Christina’s Black Bean and Garlic Sauce

Directions to make sauce:

In a small bowl, add

• 3 tablespoons fermented black beans (rinsed)

• 4 large cloves garlic (minced)

Use handle of a cleaver to crush the mixture together.  If you have a mortar and pestle, use that.

Grind until you make a loose paste.

For stir fry:

• Sliced meat of your choice

• Variety of bite-sized vegetables of your choice (broccoli, onions, carrots, bak choy, green beans, cauliflower, zucchini, bitter melon, mushrooms etc.)

Meat:

Heat 2 tablespoons cooking oil in wok until just smoky and add black bean mix. 

Fry for a minute until oil absorbs the flavour. 

Add marinated meat and cook until done. Remove meat from wok.

Vegetables:

Using the same wok, heat another tablespoon of oil; when smoking, add in vegetables in order of density. 

Start frying hardest vegetables first; for example, this may include carrots, raw cauliflower, green beans.  

Add softest vegetables last; this may include peas, mushrooms, and bak choy. 

When they're done, return meat to wok and combine with vegetables.

For steaming:

Mix spareribs, fish, chicken or beef with black bean sauce in a shallow rimmed plate.

Pour 2 cups of water into the bottom of your wok or large pot.  

Place on a trivet on the bottom to keep the plate of food above the water.  Put dish of food on top of the trivet.

Bring water to a boil.

Steam food for 15 minutes.

If you are steaming fish, add slivered ginger for extra flavour.

Serve your steamed meat or fish, and stir fried meat and vegetables with steamed rice.