The sauces used in Asian cooking can be intimidating and confusing when standing in the grocery store. Here is a simple guide to help with what flavors are found in each sauce and what dishes these sauces work best in.
Soy Sauce: This is a brown sauce with a salty taste. It is available in lite as well as original. It is an all-purpose sauce that blends well with cabbage and fish.
Fish Sauce: This sauce can be intimidating thinking that it will give a strong fish flavor to dishes. The brown sauce is stronger in scent than in flavor. It is commonly used in Southeastern Asian and Thailand dishes.
Oyster Sauce: This oyster flavored sauce is strong in flavor and lends itself well to noodles as well as meat, seafood and vegetables. Start with a small amount as the flavor can be overpowering.
Chili Sauce: This sauce can be spicy or mild. It is often used as a condiment somewhat like ketchup or salsa. It can be added at the end of a stir fry to give the stir fry an extra bit of spice.
Sesame Oil: This is a very mild flavored oil that is used in cool dishes to enhance the background flavor. When heated the oil looses most of its flavor.
Rice Wine: This is a strong vinegar type wine that can be used in dressings or in hot dishes. It blends well with sesame oil and oyster sauce for a simple sauce.
Star Anise: This spice is a combination spice as common as cinnamon. It is best used with beef or poultry.
Sauces Used in Asian CookingFilet mignon is French, of course, with filet meaning "thick slice" and mignon meaning "dainty." Filet mignon comes from the small end of the tenderloin (called the short loin) which is found on the back rib cage of the animal. This area of the animal is not weight-bearing, thus the connective tissue is not toughened by exercise resulting in extremely tender meat. This also means that the meat lacks some of the flavor held by meat that has the bone attached. In order keep the flavor, you must cook filet mignon quickly. This can be done a variety of ways, including broiling and grilling.
It should never be cooked beyond medium rare, because the more done it is, the less tender and more dry it becomes and the more flavor it will lose. You should always use a dry method of cooking, even when it will be a quick method. Methods of cooking that are dry are such types as roasting, pan frying, grilling, broiling, etc. Since this cut of meat is more dry than others, you will not want to cut the meat to check to see if it is done. Instead, you should touch it. The touch-method of checking is not as hard as it may sound:
1. If the meat feels hard or firm, it is too done.
2. When the filet mignon is soft when you touch it and your finger leaves an imprint, it is rare.
3. If it is still soft, but leaves no imprint, and is slightly resilient, then it is medium rare (best for this particular type of meat).
The reason filet mignon is often wrapped in bacon (this wrapping is called barding) is because this particular cut of meat has no layer of fat around it. The bacon not only adds extra flavor to the filet mignon, it also gives it the fat necessary to keep the meat from drying out. This is a concern since the strips are so small in filet mignon and they have less fat than most cuts of beef.
What to serve with Filet Mignon
Since the flavor of filet mignon tends to be quite mild, many people prefer to serve it with sauces, either smothering the beef or as a dip. There are many different choices for the best sauce for filet mignon and most depend solely on the person's particular flavor preference. Some consumers prefer to have a certain type of steak sauce for dipping and some may prefer a marinade to add flavor during cooking. Either of these can turn out well.
Wines & Filet Mignon
There are many different types of wines that are good to serve with filet mignon, and determining which one will go best with it depends largely on the flavor of the sauce. This is especially true if the sauce is rather strong, or has a flavor that is stronger than the filet mignon itself. The best wines to match with filet mignon are dry, red wines such as Merlot. If your preference is a sweet wine, you may want to consider trying a White Zinfandel (if this is your choice, though, you will not want to use very much pepper on the filet mignon). If you are a white wine drinker, the best match for filet mignon will be a rich Chardonnay.
Tips for cooking Filet Mignon
-When selecting tenderloin or slices, choose the lighter color over dark red. This indicates more marbling which makes it more tender. This cut is so tender that it should never be cooked beyond a medium-rare stage. The longer you cook it, the less tender and more dry it becomes.
-Use a dry, high heat method such as broiling, roasting, pan-frying or grilling for this tender cut.
-Whole tenderloin is wonderful to stuff or bake en croute (in savory pastry).
-Cutting into the meat to check doneness lets precious juice escape. Use the touch method. Press the meat. If it feels soft and mushy and leaves an imprint, it is rare. -If it is soft, but slightly resilient, it is medium-rare. The minute it begins to feel firm, it is overdone.
