Snow Day Treat: Chicken Daikon Soup

First snow day of the winter, and I was craving soup. Fortunately I had most of the makings of this  recipe on hand. My variation, below, turned out really well -- rich and chickeny, with just a barely sour tang.

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 heaping tablespoons ginger, julienned
• 1.5 lb. chicken (four bone-in thighs)
• 2 lb. daikon (two big roots), chopped into 1-2 in. chunks
• 2.5 tablespoons soy sauce (plain Kikkoman)
• 2.5 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 heaping teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons Better than Boullion chicken (no shame in my game)
• 5 cups water
• 2-4 scallions, for garnish (one entire one pictured above - I love scallions)

In a pot, heat the vegetable oil, then saute the onion and ginger till soft, 2-5 minutes. 

Remove the aromatics if you like (I left them in, since I was feeling lazy) and lightly brown the chicken on both sides till slightly colored. Return the aromatics (if you took them out) then add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sugar to the pot. Stir.

Mix the Better than Boullion into the water and add to the pot along with the daikon. Bring to a boil then simmer till chicken is done and daikon is to your taste (I like it on the crunchy side, which took about 25 minutes). Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serve garnished with scallions.

Chicken Adobo 5: The Saga Continues

It's been quite a while since I've made adobo for myself. But now that my tweaking of the spicy souse soup recipe is almost complete (need to post the modded version soon), I'm taking a break from pig's ears (much to John's relief) and moving on to a childhood favorite: chicken gizzards. Though I found some promising recipes that involve two hours of simmering and optional deep-frying, I decided to start with the classic: adobo. Since I actually have Filipino cane vinegar and soy sauce at my disposal, I decided to tweak this recipe, skipping the sugar and salt and more than doubling the garlic. It's one of the more delicate takes on the dish, but still satisfying. Next time I'll add some pork and make a few other tweaks for extra oomph.

• 2.5 lb. chicken thighs, skin-on (about 6 thighs)
• 1/2 lb. chicken livers
• 1/2 lb. chicken gizzards
• 2/3 c water
• 2/3 c cane vinegar
• 4 T soy sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 6-7 cloves garlic, minced (about 3 T)
• 2 t black peppercorns

Combine all the ingredients in a pot and let sit for at least half an hour.

Bring the pot to a boil; simmer till the chicken's done (about 20-30 minutes).

Optional steps: Remove the chicken and reserve it. Bring the sauce back to a boil and reduce till it's thick enough to coat with a spoon. Brown the chicken in a tbsp. of oil (or stick it under the broiler for a bit), then return to pot.

Serve over white rice.

Braised Baby Bok Choy

Braised Baby Bok Choy, originally uploaded by essgee51.

Quick, light and oh so good - the crunchy stems and light, gingery tang contrasted nicely with the richness of leftover (and getting tastier by the night!) lamb and beans. Mostly eyeballed the ingredients, but a rough recipe is below.

• 4 baby bok choy, cleaned and halved
• 1-2 tbsp. oil (used peanut)
• 1 heaping tbsp. garlic, minced (3 cloves)
• 1-2 tbsp. ginger, julienned
• 1-2 tbsp. soy sauce, to taste

Over medium heat, saute ginger and garlic in the oil till fragrant and beginning to soften, 2-3 minutes.

Add the bok choy, cut side down. Saute, turning once or twice to coat with oil, till the leaves begin to wilt, about 1-2 minutes. If you don't have enough room in your pan (I didn't), do them in batches.

Return all the bok choy to the pan. Add some water (3-4 tbsp. in my case) and the soy sauce. Stir, then cover and cook till the bok choy stems are tender but still crisp, about 4-7 minutes.

Adjust seasoning.

Chicken Braised in Lemon and Soy Sauce

Chicken Braised in Lemon and Soy Sauce, originally uploaded by essgee51.

Wanted something quick, and Bittman gladly obliged. It's rather less adobo-lite than its constituent ingredients may make it seem, and is bright with just a small touch of heat. My version of the recipe (with more garlic and lemon juice than originally called for) below.

• 2.5 lbs chicken (thighs)
• 4 tbsp. neutral oil (grapeseed this time)
• 1 heaping tbsp. garlic (originally 1 tsp.)
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 heaping tbsp. lemon zest (from 2 medium lemons)
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (may add slightly more next time)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (from one juicy lemon)

Put oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When it's hot, brown the chicken, working in batches if necessary (should take around 10-15 minutes).

Remove the chicken and pour/spoon out all but 1-2 tbsp. of oil. Turn the heat to low, add the garlic and cook till it starts to soften, about 1-2 minutes.

