 whole steers!!  I had a nice conversation with both of them and they both have the friendliest and best personalities!  One of them is half Japanese and grew up in Japan, so she is the one that advised me about what cut of pork to use for my tonkatsu.  Oh, and the store has free parking in the back...a rarity in LA!!

http://lindyandgrundy.com/

Seasoned w/Salt & Pepper...

I usually use pork loin and get it at the Japanese market, but I didn't have time to go there so I ended up at Lindy & Grundy.  The butcherette recommended the round and she even pounded it for me:o)  It turned out really good! Their pork tastes like old fashioned porky pork not the bland grocery store type pork!  I was thinking about it on the drive home and next time I would get the pork chops and that way I can use the loin as the tonkatsu, make stock out of the bone and then use the outer meat for the Tonjiru Soup!

Floured & Egged...

I seasoned the flour, egg wash & panko with salt and pepper.  The egg has a little bit of milk & water added to it.  Just like I did with the eggplant parm, I used dry, wet, dry method...flour, egg, panko...

Ready to be fried...

Deep Frying in the Wok...

Since these were so thin, I fried the tonkatsu in 350 degrees oil until they were nice and brown.

Yummy!

It kinda looks like a sandal...lol

Slicing the Cabbage...

I'm not that great at slicing the cabbage super thin, but the Benriner (Japanese mandoline cutter) usually makes it too thin for my liking ;o)  The bigger chunks of cabbage, I put in the Tonjiru.

Soaking in Ice Water...

I put the cabbage in ice water to crisp it and clean it...

Drying...

After draining the cabbage, I wrap it in a dish towel and then put it in the refrigerator until it's ready to eat.

Pork for Tonjiru Soup

Tonjiru is a common soup served at tonkatsu places.  It's a miso soup with pork and veggies.  It's usually made with a simple dashi stock, but I like to make it with pork stock.  I wanted to use pork belly for this, but I forgot to get it at the butcher, so I used up one of the pork rounds.  

Pork sauteeing with Sake...

I seasoned the pork with salt, pepper & dashi powder then sauteed in Rice Bran Oil.  After it was cooked through, I added sake to it and let the alcohol evaporate.  I then took out the pork because I didn't want it to get overcooked then added the pork stock.  I had pork stock I'd made in the past in the freezer:o)  To the stock, I added potatoes and cooked until it was soft.  At the end, I put the pork back in and added some cabbage and the miso.

Tonjiru

This is one of my favorite ways to have miso soup!  It's a little bit time consuming to make since you need to cook the pork first.  Every family has a different way of making this soup and as usual, mine isn't the most traditional;o)

Cabbage & Tomatoes

I like to put a little of the tonkatsu sauce and kewpie mayo on my cabbage.  My girlfriend gave me these beautiful tomatoes!  They are called Kumato Brown Tomatoes, they have a nice acidity to it.  She is so sweet, she also got me a beautiful Basil plant too:o)

Tonkatsu w/Japanese Mustard & Cabbage

Panko

Bulldog Tonkatsu Sauce & Kewpie Mayo

Kewpie is a little different than American mayo because it uses only egg yolks and has a little bit of vinegar in it and is also a little thinner.

Rice Bran Oil

This is my favorite oil to use for Japanese dressings and for deep frying.  I can find it at the Japanese store only sometimes.  It has a very clean flavor to it.

Kewpie, Mustard & Bulldog

I slather this combo on bread to make sandwiches...

Tonkatsu Sandwich

My favorite leftover with Tonkatsu are sandwiches :o)  It just has thinly sliced Tonkatsu, the raw Cabbage and the mayo combo on Japanese white bread.  There's something about the Japanese bread that I really like, it's different than just having Wonderbread!  It must be nostalgia from childhood again.  This is the thin sliced one, but they also have ones that are sliced about 3/4" thick!  I forgot who, but I remember when the Winter Olympics were in Japan, one of the skiers was saying how much he hated the thick bread and was making fun of it...lol 

This type of sandwich is commonly sold as Bento (Lunch Box) at Japanese train stations.  They usually have the crust cut off and don't have the cabbage in it.  The most popular is sold by a restaurant called Maisen in Tokyo and of course they have the best tonkatsu sets too!