Sweet Savory Corned Beef with sauté cabbage for Saint Patrick's Day 聖派翠克節的鹹甜牛肉和清炒高麗菜

I've been spent more than ten years pick and drop the kids to school after kids got into school. But, I get more running around to bring my kids to all kind of activities with my momma van. American kids are off school at 3:00 pm, rare kids will have after school academy classes. Indeed they have lots sport activities choices. Most of parents are very enthusiastic to let their kids join that. Parents are very willing to spend lots of time to accompany their kids and pay attention on their own. I would say American parents really focus on their family lives. I often watch my kids quickly finish their snacks, put on their sports uniform, watch them run into the big wild field to play soccer, basketball ...... I would sit on the chair and watch kids practices or cheer for them when the game is on. There's lots of time. I think American kids are very lucky. They live in this a humongous land with every great resource. Kids go everywhere with car rides, so they could stay away from the brutal hot sunny day and freezing cold rain or snow day, enjoy every bite of a big piece of meat on the plates. There's even more sweet desserts to be attending to them. You just don't see this kind of life around the world much.

My college professor who taught me the sociology. His words often remind me. He said, " American culture is like a salad bowl, it includes all different kinds of vegetables and fruits with the same dressing. But, each ingredients are well represented itself. This is very much different than the Chinese melting pot culture. I personally realized that Chinese culture is more like a stew dish. You got to pay attention on the heat, each ingredients has its own time to join the pot. All the ingredients required to be united in flavor after it cooked.

As you all know, this is the United States. I had some interesting thing had happen. My husband and I would be sitting in the restaurant, but I would upset why I couldn't understand the English conversation from the next table. I couldn't get to know the menu either. The longer I live in US, I finally realized there is all different nationality around this country. The person next to me, could be speaking Spanish, Italian, or even any language from Europe. The menu are even more complicated, because all the dishes came from different countries in different pronunciation. The pricier restaurant they would love to play around that original words on the menu to make the customers to feel special and fancy. That's why I couldn't understand their language, but even my American friends won't get it all right till today, unless they are a real foody. Thanks God that I always love to eat so much. I would try to learn whatever on the menu, so I could conquer it all.

I keep this same ideas to choose my own favorite from these versatile cultures, knowledges, shop, and decorate my living room. Bring more diverse dishes on my family dinning room table. I would study and practice each nation's traditional dishes then come out with my new creation. These are just my self cooking expectation. I always love to move one step forward and enjoy the challenge in my life. The more that I got to know things that I feel more comfortable and secure. Each my new creation brings me great new hope, and so much joy. If you like the same feeling as I do. All you need to do just be braved to put out your first step, be open minded and with generous heart, then life could be very interesting !!!

Saint Patrick's Day is the holiday celebration for Irish American. Cabbage with corned beef is one the well known dish. They also like green dye in every food to make it fun to have a celebration. But, this only happens in America, not in Ireland. If you are interesting you could take a look the website that I share, but English only, or you could google more. I just simply want to share my new way to make this Corned Beef dish.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/is-corned-beef-really-irish-2839144/

Ingredients:

1. 1 large piece of corned beef.

2. Spices usually come with in the package.

3. Half American cabbage cut it in a big slice, cleaned and rinsed. * American cabbage is more tough that's why I cut it to sliced for easy cooking and better texture. If you use Taiwanese cabbage, it turns to be more tender so just cut it into big piece.

4. 3-4 cloves of garlic.

5. 2 strokes of celeries sliced it.

6. I usually keep leftover of the heart of pineapple in freezer. It would be perfect to add the extra aroma and the sweetness, when I braise with meat or some soup dishes.

7. 1 can of chick beans.

Seasoning :

1. 1/4 cup of confectioner sugar.

2. 1/4 cup of white wine.

3. 1 tablespoons of osmanthus syrup, or honey.

Place the corned beef and cover with the cold water in the pot, then bring it to the boiled, turn off the heat when the color changes to white, take it out then rinse it clean. *This corned beef is very salty, that's why it must cook away the saltness at the first place, so you would be able to enjoy it. Otherwise you have to cook with tons of water.