Add the water, soy sauce, sugar and cayenne pepper to the pot. Put in the chicken, turning it once or twice to soak up the broth. Adjust the heat so it bubbles gently but constantly and cook till done, anywhere from 20-40 minutes.

When done, stir the lemon juice into the dish and remove from heat. Adjust seasoning and serve over white rice.

Tonight's Fried Rice

After a two-day hiatus, I decided to close out the work week with another Mr. Bento and get rid of some leftovers. Recipe's vague and of course proportions and ingredients can be not just tweaked but turned topsy-turvy. Love how the scapes add green bean texture and a subtle, garlicky tang to it.

• 3 tbsp. neutral oil (peanut this time)
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1 small carrot, peeled and diced
• 4 garlic scapes, bulbs and ends removed, chopped
• 3-4 cups old, cold rice, de-clumpified with a fork or your hands
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce, plus more to taste

Put a skillet or wok on medium-high heat; add the oil and wait till it makes things sizzle.

Add onion; cook, stirring, till beginning to turn translucent, about 1-2 min.

Add carrot and scapes; cook, stirring, till they begin to soften, about 3-5 minutes.

Add rice. Cook, stirring, till it's heated through. Add soy sauce and stir to mix.

Adjust seasonings, remove from heat and serve (or pack for lunch).

Lemongrass-Braised Chicken with Garlic Scapes

Originally I had planned to follow the Bittman recipe exactly (but halving it). But, when I realized the lemongrass from our garden was way too small and only imparted the barest hint of flavor to the braising chicken, I added a couple of garlic scapes (first time I've ever cooked with them - I bought almost a pound, so more recipes will follow) and a smidge more of soy sauce. Tasted not-quite-lemongrassy but still good when served with rice, cilantro (also from the garden) and lime juice.

The garlic scapes turned out tasty and almost-crunchy, though one or two bits were too tough. Will have to experiment with the cooking time - will also have to try this recipe again, sans scapes, with mature lemongrass.

• 1+1/2 tbsp. neutral oil (used corn)
• 3 stalks lemongrass, halved and smashed (used 5 very thin ones - not quite enough)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 chicken thighs, skin-on
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 garlic scapes, cut into 2-inch lengths
•  2-3 tbsp. cilantro, chopped
• lime wedges

 Put oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the lemongrass and cook till it grows fragrant, about 2 minutes. Salt and pepper the chicken.

Turn the heat to medium and add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Cover and cook till nearly done, about 20-30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes or so and basting with a bit of soy sauce.

Add the garlic scapes. Cook for another 10 minutes or so.

Remove from heat. Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Chicken Adobo (4) with Livers

This latest in the adobo chronicles is a fairly mellow, but flavorful and rich (perhaps partially because of the chicken livers) version. The base recipe comes via Burnt Lumpia (who adapted it from Steamy Kitchen); I merely fiddled with some proportions and added the livers. Next time I may try crushing the garlic instead (which gives me discrete cloves to nibble on or smash into the rice) and adding gizzards (balunbalunan in Tagalog; grandma used to put an extra helping in her adobo for me).

• about 3 lbs. chicken (4 leg quarters in this case)
• 1/2 lb. chicken livers
• 2/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 6-8 cloves garlic (minced or smashed, as you prefer)
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. black peppercorns
• 4 bay leaves

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot. Marinate for at least two hours.

Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer till chicken is done (about 20-30 minutes).

Remove chicken from pot and reserve. Bring heat to high and reduce the sauce, stirring often, till it thickens to desired consistency (I was getting hungry, and so stopped after about five minutes - perhaps halfway to almost-thick-enough-to-coat-the-back-of-a-spoon. Tasted fine, though.)

Pat the chicken pieces dry, then place them skin-side-up on a baking sheet or in a cast-iron skillet. Place under a broiler and broil till the skin is crisp, about 2-4 minutes.

Serve with white rice, pouring sauce over everything.

Today's Lunch - Fried Rice and Sardines

 Had a full pic of last night's dinner, which was the same thing plus some salad greens, but they didn't pass even my lax standards. This shot, taken from lunch today, fared a bit better.

Basically I followed the Bittman basic fried rice recipe with the dried-out remains of my mushroom broth and stewed garlic rice, not including the egg, adding a diced carrot and increasing the ginger, garlic and scallion proportions. Turned out wonderfully - also went well with a handful of baby spinach and a couple of sardines.

• 3 tbsp. peanut oil
• 1-1/2 tbsp. ginger, minced
• 1-1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
• 2 heaping tbsp. scallions, minced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 4 or so cups old rice
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• more minced scallions for garnish

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pan or wok. When hot, add ginger, garlic and scallions. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Add carrots and cook for a few minutes, till they just begin to soften.

