The realm of char siu and pork is evolving, as evidenced by a trio of innovative cookbooks released this season. Andrea Nguyen, Hetty Lui McKinnon, and Maggie Zhou showcase how char siu sauce can enhance plant-based dishes in their respective books “Ever-Green Vietnamese,” “Tenderheart,” and “Chinese Homestyle.” Zhou, for example, suggests using the sauce to make plant-based barbecue pork buns with mushrooms. McKinnon shares her childhood memories of enjoying Hong Kong-style roast meats in Australia and her current love for marinating eggplant in a char siu-style barbecue sauce, which she adds to salads and bao buns.
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Nguyen takes cauliflower as her char siu medium and uses it for sliders and banh mi. She also applies the sauce to glazed pulled jackfruit for similar applications. Although char siu is traditionally Chinese, Vietnamese cuisine has embraced small bao filled with Cantonese barbecue for a long time. In more recent years, larger buns for Taiwanese-style gua bao have gained popularity in Vietnam.
Get the recipe: Char Siu Cauliflower
I can’t wait to try all of these plant-based dishes on my dinner table. However, Nguyen’s Char Siu Cauliflower immediately caught my attention. The sticky, caramel-like edges of the cauliflower, as shown in the photo, make it irresistible. The key is to cut the cauliflower into large wedges, preventing it from falling apart during cooking. The result is so delicious that I couldn’t resist eating it bite after bite, without wanting anything else. Next time, I’ll explore other serving options like sandwiches, salads, or grain bowls, but for the first time, it’s all about enjoying the cauliflower itself.
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Denial of responsibility!Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