Prepare the steam pot, place the water and rack in the pot, bring the water to boil, turn medium heat. Place the spices in other smaller pot, put one pineapple heart at the bottom, so the circulation will be better during the cooking process. Also add in the white wine for more aromatic and sprinkle the sugar on top of the beef and other slice of pineapple heart. Cover with lid, turn ones between the cooking process, so the meat could get in touch with the sauce. This corned beef is a little bit more than 1 1/2 pounds, I cooked it about 1 hour more. Just till you can use a chopstick to go through in easily, then it's done. Take the meat out, slice it against the grain when it is cold. It will be easy to handle, and keep beautiful shapes. Drain the spices out and discarded. Add in the osmanthus to mid it well, then let the chick peas soak up all the flavors. You cook use the Taiwanese rice cooker to make this dish too!

Have other sauté pan ready, cold pan, cold oil, into the garlic, high heat sauté the garlic till it gets lightly brown, following the celeries and keep sauté till fragrant. Add in the cabbage and 1/4 cup of juice from the steam corned beef. Cover with the lid could fasten the cooking process. When the cabbage turns to be kind of transparent, taste the texture that you like and adjust the saltiness. It will be ready to be plated.

Use the the potato starch mix with with cold water 1:1 to thickens up the leftover sauce. Place the slices of corned beef on top of cabbage then drizzle the sauce and chick peas all over it. Beef is sweet and savor, garlic enhanced all the flavor and the celery are very refreshing. I have nothing to do with the Irish, but this big piece of America land. I get to know all these wonderful nationality to enrich my life. I am a very luck person and you could share the same happiness just like me.

孩子們上學後, 我除了花了十幾年的時間接送孩子們上下學之外, 更多的奔跑是開著我的媽媽戰車帶著孩子們去參加各種不同的課後活動. 美國小學生下午三點就放學了, 鮮少人有課後學科補習的. 到是學校有許多課後體育活動. 而且大部分的家長都很熱衷孩子們的參與. 父母花很多心思在陪伴孩子身上. 美國的雙親是重視家庭生活. 我常常看著孩子們快速的用完點心, 換上一身體育制服後, 忘著孩子的背影, 往那一份廣大的球場上奔去踢足球或是打捧球 ..... 我則坐在導演椅上看著孩子練習, 或是看著孩子們在比賽的球場上穿梭, 為他們加油打氣. 總覺得在這片廣大又物資豐富的美國土地上的孩子們特別的幸福. 乘坐的是遮風擋雨的汽車, 大口的吃肉, 挑逗人心而無止盡的甜點. 這是在許多國家都見不到的景像呢!

我也常常想起當初來美上學時, 社會學課的敎授曾提到的一句話, 他說, " 美國人民就像是一碗大沙拉一樣, 有著各種不同的蔬果參雜著. 雖然淋上統一的醬汁, 但卻各展其味. 這和中國五千年的大溶爐文化是很不一樣的. 我個人覺得中國人比較像是一道燉菜, 講求的是火候, 依據各項材料的不同有先後入鍋的次序. 更須要時間將所有的食材盡可能融合為一.

大家都知道美國基本上就是個聯合國. 剛到美國初期時就曾發生過一些有趣的事. 我和老公坐在餐廳裏老覺得沮喪, 為什麼上了英文課但還是聽不懂身旁人的言語, 看不懂菜單上的名稱. 時間久了才知道.原來一旁的人講的可能是西班牙文, 也有可能是義大利話或是其他歐洲等國家的話語. 菜單上的名稱更是來自世界各地而組合的. 越是高級的餐廳, 他們越喜歡賣弄這些來自世界各地的名詞. 別說是當時初學英文的我不懂, 就是現今身旁的老美也不見得會懂的, 除非他真是個吃貨! 還好夠愛吃的我總是想盡辦法想搞清楚菜單上的所有的每一道菜, 就是非把它們全記下來不可!

