the next time you go to a pho restaurant, look for this hidden gem on the menu. it’s probably past #20 of all the potential meat combos you can get in your pho. compared to pho, bo kho has a deeper umami taste, due to the tomatoes and fish sauce in the broth. it’s almost like the vietnamese version of beef bourguignon, but this time served on rice noodles! you can either cook this low and slow, sans agression (thanks ludo lefebvre for the best way to describe gentle cooking), or the process can be expedited with a pressure cooker or instant pot.
Read Morethis is my homage to hainanese chicken rice. a ubiquitous dish found throughout parts of east and southeast asia, and a dish that hits close to home.
what I love about hainanese chicken rice is that it’s an incredibly simple dish. skin-on, bone-in chicken is poached in a ginger scallion broth until just cooked through. the broth is then used to cook rice, ‘cause that sh*t ain’t going to waste! the results are tender, succulent meat with glistening skin, paired with punchy dipping sauces and schmaltzy rice. it takes experience to master, but when done right, hainanese chicken rice can be utter perfection.
Read Moreif you’ve never heard of beef rendang before, let me tell ya - it is going to blow your mind. originating from west sumatra in indonesia, this braised beef dish is simmered in an elixir of coconut milk, punchy aromatics, and fragrant spices until the concoction has reduced enough to fry itself again. yes, you read that right - the velvety and tender beef that took its sweet time to stew begins to fry itself in its own rendered fat and leaves you with an utterly unctuous and saucy beef that is so flavourful, you’ll want to cry. give yourself an afternoon for this one as it takes about 4 hours from start to finish.
Read Morethe other day, we found some frozen beef cheek at our fav new neighbourhood butcher (shout out to fore quarter!) and decided to experiment with it. beef cheeks are amazingly tender and delicious when cooked down, but feel free to use beef chuck or any other braisable cut with this recipe too!
we were craving something braised and something asian, and that of course led to…korean beef tacos!!! spicy and savory, tangy and sweet, these are sure to satisfy any taco craving you may have (reid gets them A LOT). if you don’t have a pressure cooker, braise for about 2 hours at 250 F in a dutch oven or oven proof pot. serve with fresh homemade corn tortillas, kimchi, lightly pickled cucumbers, and cilantro.
Read Morethis version of laksa is one of my favourite noodle soups in the world. my day is instantly better with a bowl of this laksa in front of my face. it’s like a hug for your soul, and belly! traditionally made with fish stock, some versions can be quite fishy. I tried to find a balance of just the right amount of fishiness (from the shrimp paste) with just enough spice, tang, and richness. once you have this laksa, you won’t be able to live without it. I definitely wouldn’t want to. even if we are just 2 people, I usually make the full batch for 4 since you can freeze the leftover broth for a quick meal!
Read MoreThere's something incredibly satisfying about eating with your hands, but sometimes it seems like everything in the world is held by the glutens. Pizza, burgers, wraps, sandwiches - gluten makes an excellent handle. But then there are tacos. I drive Jannell nuts trying to turn everything I can into tacos. Breakfast-tacos, stupid-fusion-tacos-that-should-just-unfuse-and-be-served-on-rice tacos, vegetarian-tacos, and these. These are my favourite tacos ever, modelled after a taco stand at Jean Talon market in Montreal that sells exactly one type of taco: cochinitas pibil. They start with the meat - pork shoulder slowly braised in achiote paste, garlic and orange juice. Then you add some refried beans for a nice soft texture to round out the pork. Throw some pickled onions, hot sauce and cilantro into the mix and you're done.
Read Morethis is reid’s most cherished recipe and what he claims won over my heart. I would like to think otherwise, but it’s true that this is my favourite meat sauce on the planet. we’ve tried numerous recipes from different sources over the years with varying degrees of complexity; some had chicken liver, many had a mixture of pork, veal and beef, while others required you to render the fat from lardon. this recipe, passed on from a family friend in bologna will always be the best balance of simple and absolutely delicious. it is a staple in our home.
Read MoreThis is one of the courses that we served when we hosted a supperclub at Toronto's Depanneur recently. It's inspired by a dish we tried on an island in Malaysia a couple of years ago. This island had absolutely awful food. Every restaurant had the exact same menu and none of the options were great. But! Every day, this family of women from a neighbouring island would boat over with a few giant tupperwares of home cooked food that they'd sell on the beach. One of the recurring dishes was called kecap beef (pronounced "ketchup"), named after the kecap manis, or sweet soy, that was in the dish. This recipe is our best attempt at recreating their kecap beef. It's sweet, savoury, a bit spicy and incredibly rich. To balance the richness and to complement the soft texture, we recommend serving it with a side of either pickled vegetables or a vinegar-based slaw as well as topped with something crispy - fried shallots, fried potato, peanuts, whatever you want.
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