Rhubarb Cream Cheese Pie

In my many endeavours to use rhubarb without ending up with something that is both too sweet and sour at the same time, on June 12th I concocted this Rhubarb Cream Cheese Pie. I think the richness of the cream cheese managed to balance the tartness and sweetness.

Here's the recipe, as best as I can remember it.

Rhubarb Cream Cheese Pie

A.

1/4 C cornstarch

3/4 C sugar

1 pinch salt

3 C chopped Rhubarb

B.

4 oz (half brick) cream cheese

1 egg

1/4 C sugar

C. Double Crust Pie Dough

(3C flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, pinch salt, 10 oz solid fat, 8-10 Tbsp ice water - make this using whatever your preferred method is; I usually do half butter half Tenderflake lard for the fat)

1. Mix A together in a bowl

2. Whisk B together in a separate bowl until smooth (-ish)

3. Pour A into the bottom crust, then pour B in over it

4. Add the top of the pie crust in a lattice

5. Bake at 425 F for 10 minutes, then at 375 F for an additional 30-40 minutes (place tinfoil on top to prevent the top from browning too much) 

Cantonese style Braised Beef Brisket

4 Servings

Ingredients

2 lb beef brisket
1 lb daikon
1 lb carrots
bean curd sticks ( eye ball)
3 garlic cloves sliced
3 slices of ginger - 1 inch long
1.5 tbsp chou hou sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp rock sugar
2 tbsp cooking wine
2 star anise
1 dried orange peel
1 bay leaf
1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 1/2 cups of chicken or beef broth
soy sauce and salt to taste
scallions and cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Cut brisket into 1x2 inch cubes; blanch in boiling water. Remove, rinse and drain beef after water comes back to boiling.

2. Set oven to 300 F.

3. In a dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp of oil in low heat.  Cook sliced garlic and ginger until aromatic, about 30 seconds.

4. Add chou hou sauce, rock sugar, oyster sauce and hoisin sauce and stir fry on low heat for 1 minute.

5. Add blanched beef, cooking wine, star anise, orange peel and bay leaf.  Cook under medium heat until the beef is well covered in sauce and slightly brown; about three minutes.

6. Add 2 1/2 cups of broth and bring to a boil.

7. Cover dutch oven and place in heated oven for 2 to 2.5 hours until beef is tender.  Turn the beef with a spatula every hour.

8. Add daikon, carrot and bean curd sticks. Place back into oven until daikon and carrots are soft; 30 to 40 minutes.

9. Soy sauce and salt to taste.  Garnish with scallions and cilantro.