The scent and scene of the summery outdoors are, of course, the perfect setting for a barbecue party. Indoors, the Chinese use a special tabletop charcoal brazier, the Japanese a hibachi. Your choice of the meat and accompaniments will translate the dish into either language. Watching the food being prepared is part of the joy of eating it, and guests may be induced to broil their own.
Mutton is typical of Manchuria and the northern provinces, but any other broilable meat may be used. The Chinzan so serves pork with the Kobe beef; another good combination might be chicken and liver. This Chinese recipe serves 4 to 6.
2 pounds mutton, sliced 1/3 inches thick (or lamb, beef, pork, chicken, duck, liver)
2 tablespoons Chinese wine (shao hsing) or sake, or any white wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce (light type)
2 tablespoons finely chopped leek
16 fresh mushrooms, or dried mushrooms which have been soaked 15 minutes
2 medium onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 pound spring onions, cut in 3-inch lengths
1 pound spinach, cut in 3-inch lengths
Marinate meat 15 minutes in mixture of wine, soy sauce, and chopped leek. Cut stems from mushrooms. Heat charcoal grill and grease thoroughly with a chunk of suet from the meat. Grill meat slices only until color changes and meat is tender. Broil vegetables the same way. Handle the food with chopsticks in the traditional manner, or with tongs (do not pierce with a fork).
Provide each guest with a dipping bowl, and put small bowls of the following ingredients on the table. Each guest composes his own "dip."
1 cup wine 1 cup grated apple
l cup chopped leek
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon juice of ginger root
1 teaspoon grated garlic
Other vegetables good with the barbecue are
quartered or sliced bell peppers, sliced sweet potatoes, and especially fresh sweet corn in season. Cut the corn into 2-inch lengths and before roasting dip each piece in a mixture of wine and soy sauce. Fantastic!
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