Ahh, if only it were true...

Oh no... I'm sure my latest efforts have been strictly tried & true. I need help! Last "new thing" I made was roasted asparagus and I've gone back to steaming.

How was it to make the Chinese BBQ buns? They can be very good.

Hey cav, you have the same avatar as dlowan, who's been around here a bit longer. You might consider changing it as I (and I'm sure others) immediately confused the two of you.

I like to make steamed pork buns too. I usually use leftover cooked pork loin chopped up quite fine, then add a bit of hoisin and oyster sauce to it. The dish is better if you use chinese style barbecued pork, but mine is easier and a great way to use leftovers. If you make a whole bunch, they freeze quite well, but make sure to let them defrost before steaming or they'll be quite unappetizing (been there, done that).

I have gone on a few culinary adventures, but my tastes tend to be toward more simple fare. This coupled with an SO that will proudly proclaim that grilled cheese and tomato soup is one of his favorite meals, I tend to stick with the tried and true.

Sublime, steamed pork buns are like the White Castle burgers of Mandarin cooking.

Hi, cav!....I, without a doubt, prefer to venture off beaten paths, and hike in the culinary forest of uncertainty.....If I fall into some dark and mysterious pit, I just keep adding ingredients 'til I can pull myself out!....Most times I have been successful, but, not to say, that I haven't had my share of disasters! (there have been plenty!)......My self proclaimed motto has always been...."a recipe is nothing more than a springboard for your imagination....have fun with it!".........I played around with some pork tenderloins the other day, and stuffed them with diced pears, freshly grated ginger, hot pepper flakes, and a bit of bread crumbs tossed with a little butter......the results was a wonderful combination of flavors....I hope I can figure out the porportions again!!!

cjhsa -- that's funny! White Castle Steamed BBQ Buns. It's true, too. I suppose you could say that all the teriyaki shops are like KFC's, as well.

Hi chun chun... the pork with pears and ginger and pepper flakes... yummm, that sounds good.

I'm rarely able to stick with an old recipe anymore... even if I have everything as required. I've also noticed that my tastes change. A recipe that was once OK, may now seem bland and need to be perked up. Of course, I do try to keep the proportions about right. Most disasters are edible... to the hungry at least!

Hey all, had some trouble connecting to the site lately, but all seems well now.

Piffka, should try grilling the asparagus, with just a little olive oil, salt and pepper. A lemony mayo goes great as a dip.

The buns were ok. As "fast food" as they are, doing the dough from scratch is a bit tricky, so it was fun for me. cjhsa, yeah, I had some really tasty leftover BBQ pork from a good Chinese restaurant, so I used that for the filling. Also changed my avatar, lol.

Chun, that pork tenderloin sounds great...if only my wife liked cooked fruit (don't ask)....I like getting nice pork chops on the bone and stuffing them with a thin piece of calves liver, then some olive oil and herbs, and on the grill.

Also had a good experience with Kal Bi the other night, Koren BBQ short ribs. Tonight I think it will be a red-cooked duck....

Hey, cav.....I LOVE your avatar (especially after reading the onion link!).....Ummm,....your wife doesn't like cooked fruit???....The stuffed pork chop sounds terrific....I would never have thought to put those two together!

Quick question....Have you ever eaten or cooked emu?.....It's delicious, but I don't have any recipes for it.....I don't suppose you'd have one up your sleeve?....It tastes alot like ostrich, but I've never cooked that either!!

Rattlesnake tastes a lot like lizzard, too. I never tried either one, either

I did pork buns years ago, and chiu mai, and pot stickers, and so on, but switched cuisines to go nuts over and since have been runnning around cooking italian. Looking back at the pork buns, there wasn't enough there there. Sort of like many but not all tamales. Not enough wonderful stuffing once you got to it. In the case of the pork buns, I am sure it was my fault.
I seem to remember doing them with sweet red beans too...or do I imagine that.

On italian, my latest venture is from a recipe by the Romagnolis, involving a pork shoulder, blade cut, stuffed with a battuto (tiny chop) of garlic and bay and basil and a few other items, tied to hold the battuto in, put in a pan to fit, then this is filled with water almost to top, and that brought to boil, then flame down, simmered on stove top until water gone. Then the meat is coated with olive oil and cooked some more until a crust is formed on the outside. This takes a few hours and turns out to be very good, and the meat is moist, tender, highly flavored, and it and the house smells great.

This was my first time doing that stovetop braise like that, terrific result.

No Osso, there's only supposed to be about 1 Tbsp of filling in the dough. Otherwise the dough won't be able to contain it. I like to eat pork buns with a good soy sauce to dip in - extends the flavors of the filling out to the rather bland dough.

You ever wonder what part of the pig pork buns come from ?

Funny thing chun, no cooked fruit, which makes my home-cooked chutnies, jams and marmalades more for my clients than for home

As for Emu or Ostrich, I would go for the steaks (which the butcher should have), and treat them like a sirloin or tenderloin...any steak recipe would be sufficient.

Never tried rattlesnake, but do know a few lawyers

cjhsa deserves a Simpsons quote: "Oh sure Lisa, there is a MAGICAL animal that you can get bacon, pork chops AND ham from..." (apologies for misquotes, heh)

but Cav, have you ever tried to cook and/or eat those lawyers!

They're so slippery and slimy you can't get them on your fork!