Add rice and cook, stirring often, till hot. Add soy sauce, mixing it thoroughly into the rice. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with scallions and enjoy.

Fried Rice with Saffron, Ginger and Tomatoes

Have never cooked with saffron before, and so couldn't resist adding this recipe (from Serious Eats) to the fried rice chronicles. It turned out a tad too brassy from the healthy dollops of salt and pepper (mistakenly heavy in the case of the latter), but still flavorful and good served cold the next day. Will definitely try it again with a couple of modifications (in parentheses); may also adopt this method of cooking the egg for fried rice.

• small pinch of saffron (used two)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup tomatoes, pureed
• 1-1/2 tsp. ginger, minced (used 2-1/2 tsp.)
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen peas (used about 2/3 cup)
• 1-1/4 tsp. salt (will halve this next time)
• 1/4 tsp. pepper (will actually use this next time - ended up with about 1 tsp.)
• 3 cups cooked rice, crumbled
• 1/4 tsp. oyster sauce
• 1/3 cup scallions, chopped
• soy sauce to taste (skipped this)

Put saffron in a small bowl with 1 tbsp. water. Stir gently, then set aside.
Put 1 tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Crack egg into a bowl and whisk in 1 tbsp. water. When skillet's hot, pour in the egg, tilting the pan to spread it so it coats the bottom (like an omelet). Once the egg has set, which should take somewhere between 2-4 minutes, scrape the egg into a bowl and break up into bite-sized pieces.
Pour the rest of the oil into the skillet and turn the heat to high. When it's hot, add the ginger; cook for about 15-30 seconds, stirring often.

Add the saffron water and tomato puree. Cook, stirring often, till most of the water evaporates - about 3-5 minutes.

Add the sliced onions. Cook for one minute.

Add the rice, salt, pepper and oyster sauce. Cook for 2 more minutes, stirring to homogenize the mixture.

Add the peas and cooked egg. Stir for another minute.

Add soy sauce to taste and garnish with scallions.

Chicken Adobo, Part 3

Tried the Bittman (2nd ed.) version this time - with rich, silky, decadent gata (coconut milk), to be fair, and broiling the chicken into crispy deliciousness, so it's hardly fair to the other recipes. Will try each again, replicating at least the latter step.

The sauce turned out to be rich but extremely salty; to be fair, the chicken tasted fine, as did judicious application of the sauce on rice. I may try this again with a low-sodium soy sauce, though (used normal Kikkoman this time), or with a soy sauce-water mix.

Eater review: "Simple, savory. As satisfying as any meal I've had in recent memory. I would recreate this, if I were able, on my own in an instant."

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
• 1-1/2 cup coconut milk (used a can of Taste of Thai)
• 1 whole chicken, 3-4 lbs., trimmed of excess fat and cut into 8 pieces (used 4 whole legs)

Combine soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, pepper, bay leaves and half of the coconut milk in a pot large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Add the chicken. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, turning once or twice, till the chicken is almost done (20-25 min).

Heat oven to 450. Remove the chicken pieces from the liquid and dry them with paper towels. Grill, boil or roast the chicken till it's brown, crisp and hot (about 15-25 min.), turning as necessary.

Meanwhile, bring the sauce to a boil, adding the remaining coconut milk, over high heat, till it's reduced to about a cup (I love sauce, so went for a cup and a half).

Serve the chicken with the sauce over rice.

Tonight's Dinner - The Fried Rice Chronicles, Vol. 3

Leftovers, ho! While, sadly, I ate the green beans before remembering that fried rice was an option, the tuna and a nearly-dead shallot were welcome additions. Skipped the egg this time.

• 2 tbsp. peanut oil
• 1 heaping tsp. garlic, chopped
• 1 heaping tsp. ginger, minced
• 2 heaping tbsp. scallion, chopped, plus some minced scallion for garnish
• 1 tsp. shallot, chopped
• 1-1/2-2 cups day-old rice, mashed and de-clumpified (a fork works well)
• 3 or so oz. leftover seared tuna, chopped
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Place oil in a skillet or pan, preferably nonstick, then turn the heat to high. Wait a minute or so, then add garlic, ginger, scallions and shallots. Cook, stirring almost constantly, for about a minute.

Turn the heat down to medium-high. Add the rice, de-clumping with your hands if you haven't already. Stir often for 1-2 minutes.

Add the chopped tuna and stir until no longer red. Add the soy sauce and stir till it's incorporated into the rice. Correct seasoning.

