Some of Sabrina’s most visceral memories of the early childhood she spent in Hong Kong are linked to heat and cold, as finding ways of coping with Hong Kong’s oppressively hot and humid summers and surprisingly chilly and damp winters was always a challenge. There was no heating or air conditioning in their Kowloon apartment block, so on stifling summer nights she and her siblings would roll out their rattan mats and sleep on the balcony, while in wintertime they had to rug up indoors to stay warm.
The city’s enterprising food vendors were fully geared up to cater for these extremes of temperature.
Copyright Fan Ho: Coolies and Hawkers
On sweltering hot days Sabrina looked forward to an icy cold freshly squeezed sugarcane juice or a frozen star fruit on her way home from school, and in wintertime the roast chestnut and sweet potato vendors’ carts would spring up on every street corner to warm cold hands and tummies. Clusters of food market stalls did a roaring trade in stir-fried oysters the size of your palm cooked in spring onion, ginger and garlic and curried squid; fish ball and chicken wing vendors would congregate around the entrances of cinemas to make the latest Kung Fu movie (an obsession in Sabrina’s family), that much more enjoyable.
Another dish that immediately conjures up frigid Hong Kong days is Beef Brisket. Served in a fragrant garlic and bean sauce, it brings back memories for Sabrina of being wrapped up warmly by her mother and going out for a family dinner. She loves it to this day and always looks out for it on Chinatown restaurant menus wherever we are in the world, even if there’s the slightest chill in the air.
This dish is traditionally made with Chinese-style brisket, but it can be difficult to find outside specialty shops and its gelatinous appearance can be a little off-putting to Western eyes like those of my husband, Marco!
Beef Short Ribs are an excellent substitute.
Beef Short Ribs in a Garlic and Black Bean Sauce: Serves Six
3 1/2 lbs boneless beef short ribs
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp black bean and garlic sauce, (easily obtained in Asian grocery stores along with the other sauces below)
2 tbsp Chu Hou paste
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
I like to cook mine in a pressure cooker, if you don’t have one just cook it in a heavy based pot; but obviously for a much longer time, about 2 – 2 and 1/2 hours). Heat the pot, add 2 tablespoon of oil; add in the meat in batches to brown. Transfer to a dish until all of them are done. Return the meat to the pot and add the garlic, black bean sauce, Chu Hou paste and the soy sauce. Stir to coat all of the meat, then add 2 cups of water, bring to the boil, cover and reduce the heat, (if using a pressure cooker, cook as instructed by your make), mine takes about 30- 35 minutes. For slow cooking set the heat for simmer and simmer for 2 to 2 and 1/2 hours. The meat should be very tender, almost falling apart, that is when it is done.
Serve it with steamed rice and sautéed vegetables, or my favourite Lo Mein style, with wonton egg noodles.
On those days when the family stayed put in their apartment, they could still easily obtain their favourite street foods until late into the night. With their unmistakable shouts, enterprising street hawkers would loudly advertise their presence outside the family’s apartment building and each vendor had his own vocal signature and unique method of home delivery. Preserved fruit sellers would literally throw food up to their eager buyers’ open windows, and they in turn would throw their money down. When she heard the sweet tofu vendor’s unmistakable cry Sabrina’s mother used to rush downstairs with a large container from their kitchen. Most colourfully of all, the Dan Dan Noodle Sellers would reach skywards with a basket of noodles on the end of a long bamboo pole or “dan”, to outstretched hands.
Even without the eccentric delivery method this is a great noodle dish. There are countless different versions but this re-creates the one that I remember from my childhood.
Dan Dan Noodles: Serves Four
2 tsp Shaoxing rice wine (can be found in any good Asian grocery store)
2 tsp soy sauce
10 oz ground pork
1/2 lb fresh Wheat noodles, or Udon
4 green onions, finely chopped
Sauce:
2 tbsp oil
1/3 cup preserved vegetable (Tianjin), rinsed and squeezed dry (can also be found at Asian grocers)
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce (can be found at Asian grocers)
2-3 tsp chili oil
1 tbsp Sichuan pepper, dry roasted and ground
1 cup chicken stock
Mix the rice wine, soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of ground white pepper and pork together. Set aside for 15 minutes. Cook the noodles in lots of boiling water. While the water is boiling prepare the sauce. Next heat a wok with the oil, add the preserved vegetables, stir fry for 1-2 minutes, add the pork and stir fry, all the while breaking up the pork; fry until the meat is brown. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to the boil, except for the green onions. Divide the noodles into bowls, top with the sauce and sprinkle with the green onions.
Loves all these memory snippets. Many of these coincide with my own faded memories as well. Yeah, street food used to be the staple of all school children. How we all used to dash to the stalls to grab hold of some fish balls, skewers of offal, cubes of stinky tofu & wonton noodles! Beef brisket is one of my favourites too. I think anyone with an adventurous spirit should try their hands on this sumptuous dish. I haven’t try cooking short-ribs with black beans, but have used that with chicken, pork & beef slices. Will give it a go at your recommendations 😁
Hi Toto, Sabrina here. Love your recollections. Stinky tofu is one of my favourites but I didn’t develop a taste for it until I was much older