Red cooking consists of braising food in a liquid with soy sauce and spices such as star anise and Szechuan peppercorn, adding extra flavor and imparting a reddish tinge to the food. While red cooking is most commonly associated with eastern Chinese cuisine, it is found throughout China. Here are several recipes:
1. Red Cooked Beef
Perfect cold weather comfort food - I’ve included instructions for cooking the beef in either a claypot or a wok. A reader gives the recipe five out of five stars, saying “this dish should rather be called - Red Cooked AWESOME.” Thanks!2. Beef Braised in Soy Sauce
Don’t have time to run to an Asian market for star anise or other Chinese seasonings? With the exception of rice wine, all the ingredients for this dish can be found in most local supermarkets, and you can always use dry sherry – available at liquor stores – in place of the rice wine.3. Red Cooked Pork
Created by Chef Martin Yan. Reprinted with permission of TeamWorks Media
In this recipe from Chef Martin Yan, pork is marinated and then simmered in a soy sauce-based liquid that includes hoisin sauce and Tsingtao lager beer. Vegetables include carrots, onion and daikon radish.
