Ants Climbing A Tree

Skiddymarker · January 16

@Village_Idiot

Gary - The recipe I use, took me awhile to find it. As you say, it is always tweaked.

Larry - here is the translation for Ants climbing a tree

STEP 1:

250g dried thick rice noodle (any rice noodle, including angel’s hair will work)

STEP 2:

15ml cornstarch (sweet potato powder/starch can be used)

45 ml light soy sauce (your favorite, this is the only source of salt)

25 ml rice wine (If using Mirin, omit or reduce sugar)

10 ml sugar (if using Mirin for rice wine, sugar may be omitted or reduced)

10 ml sesame oil (dark, Kodak or Taiwan)

350g lean ground pork

STEP3: See alternative below.

25 ml oil (peanut or canola or light sesame oil - if using dark sesame oil see alternative)

2 large garlic cloves finely chopped

1-2 fresh red chile, seeded and thin sliced (to taste)

2-3 green onions finely chopped

STEP 4:

Cilantro and Chinese parsley chopped as garnish, to taste (about 15-30ml)

Soak rice noodles in lukewarm water to cover for 20 minutes, until soft. (check package directions, they are different). Drain and set aside.
In large bowl mix (whisk) cornstarch, soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, 10ml of sesame oil. Ensure there are no lumps. Add ground pork, working with your hands. Do not squeeze the pork, just mix it. Set aside for 10 minutes to marinate.
Heat wok to high heat. Add 25 ml oil. Add garlic, chile and green onions, stir for <30 seconds, tip in the ground pork with any marinade left in the bowl. Stir fry for few minutes until pork is cooked. Add noodles and mix to warm. Remove from wok to serving plate.
Sprinkle with chopped herbs, serve.

An alternative to Step 3:

As the wok heats to medium high heat, use dark sesame oil rather than peanut, canola or light sesame oil for a more pronounced sesame flavor. Before Wok is too hot, stir 25ml sesame oil, garlic, chile, onions all at the same time for <30 seconds. Do not let the oil smoke. Tip in the ground pork with any marinade left in the bowl. Stir fry for 5 minutes or until pork is no longer pink. This will take longer than using high heat. Add noodles and mix to warm. Remove from wok to serving plate.

Source - Shirley Lee’s friend Judy. English translation provided by Hank Chen.

Village Idiot · January 16

Thanks, Skiddy,

Looks pretty much like the same ingredients, except for the rice wine or mirin. I haven't translated the metric to English measurements though. I do have a confession. I said I always try to follow the recipe exactly the first time I make a dish. Truth is, I added some ShaoHsing wine, just because I like ShaoHsing in every Chinese dish I cook.

:)

Skiddymarker · January 16

Never used ShaoHsing, will look for it next trip to T&T Supermarkets. I agree, every dish gets cooking wine. If the recipe says to mix 2 Tbs water with 1Tbs cornstarch as a sauce thickener, I substitute cooking wine for the water.

A Taiwanese friend "steams" her own rice wine and usually keeps me supplied.

The other one I use is this one. Trouble is our laws in Canada means it has to be salted so the winos don't knock it back.

Village Idiot · January 16

This is what I get. I believe it is Taiwanese also.

Skiddymarker · January 16

Yep - it says TTL on it, Taiwanese Tobacco and Liquor. You have the high class stuff, 13.5 % and you can drink it if you want. The stuff I get is 9.5% and is salted. Our liquor stores carry only grape based Taiwan wines, no rice wines.

Like the color. I'll ask my source about it, maybe next trip she'll bring me a bottle. Thanks!

Village Idiot · January 16

Skiddy,

Come to Salado and I'll give you a bottle .... maybe 2.

nolaegghead · January 16

spammity spam spam :D .... One general trend with smoke points of oils, if it is more refined, it has a higher smoke point. One of the main reasons this is so is because the impurities in the oil (like milk solids in butter versus clarified butter - ghee) will start smoking well below the smoke point of the actual oil.