Garnish with scallions and serve.

Now that that's all in my belly, let's see if I actually get around to cooking my chicken or succumb to satiation and/or food coma.

Chicken Adobo, Part II

This is the second in a series of cook-by-the-book attempts to establish a new adobo baseline recipe. It's taken from Filipino Cooking Here and Abroad. I've never used sugar in an adobo recipe before, but now I see the advantages to it - this iteration tasted wonderfully complex even without the browning and before being stored for the night.

Future mods? More garlic, maybe a bit more sugar. And definitely some chicken livers. Had some gizzards but figured I'd save them for a night when I'd more time to cook.

• 1-1/2 lb. chicken legs (with some of the backbone and delicious kidneys)
• 1/3 cup vinegar
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 plump garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper (approximated several grinds)
• 1 tsp. sugar (2 lumps)
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients but the oil in a pot and let stand for at least 30 minutes, turning the chicken now and then.

Bring to a boil, then simmer till the chicken's tender (about 30-45 minutes - could have been done sooner, but Colbert's first Iraq episode was on so I let it ride).

[Didn't do this part, but intend to next time.] Reserve sauce. Brown chicken in vegetable oil, then move to plate.

Pour off some oil if you wish, then add sauce to the pan. Raise heat and stir until the sauce thickens to desired consistency.

Serve with chicken over white rice.

Chicken Thighs with Soy Sauce and Lemon

Yesterday was the first time I'd cooked since my cat died (R.I.P. Bunnicat, 1995-2009). As do most braises, it tasted good the night of, even better the day after - and it will taste even better tomorrow. It will also always remind me of Bun. Despite the still-unfamiliar silence (no more soft splash of her fountain; no more querulous meows), I had to remind myself not to set aside a little portion of chicken for her each time I packed my lunch. Alas, my mise en place/condiment bowls are now merely those again; they no longer double as amuse bouche plates for my furry food critic. I miss you, anak.

This recipe's based on one in the first edition of Bittman; any deviations from the original are in italics.

• 1 tbsp. peanut oil
• 1.5 lbs. chicken thighs (orig. 2 lbs.)
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic (orig. 1 tsp.)
• 1 scant tbsp. grated lemon zest (orig. 1 tbsp.)
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne powder
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sugar (omitted this)
• 1/3 cup water
• juice of 1 lemon (about 3-1/2 tbsp.)

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the oil, swirl, then add the chicken. Brown quickly - about 2-3 minutes per side.

Turn off the heat. Remove the chicken and all but one tablespoon of fat from the skillet. Let the pan cool for a minute or two, then turn the heat to medium and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, till it softens, about 1-2 minutes.

Add everything else but the lemon juice; stir. Return the chicken to the skillet; turn it once or twice in the liquid. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, turning once or twice, till chicken is done (anywhere from 20-40 minutes, though admittedly I went long because a new episode of "No Reservations" was on).

Add the lemon juice to the broth and stir. Serve with white rice.

Chicken Adobo, Part I

Recently, I realized that I haven't made adobo in months. In an attempt to earn back my Pinoy card (and use up the chicken thighs in the freezer), I decided to remedy that. Alas, it's been long enough that I've forgotten the proportions of my "baseline" recipe; on the brighter side, this gives me an excuse to experiment with different ones. So, herewith - and just barely beating out Bittman's version, because the idea of a new vinegar picqued my curiosity, is my take on the venerable Burnt Lumpia's chicken adobo.

In retrospect? I would have marinaded, added a bit more garlic and browned the chicken after, not before, for maximum skin crispage. But hey - it was a weekday, and I wanted something fairly low-maintenance.

• 2 lbs. chicken thighs, skin on
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 7 cloves garlic (about 1-1/2 heaping tbsp.), minced
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 heaping tsp. black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves

Put oil in a skillet large enough to hold the chicken pieces in one layer; turn heat to medium and wait till oil shimmers. Add the chicken pieces, skin side down, and brown (about 5-7 minutes); turn, then brown the other side (another 5-7 minutes).

Remove chicken and place in a bowl. Pour off all but a tablespoon or two of the drippings. Turn the heat to low and saute the garlic till it's light brown and fragrant (about 1-3 minutes). Deglaze the pan with the liquids, making sure to scrape with a wooden spoon.

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up; add any accumulated juices, too. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover the pan, and play Xbo mess around onl- be productive for 25-45 minutes, or till chicken is tender.

Remove chicken and reserve. Turn heat to medium-high and reduce sauce to desired consistency, stirring often and correcting seasoning if necessary.