抱著相同的心情, 我隨著自己的喜好吸取這些不同的文化知識, 採購,佈置家裡的客廳. 讓餐桌上的菜色更多原化. 隨著美國各項不同節日的到來, 從不同國家的傳統作法究練習, 到每年都可以開發出一道相同的材料, 但又創新另人滿意的菜色, 是我對自己的烹飪的期許. 我一直是個行動派的人, 天生充滿著挑戰的精神. 愈是了解掌握一件事, 心裡就覺得很踏實. 而每一件創新的成品都帶給我無限的満足和新希望. 如果你也喜歡這樣的感覺, 只要你願意勇敢的跨出第一步, 保持那份開放的思想和接受度. 人生其實是可以很有趣的!

聖派翠克節是艾爾蘭人居住在美國的慶典. 食用鹹牛肉, 將更多的菜色變成綠色是他們舉辦歡樂派對的景象. 然而在真正的愛爾蘭國度內是沒這回事的. 有趣的人可以參考我分享的網站, 但只有英文版而已, 或者你可以做更多的估狗調查. 而我比較想分享的是這鹹牛肉的新做法.

材料:

1. 鹹牛肉一大塊.

2. 香料通常是附贈的.

3. 半顆美國高麗菜洗淨, 因為質地徧硬所以我切段, 容易烹煮, 口感也比較好. 如果你的是台灣高麗菜較軟嫩剝大片狀即可.

4. 3-4顆蒜頭去皮拍扁.

5. 二株西芹切片.

6. 廢物利用的鳳梨心. *我平常喜歡留下鳳梨心貯存於冷凍, 燉肉或煮湯都添了多一份香氣和酸甜味. 當然你也可以用新鮮或罐頭鳯梨.

7. 一罐鷹嘴豆.

調味料:

1. 1/4杯的白砂糖.

2. 1/4杯的白酒.

3. 1大匙左右的桂花醬, 或是蜂蜜也可以.

鹹牛肉用冷水蓋過, 煮沸變色後洗淨. *這鹹牛肉相當的鹹口, 必須先走過水再蒸才能食用的, 否則就得用大量的水烹調才行.

等待鹹牛肉煮沸的的過程中備上蒸鍋, 放入架子和水. 將外鍋水用大火煮沸後改中小火. 然後在內鍋置入香料, 一只鳯梨心在下, 溫度循環較好. 並放入白酒添加風味. 然後擺上鹹牛肉, 上層抹上白砂糖, 還有另一片鳳梨心. 蓋鍋, 過程中翻一次面, 使肉能均勻受到汁液. 這塊肉1磅半多一點, 我花了約一個小時再多一點的時間. 蒸到筷子可以輕易擦入即可. 取出冷卻後依家人各喜好不同的厚度將鹹牛肉逆紋切片, 肉汁才能保留, 切片也比較容易掌握形狀. 瀝出香料後丟棄. 放入桂花醬或蜂蜜拌勻, 倒入鷹嘴豆稍做浸泡入味. *你也可以用電鍋來料理這道菜.

取另一炒菜鍋. 冷鍋, 冷油, 入大蒜, 大火炒至蒜頭呈現淡淡的金黃色, 隨後入芹菜炒至香味釋出. 放入1/4杯的, 蒸醃牛肉的湯汁來調味高麗菜. *美國高麗菜耐煮, 蓋上鍋可以加快烹煮時間. 待高麗菜葉呈微透明狀, 試試軟硬口感, 並調整自己喜好的鹹度. 便可起鍋鋪盤.

將剩餘的肉汁, 用混和1:1 的太白粉加水勾上有點濃度的芡汁. 在高麗菜上鋪上鹹牛肉片, 然後淋上少許的醬汁和鷹嘴豆. 鹹甜多汁的牛肉很順口, 蒜香提味和芹菜清新, 高麗菜依舊爽脆甜美. 我和艾爾蘭民族一點關係也沒有, 但是因為美國的這份肥沃的土地, 不同的民族文化豐富了我的人生. 我是位幸運的人, 而你也可以與我同行分享幸福快樂!