Ginger Chicken/Beef
Okay. Here it is. My most requested recipe. (By that, I mean three people have asked for it over four years.) I made this up while craving a Korean dish I had once and could not have again. I first made if for hamburg, then adapted it for chicken breast as a healthier option. I will include both versions here.
Ginger Chicken (or Beef)
Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts cut into bite size pieces
or Lean Hamburg
Fresh ginger root (about the size of a thumb)
Onion
Rice Vinegar
Soy Sauce
eggs (if cooking beef version)
ground cinnamon (if cooking beef version)
rice
Begin with the ginger, because it has to soak in vinegar. Peel the root and cut it into matchstick slivers. (If you have a lot of ginger you can cut it all into matchsticks and set portions to freeze. Makes this much easier to cook later, and you don't lose your ginger to mold.) Anyway, cut about a thumbsworth into matchsticks and set them to soak in a little bowl of rice vinegar. I'd say I use about a half a cup of rice vinegar, maybe even a little more. It's a lot, but it is worth it.
Once the ginger is soaking you can set the rice on and start dicing the onion.
Saute the diced onion with a little oil in your largest non stick pan until semi transparent. Dump the ginger and vinegar over the onion. Immediately dump on the meat, and immediately douse the meat with soy sauce. I don't know how much soy sauce I use, but it is a good bit. Enough to salt the meat and give everything a bit of a brown tint. Make sure to get the soy sauce on the meat while it is still raw.
If you are cooking with hamburg, also dust meat with a sprinkle of cinnamon while it is raw. Not too much. Just a dusting. Stir the hamburg around well to get the pieces separated and integrated with the spices, ginger, and onion.
For the chicken version, you are now done. Cook until the chicken is tender and done, and serve over rice.
For the hamburg, cook it until there is only a little pink showing here and there, then flatten it in the pan and break one egg into the pan per person being served. Don't stir. The egg cooks on top of the meat like a fried egg. You might need to cover it for a little while to get the egg to cook, but don't make the yolk solid. The beef is supposed to overcook a little. A lot of the fluid evaporates and the beef darkens. Burning is too much, but browning is great. When the eggs are cooked (I have the luxury of local eggs, so I can leave a runny yolk) serve each person by scooping up the meat under the egg and the egg atop and serving it over rice. When you eat it, you break the yolk and mix the ginger beef, egg yolk, and rice together. It is incredible.
Both versions are complemented by a simple steamed vegetable, like broccoli.
Ginger Chicken (or Beef)
Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts cut into bite size pieces
or Lean Hamburg
Fresh ginger root (about the size of a thumb)
Onion
Rice Vinegar
Soy Sauce
eggs (if cooking beef version)
ground cinnamon (if cooking beef version)
rice
Begin with the ginger, because it has to soak in vinegar. Peel the root and cut it into matchstick slivers. (If you have a lot of ginger you can cut it all into matchsticks and set portions to freeze. Makes this much easier to cook later, and you don't lose your ginger to mold.) Anyway, cut about a thumbsworth into matchsticks and set them to soak in a little bowl of rice vinegar. I'd say I use about a half a cup of rice vinegar, maybe even a little more. It's a lot, but it is worth it.
Once the ginger is soaking you can set the rice on and start dicing the onion.
Saute the diced onion with a little oil in your largest non stick pan until semi transparent. Dump the ginger and vinegar over the onion. Immediately dump on the meat, and immediately douse the meat with soy sauce. I don't know how much soy sauce I use, but it is a good bit. Enough to salt the meat and give everything a bit of a brown tint. Make sure to get the soy sauce on the meat while it is still raw.
If you are cooking with hamburg, also dust meat with a sprinkle of cinnamon while it is raw. Not too much. Just a dusting. Stir the hamburg around well to get the pieces separated and integrated with the spices, ginger, and onion.
For the chicken version, you are now done. Cook until the chicken is tender and done, and serve over rice.
For the hamburg, cook it until there is only a little pink showing here and there, then flatten it in the pan and break one egg into the pan per person being served. Don't stir. The egg cooks on top of the meat like a fried egg. You might need to cover it for a little while to get the egg to cook, but don't make the yolk solid. The beef is supposed to overcook a little. A lot of the fluid evaporates and the beef darkens. Burning is too much, but browning is great. When the eggs are cooked (I have the luxury of local eggs, so I can leave a runny yolk) serve each person by scooping up the meat under the egg and the egg atop and serving it over rice. When you eat it, you break the yolk and mix the ginger beef, egg yolk, and rice together. It is incredible.
Both versions are complemented by a simple steamed vegetable, like broccoli.
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I owe this blog a massive update, but Mom has all of the photos at home, and I've been in Cambridge for the last few weeks. Expect an update! Someday!..