When I heard about “Chinese-American Barbecue” by Winnie Yee, I knew I had to get it. When respected names like Meathead Goldwyn and Kevin Bludso praise your work, you know it’s something special. And if Daniel Vaughn, the barbecue editor at Texas Monthly, recommends your restaurant and cookbook, you’ve truly made it in the barbecue world. Winnie shares the techniques and recipes that helped her go from classic American barbecue to dishes inspired by her own culture and heritage. This cookbook highlights Chinese-American Barbecue as a celebration of culinary fusion.
My love for BBQ began with my first taste of smoked brisket at the Luchenbach World’s Fair in 1977. That bite started a passion for barbecue that has lasted almost 50 years. Before that, I discovered Asian flavors as a teenager living in Japan with my family. The tastes I found in Yokohama and Yokosuka have influenced my cooking for over five decades. As I got deeper into smoking foods, I wanted to combine my love for BBQ and Asian cuisine. That’s why a book about the story of Chinese and American Barbecue coming together feels so meaningful to me.
Chinese-American BBQ Started With Pork Belly Char Siu
She began by trying recipes she found online, then created her first Asian fusion barbecue dish, Pork Belly Char Siu, which brought her even more success. Her restaurant, Smoke Queen Barbecue, is now known for its Asian-American flavors, blending Texas-style barbecue with Chinese and Malaysian touches. Dishes like BBQ Fried Rice with Lap Cheong and Pork Belly Siu Yuk with Chili Crisp Oil (recipes below), served with favorites like creamy mac and cheese and banana pudding, create a truly unique barbecue experience. Blending barbecue traditions inspired by both Chinese and American backgrounds, she found her own style of Chinese-American barbecue in the process.
Chili crisp is a savory Chinese condiment made from fried chili peppers, garlic, scallions, and other aromatics in hot oil. Unlike regular chili oils, it is mostly made up of crunchy, salty pieces instead of just liquid.
Chili Crisp Corn Bread
Winnie and Harvard Common Press are sharing two of her recipes below, but the recipe in “Chinese-American Barbecue” that really catches my attention is Chili Crisp Corn Bread. Whenever I visit a barbecue restaurant for the first time, I always pay more attention to the side dishes than the main courses. At many places, sides are just an afterthought, but when they’re done right, they should complement the meats instead of being filler for your plate, tray, or butcher paper. But the thought of corn bread with creamed corn and chili crisp mixed in sets my taste buds dancing with anticipation. This unique approach to sides exemplifies the creative spirit at the heart of Chinese-American Barbecue cooking.
If you’re new to cooking with Asian flavors, don’t worry. The recipes often include tips to help you get comfortable with new flavors and techniques. Ingredient definitions guide you along the way. Before you start cooking from “Chinese-American Barbecue,” I suggest checking your neighborhood for a well-stocked Asian market. Exploring these new flavors will fill your pantry with new bottles, jars, and spices. It will be worth it, especially as you pick up ingredients for some adventurous Chinese and American barbecue recipes.
Making A Big Impact
It’s rare for a cookbook to make a big impact on the barbecue world. “Chinese-American Barbecue” by Winnie Yee is one of those special books that offers more than just the usual barbecue recipes and techniques. This cookbook really stands out, and I’m already looking forward to her next one. It just might redefine what Chinese-American Barbecue means for the modern cook.
BBQ FRIED RICE WITH LAP CHEONG
From “Chinese-American Barbecue”
Fried rice is one of the first dishes I learned how to make. There are no definitive ingredients needed to make Chinese fried rice, except for rice and eggs. The ingredient list is so fluid that I literally throw whatever I have in the refrigerator in there, and I end up with a tasty dish! But there are a couple basic principles. First, the rice needs to be a little on the dry side, preferably day-old rice.
Second, you need to have wok hei, which in Cantonese translates to “breath of the wok.” It refers to the distinct charred and smoky flavors that are created from stir-frying something on high heat, specifically with a wok. Finally, you will need enough oil to coat the rice all the while keeping the moisture content of all the ingredients low. My personal favorite growing up is adding salted fish to the rice, which is a flavor bomb. Omit it if it’s too pungent for your personal taste. Recipes like this perfectly represent the essence of Chinese-American barbecue, blending classic barbecue methods with Chinese ingredients.
Serves 6 to 8
4 eggs
8 cups (1.4 kg) cooked rice
¹⁄₂ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil (lard or tallow preferred)
¹⁄₂ medium onion, chopped into ¹⁄₂-inch (13 mm) pieces
1 tablespoon (10 g) minced garlic
1 tablespoon (6 g) fresh ginger, minced
2 to 4 ounces (60 to 120g)
Salted Smoked Fish (page 216), chopped/minced, optional
2 pounds (910 g) smoked meat of your choice, chopped into ¹⁄₂-inch (13 mm) pieces
4 lap cheong, or Chinese sausage, chopped into ¹⁄₂-inch (13 mm) pieces
1 cup (150 g) red and green bell peppers, chopped into ¹⁄₂-inch (13 mm) squares
1 cup (140 g) frozen carrots and peas
4 tablespoons (60 ml) soy sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) sesame oil
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
sunny-side-up egg, for garnish (optional)
Chopped green onions or cilantro, for garnish
Directions
- Get all the ingredients ready as wok cooking goes very fast. These steps are an example of the careful preparation found in Chinese-American barbecue dishes.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and pour the rice in to coat each grain.
- In a large frying pan or wok, 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 cm) in diameter, over high heat, add the oil, onion, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the minced Salted Smoked Fish.
- Immediately add the coated rice into the wok and stir-fry for another 2 to 3 minutes until the eggs are 80 percent cooked.
- Add the chopped smoked meats, lap cheong, bell peppers, and frozen carrots and peas. Continue to stir-fry and toss on high heat.
- Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper. Turn off the heat, plate, and garnish with the optional sunny-side-up egg, green onions or cilantro, and white pepper.
CHEF JET TILA’S TIP: If you don’t have day-old rice, scramble the raw eggs with fresh rice to coat, then stir fry in the wok. The eggs coat each grain of rice so that it comes out separate and fluffy, not sticky and lumpy. That’s how to master true Chinese-American Barbecue fried rice at home.
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