When cooking animal offal and seafood, it is generally recommended to add some cooking wine and vinegar, but the order of addition must be noted.
Cooking wine should be added first to penetrate the ingredients.
Cooking wine has high permeability and volatility. Adding it first allows it to penetrate the ingredients. When heated and volatilized, it can remove the gamey smell from the ingredients and enhance the flavor of the food.
Vinegar contains a large amount of organic acids like acetic acid. However, when heated or combined with the alcohols in cooking wine, it produces volatile esters. If vinegar is added too early, its aroma will volatilize, and the dish will have a sour and astringent taste, reducing its umami.
Vinegar should be added just before the dish is done and removed from the heat.
Generally, cooking wine can be marinated with the ingredients for a moment before cooking, or added when the food is almost done. Vinegar, on the other hand, should be added just before the dish is done and removed from the heat, and stir-fried a few times.
Now, let's look at two specific examples:
Warming Lamb Soup
Method:
Add cooking wine
Heat a little oil in a pot, add Sichuan peppercorns and fennel seeds until fragrant, add the lamb and stir-fry for a moment, then pour in a small spoonful of cooking wine;
Stir-fry quickly, then add water, along with shredded ginger and wood ear mushrooms. Bring to a boil, season with salt, and cook for another two minutes before turning off the heat;
Add a little vinegar
Then, add a little vinegar, and finally sprinkle with chopped green onions and cilantro leaves.
Tips:
1. The dual action of cooking wine and vinegar effectively neutralizes the gamey smell of the lamb;
2. If the lamb is cooked for too long, it will not be tender.
Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs
Ingredients: Aged pork ribs (aged ribs are healthier), brown sugar, vinegar, ginger, cooking wine, light soy sauce, salt
Method:
Start with cooking wine
After washing the ribs, add a little ginger and cooking wine, and boil in water until 80% cooked, skimming off any foam as needed.
Heat oil in a pan, add the boiled ribs and stir-fry briefly, then remove and set aside.
Add oil to the pan, add brown sugar, and melt over low heat. Add the ribs to coat them in caramel. Finally, add vinegar.
Add the stock from boiling the ribs, add light soy sauce, and half of the vinegar. Cook until the ribs are fully cooked. Then add the remaining half of the vinegar and turn up the heat to reduce the sauce.