Return chicken to pan, remove from heat, and serve with white rice, drizzling sauce over both.

A Riff on Bittman's "Anti-Ramen" Soy Broth

Being home sick today meant scarfing up all of yesterday's soup well before dinnertime. So, I decided to try a variation on Bittman's "anti-ramen": "Egg Noodles in Soy Broth." Despite a misstep and a few varations (reproduced in the recipe below for posterity and further experimentation), the broth's incredibly rich and flavorful, especially for something meatless. It's also the inspiration for the new "comfort food" tag.

• 3 cups water
• 1/6 cup ketchup (I use a HFCS-free organic store brand)
• 1/6 cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. mirin (whoops - picked up the wrong bottle)
• 2 tsp. white vinegar (to make up for the mirin)
• 1 hefty squeeze of sriracha
  
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 potato, diced (had to use up leftovers)
• 3 baby bok choy, chopped, stems and leaves separated
• 2 scallions, chopped (for garnish)
  

Put water, ketchup, soy sauce, mirin, white vinegar and garlic cloves in a pot. Add potato and baby bok choy stems. Bring to a boil, then simmer till potato is nearly cooked, about 10-15 minutes.

Add baby bok choy leaves. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes, correct seasoning, then serve with noodles or (in this particular case) over day-old rice, garnishing with scallions.

Poached Catfish with Ginger and Soy Sauce

This is one of my go-to recipes for catfish (which, as the tag cloud informs me, I eat more of than I thought): simple, quick and delicious. I can't recall if it's in the revised Bittman, but it's certainly in the first. Original recipe below, with my changes in italics:

• 2 tbsp. peanut oil
• 2-4 cloves garlic, minced (original: 1)
• 5 tbsp. minced or grated ginger
• 1/2 cup water (broth works, too)
• 1/4 cup slightly diluted dry vermouth (didn't have any white wine, as per the original)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
• 1 to 1-1/2 lbs. catfish fillets
• 2 scallions, chopped, for garnish

In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium. Add the garlic and ginger and saute till the garlic begins to color. (NOTE: Bittman reserves 1 tbsp. of ginger for garnish at the end. I didn't.)

Add the liquid and turn the heat to high. Boil till the liquid's been reduced by about half - this should only take a couple of minutes. Season to taste.

Turn the heat back to medium and add the catfish. Cover and cook till fillets are no longer translucent - about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Garnish with scallions and serve.

Minimalist Tomato-Garlic Soup

My tummy wasn't very happy, and I wanted a quick, satisfying soup that wasn't too rich. The revised How to Cook Everything offered a simple base recipe called "Boiled Water." It seemed like it would produce watery tomato sauce, but I gave it a try - and voila, reason #4,313 not to doubt the Bittman. Though my simplified version (below) didn't turn out quite as quickly as his, it was surprisingly flavorful and satisfying. The main differences between the recipe below and his are: more garlic, a bit more tomato and some Memmi (a stand in for the soy sauce that seems to have gone missing).

• 6-10 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
• 1 14. oz. can tomatoes (I use Muir Glen), roughly chopped
• 2 cups water
• 1-2 tsp. Memmi or soy sauce

Put all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let the liquid bubble gently for a while, anywhere from 20-40 minutes (Bittman prefers 15, but I found that everything wasn't nearly broken down enough for my tastes. I waited till the garlic was almost stewed but the tomatoes hadn't completely lost their structural integrity).

Correct seasoning and serve.

Bistek (Steak with Onions and Citrus-Soy Sauce)

While poking through my Gchat logs for old recipes, I came across this one, courtesy of the wonderful and funny Burnt Lumpia. Though I haven't made the dish since Oct. 30, 2008, I seem to have found it yummy. The version below incorporates my modifications.

• 1 lb. sirloin beef, sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup kalamansi juice (or lemon juice)
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 5-7 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 tbsp. oil (I used peanut)
• 1 large onion, sliced into thin rings
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Marinade the beef in the citrus juice, soy sauce and garlic for at least 30 minutes.

Put oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Remove meat from marinade, reserving the liquid. Sear the meat on all sides (4-5 minutes or so).
Remove meat from pan, place in a bowl, and set aside. Add the onion rings to the pan and saute for 3 minutes, adding more oil if necessary.

Pour the reserved marinade into the pan with the onions. Be sure to deglaze and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the black pepper to the sauce and correct seasoning. If the sauce is too salty, or too sour - or if you just want more sauce - add 1/2 cup of water. (Mine turned out a tad salty, but a few more squeezes of lemon fixed that.)

Return the meat to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes. You can also thicken the sauce with cornstarch if you like.

Serve over white rice.