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Yen For Yan Goes Beyond Rhythm Of The Knife

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By JADEN HAIR

Tribune correspondent

Published: May 27, 2008

Tat-tat-taaaat-tat-tat-taaaat-tat! That, my friends, is the beautiful sing-song sound of chef Martin Yan's cleaver as he chops bok choy. In fact, everything about Martin is musical, from the lyrical harmony of his Chinese accent (yes, it's real - I asked) to the way he rhythmically pulses the food processor. Brrrrrr ... brr ...brr ...brrrrr.

I met Yan last week at his special class at Apron's cooking school in Sarasota, and it really was a childhood dream come true. When I was a kid, I watched "Yan Can Cook" on public television. Back in the 1980s, it was a big deal to me, not for the cooking aspect of the show but because he was Chinese, with a thick accent, starring in his own show. He created a brand empire around his kung fu-esque knife action and very funny, punny jokes.

But, putting showmanship aside, he gave the class very useful cooking tips:

•Tsingtao beer is great for steaming mussels.

•If you're running low on hoisin sauce, just add a bit of soy sauce, sugar and sriracha hot sauce to the bottle, close and shake to mix.

•Don't waste leftover bits of vegetables, seafood or meat. Chop them up and simmer in canned chicken broth for an instant soup.

•Deep-fried chiffonade strips of bok choy leaves make a crisp, nutty, sweet topping for a stir-fry.

You know what, though? I don't think I can fully express my admiration for the Yan man in words. This is the guy who has hosted more than 2,000 cooking shows, authored 28 cookbooks, carves a chicken in 18 seconds flat and minces a garlic clove in a split-second, single-handed thwack. He's totally my kitchen superhero, and get this: He's offered to write a blurb for the back of the cookbook I'm writing! Oh, please, excuse that whoosh of air. That's just silly me sucking up.

P.S. If you don't believe me about the 18-second chicken carving, I've got the video up at www.steamykitchen.com.

PAN-SEARED STEAK ROLLS

8-ounce flank steak (4-by-6-inch piece) or 8 pieces thin-sliced sirloin (found at Publix)

Marinade

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Freshly ground pepper

Sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/4 cup canned chicken broth

Filling

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 carrot, cut into 2-inch matchsticks

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 2-inch matchsticks

2 ribs celery, sliced thin on diagonal

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

12 chives, cut into 3-inch-long pieces

4 ounces enoki mushrooms

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons butter

1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds

Freeze steak for 30 minutes until partially frozen. Slice steak against the grain, on the diagonal, into 8 equally thin pieces. Use a meat mallet to pound each piece of meat to 1/8 inch thick. If using thin-sliced sirloin, skip this step.

Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl, and add meat slices. Let stand 15 minutes to 2 hours.

In a separate bowl, combine sauce ingredients.

To prepare filling, heat a wok or skillet over high heat. When hot, add vegetable oil, swirling to coat the sides. Add garlic and ginger, and fry for 20 seconds. Add carrot, bell pepper, celery, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add soy sauce and sesame oil, and stir. Transfer to bowl and let cool.

To make the beef rolls, lay beef slices out with short side facing you. Equally divide chives, enoki mushrooms and vegetable mixture among the pieces of meat. Roll the beef up over the filling, and secure with toothpick.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and butter, swirling to coat bottom. When hot, add beef rolls, seam side down, not touching, and pan-fry for 1 minute; turn roll. Add sauce to the pan. Cover and simmer over medium heat until beef is just cooked through, 1-2 minutes. Remove toothpick, sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.

Serves 4.

Source: "Martin Yan's China"

Jaden Hair is a cooking instructor and author of the blog Jaden's Steamy Kitchen at www.steamy kitchen.com.

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