The following table presents smoke points of various fats:

Fat	Quality	Smoke Point
Almond oil		420°F	216°C
Avocado oil	Refined	520°F	271°C^[5]
Avocado oil	Un-Refined, Virgin	375-400°F	190-204°C
Butter		250–300°F	121–149°C
Canola oil	Expeller Press	375-450°F^[6]	190-232°C
Canola oil	High Oleic	475°F	246°C
Canola oil	Refined	400°F	204°C^[1]
Castor oil	Refined	392°F	200°C^[7]
Coconut oil	Extra Virgin (Unrefined)	350°F^[8]	177°C
Coconut oil	Refined	450°F	232°C
Corn oil	Unrefined	352°F	178°C^[7]
Corn oil	Refined	450°F	232°C^[1]
Cottonseed oil		420°F	216°C^[1]
Flax seed oil	Unrefined	225°F	107°C
Ghee (Indian Clarified Butter)		485°F	252°C
Grapeseed oil		420°F	216°C
Hazelnut oil		430°F	221°C
Hemp oil		330°F	165°C
Lard		370°F	188°C
Macadamia oil		413°F	210°C
Mustard oil		489°F	254°C
Olive oil	Extra virgin	375°F	191°C
Olive oil	Virgin	391°F	199°C^[7]
Olive oil	Pomace	460°F	238°C^[1]
Olive oil	Extra light	468°F	242°C^[1]
Olive oil, high quality (low acidity)	Extra virgin	405°F	207°C
Palm oil	Difractionated	455°F	235°C^[9]
Peanut oil	Unrefined	320°F	160°C
Peanut oil	Refined	450°F	232°C^[1]
Rice bran oil		415°F	213°C
Safflower oil	Unrefined	225°F	107°C
Safflower oil	Semirefined	320°F	160°C
Safflower oil	Refined	510°F	266°C^[1]
Sesame oil	Unrefined	350°F	177°C
Sesame oil	Semirefined	450°F	232°C
Soybean oil	Unrefined	320°F	160°C
Soybean oil	Semirefined	350°F	177°C
Soybean oil	Refined	460°F	238°C^[1]
Sunflower oil	Unrefined	225°F	107°C
Sunflower oil	Semirefined	450°F	232°C
Sunflower oil, high oleic	Unrefined	320°F	160°C
Sunflower oil	Refined	440°F	227°C^[1]
Tea seed oil		485°F	252°C
Vegetable shortening		360°F	182°C
Walnut oil	Unrefined	320°F	160°C
Walnut oil	Semirefined	400°F	204°C

Skiddymarker · January 16

Village Idiot said:

Skiddy,

Come to Salado and I'll give you a bottle .... maybe 2.

Love to, but you guys would throw me in the creek if I rolled in on the Yamaha.....

Village Idiot · January 16

Skiddymarker said:

Love to, but you guys would throw me in the creek if I rolled in on the Yamaha.....

Gosh, I could never move to Cannukistan. They don't sell real rice wine and they don't sell Harleys. I couldn't live in such poverty.

Skiddymarker · January 16

nolaegghead said:

One general trend with smoke points of oils, if it is more refined, it has a higher smoke point. One of the main reasons this is so is because the impurities in the oil (like milk solids in butter versus clarified butter - ghee) will start smoking well below the smoke point of the actual oil.

I wondered where you were...... This confirms the numbers I had on sesame oil, 350/450 for dark/light. Light being the more refined. I've cut and pasted for future reference - Thanks.

Eggcelsior · January 16

Skiddymarker said:

Love to, but you guys would throw me in the creek if I rolled in on the Yamaha.....

Gosh, I could never move to Cannukistan. They don't sell real rice wine and they don't sell Harleys. I couldn't live in such poverty.

Hell, a harley will put you into poverty.

nolaegghead · January 16

@skiddy - yeah, haven't posted much lately ;)

Another thing about oils the more free fatty acids, the lower the flash point. More refining, less free fatty acids.

CavemanCook · January 16

I just learned more about oils and smoke points than ever in a book. I've had lots of questions without a problem solving approach. That might be the very reason I don't stir-fry or sauté much. Inspired a change... thank you gentlemen.

Skiddymarker · January 16

Eggcelsior said:

Skiddymarker said:

Love to, but you guys would throw me in the creek if I rolled in on the Yamaha.....

Gosh, I could never move to Cannukistan. They don't sell real rice wine and they don't sell Harleys. I couldn't live in such poverty.

Hell, a harley will put you into poverty.

Oh they sell Harley's, actually quite competitive pricing. We don't import tax the snot out of Jap or Euro bikes, there is no Canadian street bike manufacturer to protect.

Had a Harley, been there done that. I do like the Porsche designed HD V-Rod, it is not a paint shaker like most Milwaukee metal, if I was 10 years younger, I'd think about it.

The rice wine does bother me......

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