Bitter Melon With Minced Beef In Black Bean Sauce Recipes

BITTER MELON AND BLACK BEAN SAUCE BEEF

Steps:

• Fill a bowl with ice; add enough salted water to make an ice bath. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the bitter melon in the boiling water until tender yet firm, about 2 minutes; strain the melon. Place the melon into the ice bath; allow to sit until bitterness is extracted, about 1 hour. Drain melon.
• Whisk 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and baking soda together in a bowl. Add beef and toss to evenly coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Heat wok, or a large skillet, on high until smoking. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Lay beef evenly across the bottom of the wok; cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove beef. Pour in 1 teaspoon of oil; allow to heat. Add onion, garlic, and ginger; cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in bitter melon; cook until combined, about 1 minute.
• Stir black bean sauce into melon mixture. Stir in remaining soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Pour in 3/4 cup water; cover and let simmer until flavors combine, 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and mix in remaining cornstarch and 1 teaspoon water and stir until thickened.

BITTER MELON WITH MINCED BEEF IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl add beef, salt and oil to coat the meat and let stand for 15 minutes.
• In a high wok add the beef mixture and saute until the meat is halfway cook. Add in the melons slice, ginger, garlic and black bean sauce and stir fry for 5 minutes. Add in the water and bring to a boil and stirring at all time. Taste a piece of the melon for tenderness adds more water if needed. Simmer the mixture add in the sweet soy sauce and oyster to taste.

STIR-FRIED BEEF WITH BITTER GOURD

Steps:

• Cut the bittergourd into slices. Read my article How to Choose and Prepare Bitter Gourd on how to do so.
• Add 1 TBsp salt in the bitter gourd and gently toss up a few times until it is limp. Be careful not to break it up to pieces. Leave it for 15 mins.
• Drain off the bitter juices from the bitter gourd. Wash it with water a few times and squeeze out the water and drain dry.
• Cut the beef into slices and marinate with the beef marinade ingredients.
• Remove the skin from the ginger and slice it thinly.
• Peel and chop the garlic finely.
• Pound the fermented black bean coarsely.
• In a separate bowl, add in all the gravy ingredients and mix well
• Add 1 Tbsp oil into the wok over medium high heat. Add the ginger and fry until fragrant.
• Add the bittergourd and fry until it is limp. Try cutting a piece of bittergourd with the spatula. If it cuts easily and still remain a bit crunchy, remove and transfer to a plate.
• Add the remaining oil (2 Tbsp) into the wok. Turn down the fire to low, then add the fermented black bean and garlic and fry until aromatic (about 1 min).
• Turn the heat to medium high. Add in the beef and fry for 3 mins.
• Lastly pour back the bittergourd into the beef and mix well.
• Give a stir to the gravy seasoning before adding it to the bitter gourd mixture. Fry until the beef is cooked to your preferred 'doneness'.
• Transfer to a plate and serve hot.

BITTER MELON WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut the Bitter Melon (1) in half, scrape the seeds out with a spoon. Thinly slice the melon 1/4-inch thick and set it aside in a bowl.
• Thinly slice the Flank Steak (200 gram) and add it to a bowl.
• Combine the Soy Sauce (2 teaspoon), Water (3 teaspoon), Granulated Sugar (1/2 teaspoon) and Dark Soy Sauce (1/2 teaspoon) into bowl with the beef and mix it together. Set it aside for later.
• In a bowl, gently rinse the Fermented Black Beans (3 tablespoon) for a few seconds to soften it a bit more and to rinse out some of the salt.
• On a cutting board, smush the beans up with the back of a spoon or finely chop it with a knife and add it back to the bowl.
• Finely chop the Garlic (2 clove) and add it to the bowl.
• Combine the Cooking Wine (1 tablespoon), Oyster Sauce (1 tablespoon), Granulated Sugar (1 1/2 tablespoon), Soy Sauce (2 tablespoon), Sesame Oil (1 teaspoon), Water (1/4 cup) and mix and set aside.
• In a separate bowl, mix the Corn Starch (2 tablespoon) and Water (3 tablespoon) and set aside for the very end. We will use the corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce.
• Fill a pot up with water and set it on the stove and wait for it to boil.
• Once the water is boiling, add the bitter melon in and cook it for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Drain and run the bitter melon under cold water in a strainer or throw it in a ice bath to stop the cooking process.
• Once the bitter melon is cool, set it in a strainer/colander and set it aside.
• In a frying pan, add a bit of oil and set it to medium to medium-high heat. Add in the beef and quickly stir fry it until it is just cooked, approximately 3-4 minutes.
• Add in the fermented black bean sauce and cook it for 1-2 minutes.
• Stir the corn starch slurry, the corn starch will settle to the bottom, and once it is well mixed, add it into the sauce keep stirring until the sauce is thick and no longer translucent - the sauce should be a dark brown color that looks glossy and thick.
• Add in the bitter melon and cook it for 1-2 minutes. If you didn't boil it, cook it for 1-2 minutes more.
• Serve and enjoy with a side of rice!

MINH-AI'S BITTER MELON SOUP

Steps:

• Combine pork, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, garlic powder, and pepper in a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Slice the bitter melon into 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick rounds. Using the tip of a small knife, remove the spongy, seeded interior. Fill each bitter melon ring with the pork mixture, making sure to that each ring is fully stuffed. Form similar sized meatballs with any remaining pork.
• Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Drop in the stuffed bitter melon rings and any meatballs. Simmer over medium heat until the bitter melon is tender and easily cut with a spoon, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and fish sauce. Stir in green onions.