There is no law which states fast food must be deadly. There is no law which states fast food must contain chemicals and poisons. There is no law which states fast food must be high in calories. The fact of the matter is, the origial fast food was known as "bistro" food, food made quick and healthy. It wasn't until the fast food dens of death (the chains) where the term fast food became the equal to slow suicide. In todays hectic lifestyle it is rather hard to take a lot of time to make a decent dinner. With this new series, we'll be sharing with you some incredible meals you can make in a matter of minutes which will be tasty, natural and pretty damn good for you! If you want to see how-to slideshows for any dish in this series, just checkout the Facebook page for ChefLarryEdwards (yes, all one word).
If you have followed this column, you know I often write about various culinary journey's I've made throughout Asia. In a lot of the columns I write about "street foods," foods the people cook right on the streets and sell. There is something about these "street foods" which attract professional Chef's. Every Chef I know, once they come back from an Asian country, can't stop talking about whatever street food they gnashed their teeth around. I think it's a safe bet to say that most Chef's are seduced by "street food."
This particular type of "street food" I had in Cambodia. When I walked by the family who was cooking over a simple garbage can, I looked down and saw some beef sitting in a dark liquid. Since my health insurance was paid up, I decided to try their fare. What ended up in my mouth was a tender boneless rib with a taste that was sublime. Since there was a language barrier, I was never able to get the recipe used but a few years later when mentioning this to a Cambodian Chef I met, he told me what he thought was probably in the mariande.
So, this is that recipe. It is not exactly like the meat I ate on that street of Cambodia but it is pretty damn close. I have adapted the preparation of the dish because, well, I just can't bring myself to cook over a garbage can!
Ingredients needed to make Cambodian Street Ribs (serves 2):
- 4 strips flank ribs (with or without bones)
- 1/4 cup very strong black tea
- 1 Tbs. oyster sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp. Chinese 5-spice powder
- 1/2 tsp. chile oil
Steps:
- Lay the ribs in a shallow dish.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients.
- Pour the marinade over the ribs and toss to coat. Let marinate at room temperature 30 minutes.
- In a medium saute pan or skillet, heat a little oil over medium high heat.
- Carefully place the strips of ribs in the pan and cook about 7 minutes per side (or to desired doneness).
- Remove from the pan and serve!
Chef's Note: If you are a griller, these can be grilled perfectly which, as it happens, is how they serve them in Cambodia!
The new cookbook from Chef Larry Edwards is now available from Amazon.com and bookstores worldwide. One of the most anticipated cookbooks of the year, "Edwardian Cooking: Inspired by Downton Abbey's Elegant Meals."
Comments