One of the hardest parts of my job is translating/transcribing the action of cooking into words so that anyone, regardless of experience or skill level, can easily and successfully follow the recipe.
Most of us think of recipes as a set of instructions, which they are, but a well-written recipe is a transcript -- describing not only the nuts and bolts of the actions, but the shapes, sounds, textures and colors.
To do this most recipe writers rely on culinary jargon, which is great if you're familiar with such terms. But because my audience includes cooks of all skill and experience levels, I try to avoid using specialized terms. However, sometimes it is unavoidable as there simply isn't space to adequately explain the technique.
Some I use frequently include fold, zest and crisp-tender.
Two of these are found in today's recipe.
Zest refers to the colored portion only of the skin of citrus fruits and the act of removing it. When zesting, it's important to remove only the colored part, as the white pith is bitter and does not contain the aromatic oils that impart the intense flavor you get with zest. If a recipe calls for zest and juice, remove the zest first, then cut the fruit in half and juice. Removing the zest after the juice is possible, but it's messy. If a recipe calls for grated zest, I like to use a rasp-style grater to easily and quickly zest citrus, but a careful hand and vegetable peeler and chef's knife will also get the job done.
Crisp-tender refers to cooking something -- usually a vegetable such as asparagus, green beans, broccoli or bell peppers -- just to the point that a knife or your teeth can easily cut into it while still maintaining its shape and a bit of crunch or snap.
The following recipe is from Dinner Illustrated: 175 Meals Ready in 1 Hour or Less from the editors of America's Test Kitchen, which uses pictures and prose to illustrate how to prepare each dish.
When I make this again, I'll add a variety of vegetables. The sugar snap peas are good, but a variety of flavors and textures would be better.
Sichuan-Style Orange Beef With Sugar Snap Peas and Rice
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
2 1/4 cups water
Salt
2 cloves garlic
1 orange
8 ounces sugar snap peas
2 green onions
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil (I used a combination of peanut oil and sesame-chile oil)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 1/2 pounds flank steak (I used packaged stir-fry beef from the butcher case)
Sesame seeds, optional garnish
In a medium pot with a tight-fitting lid, combine the rice, water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover and reduce heat low. Cook, undisturbed, for 20 minutes. Do not remove lid until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables, beef and sauce.
Peel and mince the garlic.
Zest and juice the orange. You should have about 2 teaspoons finely grated zest and 1/2 cup juice.
If necessary, remove strings from sugar snap peas (mine did not have strings); set aside.
Thinly slice the green onions on the diagonal.
In a bowl, combine the minced garlic, orange zest and juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, honey and red pepper flakes.
Cut steak into 1/4-inch thick, 2-inch long pieces.
Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add beef and 1/3 cup of the orange juice mixture and cook, stirring and turning beef occasionally, until beef is evenly caramelized and deep brown and the sauce has thickened and mostly evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer beef to a plate.
To the skillet, still over medium heat, add the remaining orange juice mixture and the sugar snap peas. Cover and cook 2 minutes or until peas are bright green. Remove lid and continue cooking until peas are crisp-tender. Return beef to skillet and simmer until heated through and sauce has thickened. Sprinkle with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve over rice.
Makes 4 servings.
Food on 05/30/2018