Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Fitzie,

The ones in the cellophane are the good ones, IMO. In my early days of experimenting with Chinese cooking and ingredients, I also tried the ones in the can, and they just didn't have the flavor of the ones in the cellophane. I just put them in a jar, and they keep forever in the fridge (or at least until I use them all!).

Here's a tip you may already know: When you cook with these make sure you have an exhaust hood vented to the outside, as the initial aroma released by them when you add them to the hot oil can be disconcerting plus it can linger in your house for a few days afterwards. The first time I ever cooked with these things, my Dad threatened to throw me out of the house if I ever used them again! So I had to wait until I was in my own kitchen to use them again. Funny thing is, with recipes like those spareribs, in about 15 min a wonderful aroma overpowers the the initial smell, and by the end of the 45 min. you can hardly wait to try them!

One of my favorite recipes using these is in Key to Chinese Cooking - Spareribs in Black Bean Sauce. Here is that recipe, with some minor changes:

Spareribs in Black Bean Sauce

1 1/2 lbs meaty spareribs, cut into 1 1/2" chunks
3 tb oil
2 tb salted black beans, rinsed and drained, then coarsely chopped
2 large scallions, finely chopped
1 tb garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
1 tsp sugar
2 tb rice wine or dry sherry
2 tb dark soy sauce
7/8 c water

Combine the black beans, scallions, garlic, and ginger in a bowl. Combine the sugar, sherry, soy, and water in a container, and stir to dissolve the sugar. Have these ready by the range.

Heat oil in a 9-10" saute pan or 12" skillet over med-high heat until it is shimmering, and a whisp of smoke appears. Add the seasonings from the bowl, and stir-fry 30 sec. Add meat and SF about 1 1/2 min., or until all the red is gone from the meat and it is evenly coated. Add liquid, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook 45 min. Remove lid, increase heat to high, and boil off the water, leaving a coating of seasonings on the meat. Remove ribs to a serving dish, and scrape out all the brown bits onto the ribs, leaving the oil in the pan.

Dave, thanks for the tips. I'm not much of a meat eater but when I do eat meat, it's almost always pork. Think I'll give this a try over the 4th holiday.
fitzie

Fitzie,

BTW, just to be clear about the distinction between recipes:

Fermented black beans are very pungent -- as strong as garlic cloves. That's why recipes which have you just rinse them only use a couple tablespoons. You'll be tempted to add more ... after all, you have a 12oz package ... but don't, you'll regret it.

The reason I soak mine for 2 hours in the asparagus recipe is to tame their flavor, so that I can add more of them. Soaking is also how you'd create black bean sauce (ala Lee Kum Kee and similar bottled sauces).

Thanks, Fuzzy. The sauce in the recipe I made was the best part of it.
fitzie