-Since the tenderloin has no surrounding fat tissue, it is often wrapped in a layer of fat (called barding) such as suet or bacon to keep it from drying out. Likewise with filet slices. The barding also adds flavor.
-Cubed tenderloin is a popular choice for fondue hot-pots and shish-kebabs.
-To ensure even cooking when roasting the whole tenderloin, the small end should be tucked up and tied or trimmed for other use.
Cooking Filet MignonWhen cooking a prime rib roast boneless you have two choices. You can either purchase the roast without the bones or you can simply purchase the roast with the bones and ask the butcher to remove the rack for you and tie it back onto the meat.
If you buy the roast without the bones then you will need a rack inside your roasting pan to place the meat on. But if you have the rack of bones tied back onto the meat you simply place it in the pan bones down. The bones will act as the cooking rack so you will not need one in your pan.
Before cooking prime rib roast boneless, be sure and place the roast in the pan with the fat side up. The fat side is always opposite the bone side so if you have the butcher tie them back on he will know to tie them back on where they go, so when you put the roast in the pan with bones down, then the fat side will automatically be facing up.
Before cooking a prime rib you should always allow the roast to set out of the refrigerator for about two hours or until it has reached room temperature before placing it in the oven.
The roast should be cooked in an oven uncovered at 350 degrees. Many people like to sear the roast in a hot (450 to 500 degree) oven for about 15 minutes before turning the heat to 350 degrees F. The only way to know when the roast is done to your liking is to use a meat thermometer. An instant read thermometer is best and should be of good quality. Your prime rib was not cheap so don't use a cheap thermometer.
The roast should be removed from the oven 10 degrees before it reaches your desired temperature. For example, if you want your roast to be medium rare then it should reach an internal temperature of 135 degrees F. That means you should take it out of the oven when it reaches 125 degrees because it will continue to raise in temperature about 10 degrees during the resting period.
The resting period should be no less than 15 minutes. 20 to 30 minutes is recommended by most professional cooks, and during this resting period your roast should be covered by a foil tent. This will help to deflect the heat back to the roast and not escape too fast.
If you do not let the meat rest then it will not be as juicy. Letting it rest will allow the juices to relax back into the meat, whereas cutting to soon will allow the juices to run out.
Cooking Prime Rib Roast: BonelessCooking for a crowd can be a lot of work. Not to mention expensive. If you are looking for some ideas on budget cooking for a crowd then you are in the right place. A crowd could be a large family or a group of people coming over for a party. No matter what the reason for cooking for a crowd, you need ideas that will help you spend less money. Budget cooking for a crowd is possible.
Setting a budget is the first thing you need to do. You will need to know exactly how much money you have to spend so you don't go overboard. Planning your meals in advance will help. Another way is to plan your meals around the coupons you have and what is on sale at the store.
Budget cooking for a crowd can be much more cost effective than you may think. There are a number of ways to make good food for less.
Some of these tips will depend on the type of event you are having, so you will have to decide if they will work for what you are hosting.
o Guests can contribute too
One way to do budget cooking for a crowd is to have your guests bring a dish with them. You could ask each person to bring whatever they want or you can ask them to bring something specific. Usually these items would be either drinks, a salad or a dessert.
o BBQ is for ideal for the Budget Conscious
If it's summer time out you could have a BBQ rather than a fancy sit-down meal inside. Serving hamburgers and hot dogs are less expensive than steaks or seafood., so if you want to do budget cooking for a crowd its essential that you bear that in mind. People love the smell of the BBQ and the food is wonderful and not something you get every day. You might check with the butcher block in your store to see if they offer discounts for larger quantities of meat purchased.
o Eliminate Catering
Preparing the food yourself instead of having it catered in will mean huge savings. At times people use a catering service because it's easier and takes less time, but the cost involved can be hard on your pocket book.
o Prepare Inexpensive Easy To Fix Family meals
Serving your family a huge pot of spaghetti or lasagna can be less expensive than fish or steak. You can serve garlic bread and a vegetable and the cost of the meal is under depending on the number of people you are serving. You can also serve hamburgers and potato salad with corn on the cob and will be spending less as well.
Budget cooking for a crowd doesn't mean you have to sacrifice taste, quality or quantity. Planning your meal and not being afraid to ask for help is a great way to stay within your budget and have a nice meal. When it comes to your family if you explain why you need to budget and spend less, they will understand.
By now you should be convinced that budget cooking for a crowd is a good way to save money and to make your dollars go farther when entertaining a crowd.
Budget Cooking For a Crowd - Feeding Many For LessIf you have already gone to Thailand then perhaps you would agree if I say that they have a lot of things to boast about including their authentic cuisines. Yes, there are people who come to Thailand just to eat and for one the main reason is that the foods are just absolutely delicious. Foods are served in different ways and are given value by the Thai people. They gather together to celebrate happenings in life by sharing food in the table or you can just simply see families enjoying their meal on the side street. I discovered that Thai people use only the best ingredients to prepare their dishes and that is very important in cooking.
There are a lot of dishes that you must try when you are in Thailand. They have got great appetizers that you can just nibble if you are hungry but do not have time to sit down and relax. What is good about their appetizers is that they can also be served as the main dish so that simply means that they are very satisfying. You can also pair them up with rice or noodle soups depending on your preference. There are also fabulous salads that you ought to try because shredded papayas are used and that is not common in western countries.
The style of cooking is also important for Thai people. You cannot just simply cook dishes without knowing what to or what ingredients to use. Although sometimes it pays to experiment, it is also important that you know what you are doing. Thai flavors are composed of sour, sweet, salty and spicy. So you will never get tired of eating Thai dishes because all the flavors that you are looking for are all there. In addition, their meals are hearty and very tasty. So it is no wonder why many tourists come to Thailand to eat.
In cooking, Thai people use only the best ingredients to make delicious dishes. Food is one thing that they should be proud of. Many tourists come there yearly not only for the many wonderful sights and activities that they can enjoy but also for the food that they serve. If you want to learn more about Thai cooking, you may visit online. There are some free Thai recipes available on the Internet. Truly, Thailand has some of the best foods in the world. So come to Thailand for an amazing food experience.
Why Thai People Only Use the Best Ingredients When CookingIf you are looking for a healthy new way of cooking, why not try claypot cooking Asian-style?
Claypot cooking is an ancient technique in many cultures from the Romans, Etruscans, Chinese, Indian, Mexican and Moroccans. In Asia, claypots have been widely used as a cooking style for centuries. From China, Vietnam, Thailand, South East Asia to the Indian subcontinent, claypots are an essential utensil in any well-equipped kitchen. In fact, food is often served in claypots to tell people about the way it is cooked.
Claypots are used for boiling soups, noodles and porridge, making stews, and steaming meats and vegetables. With the claypot uncovered, claypots can also be used for frying and grilling meats, vegetables, tofu, rice and noodles. Many dishes are aptly named after this unique cooking style - claypot rice, claypot chicken, and so on.
The porous quality of clay as a cooking utensil creates a moist and sealed environment. When the claypot is soaked in water and heated in an oven, it is ideal for cooking healthier foods with less oil without losing the nutrients. In today's health-conscious world, the use of claypots for cooking is a wonderful way to reduce the fat content but yet retaining the natural food flavours.
Claypots are placed in direct contact with the heat source, be it a stove, electric hot plate, charcoal, microwave oven or grill. Claypots distribute the heat evenly and much quicker, thus bringing out the natural food flavours and with less energy. Juices released by the food cannot escape and is thus sealed into the claypot. There is no need to add extra oils or fats and the food does not dry out.
How To Start
The careful selection and choice of a good quality claypot is important. Claypots come in various diameters and volume. Select a size that fits your purpose and intended number of servings. Brown and black are the typical claypot colours. There are stockpots, casseroles and all kinds of claypot accessories such as food warmers and teapots.
To begin, it is wise to spend some time to identify a supplier of a good range of high quality authentic claypots. There are certain handling instructions related to the washing of a claypot. Generally speaking, there is no need to soak a good quality claypot.
Next, one should learn how to properly cook using a claypot by attending a claypot cooking class near where you live, or by watching a demonstration by an experienced chef, or by following a recipe cook book. Combining the right amount of ingredients and water in a claypot is crucial to the cooking process. This Is best learned from an expert.
Finally, a little maintenance is required. Claypots need to be handled with care to preserve its unique material for its next use.
Claypot cooking can be an enjoyable cooking experience, not to mention its health benefits. Once you get started, a whole new world of claypot recipes opens up to you.
Using Claypots For Healthy Cooking - A Beginner's Guide