I Made The Best Chinese Takeout Meal Ever

Joshua Weissman
31 Mar 202418:28

Summary

TLDRIn this engaging exploration of American Chinese takeout, the host seeks to discover the perfect meal combination through an Instagram poll, inviting viewers to vote on their favorite dishes across five categories. With the results in hand, the host demonstrates how to make each winning dish at home, achieving flavors that rival or even surpass those of takeout restaurants. The menu includes homemade egg rolls with a unique sweet chili sauce, potstickers, vegetable lo mein, and iconic entrees like fried rice, beef and broccoli, and General Tso's chicken. The video concludes with a taste test and debate to determine if the curated meal represents the quintessential Chinese takeout experience at home.

Takeaways

  • 🍴 Chinese takeout is a significant part of American culture, often involving a complete meal with a variety of dishes.
  • πŸ“ The audience participated in a poll to select their favorite Chinese dishes across five categories, which were then prepared at home.
  • 🍝 Homemade egg rolls were highlighted, with emphasis on quality ingredients and a homemade sweet chili sauce.
  • πŸ₯— The importance of high-quality ground pork for the egg roll filling was stressed, enhancing the dish's overall taste.
  • 🍲 Potstickers won the appetizer category, and a classic dipping sauce recipe was provided along with detailed folding techniques.
  • 🍜 Vegetable lo mein was chosen for the noodle category, demonstrating its popularity and ease of preparation.
  • 🍚 Fried rice was presented as a quintessential part of the Chinese takeout experience, with a recipe that aims to recreate the restaurant taste.
  • 🍳 Beef and broccoli was prepared using a velveting technique for the beef to ensure tenderness, akin to takeout quality.
  • πŸ”₯ General Tso's chicken was chosen over orange chicken for its deeper flavor profile and was detailed in preparation.
  • πŸ“ˆ The egg roll was ultimately selected as the favorite dish due to its superior quality and flavor compared to typical takeout options.
  • 🚫 A discussion concluded that while the meal was nearly perfect, personal preferences might lead to swapping some dishes for others, like Mongolian beef or crab rangoons.

Q & A

  • What makes Chinese takeout a unique aspect of American culture according to the script?

    -Chinese takeout is unique in American culture because it typically involves a complete meal with multiple components like rice, noodles, side dishes, and main courses, often enjoyed as a family.

  • How were the Chinese dishes selected for the cooking demonstration in the script?

    -The dishes were selected based on the results of an Instagram poll where the audience voted on their favorite Chinese dishes across five separate categories.

  • What are the key ingredients for the homemade sweet chili sauce mentioned in the script?

    -The homemade sweet chili sauce includes granulated sugar, water, white distilled vinegar, fish sauce, dried Korean chilies, garlic, and green onions.

  • What is emphasized about the pork used for the egg roll filling in the script?

    -The script emphasizes the importance of using high-quality, high-fat ground pork for the egg roll filling to ensure the best flavor and texture.

  • What was the winning appetizer in the Instagram poll mentioned in the script?

    -Pot stickers were the winning appetizer in the Instagram poll, receiving nearly 40% of the vote.

  • According to the script, what makes homemade egg rolls worth making over restaurant versions?

    -Homemade egg rolls are considered worth making due to the superior quality and flavor of the filling and the sweet chili sauce, providing a more flavorful and satisfying experience than typical restaurant versions.

  • What was the main critique of lo mein as mentioned in the script?

    -The main critique of lo mein in the script is that it feels more like a side dish compared to the other more flavorful and complex dishes, lacking the excitement of the preceding dishes.

  • Which dish won the rice category in the Instagram poll, and what was its winning percentage?

    -Fried rice won the rice category in the Instagram poll with nearly 70% of the votes.

  • What is the velveting technique mentioned in the script for the beef in beef and broccoli, and why is it used?

    -The velveting technique involves tossing beef with baking soda and refrigerating it for 20 minutes. It's used to tenderize the beef, giving it a tender texture similar to that found in Chinese takeout.

  • How did the script conclude the search for the perfect Chinese takeout meal?

    -The script concluded with a vote among participants on whether the combination of dishes presented constituted the perfect Chinese takeout meal, with mixed opinions but overall success in creating a satisfying meal.

Outlines

00:00

🍚 Introduction to the Perfect Chinese Takeout Meal

The opening paragraph sets the stage for a culinary journey into making the perfect Chinese takeout meal at home, based on a poll conducted with the audience's favorite Chinese dishes across five categories. The goal is to recreate these dishes to match or surpass the quality of takeout restaurants, ending with a determination of whether the compiled meal represents the ideal Chinese takeout experience. The narrative begins with crafting homemade egg rolls, emphasizing the importance of making even the accompanying sweet chili sauce from scratch for an authentic and satisfying flavor.

05:01

πŸ₯Ÿ Exploring Appetizers and Noodles

This segment delves into the preparation of two popular appetizers: potstickers and egg rolls, detailing the meticulous process from making the fillings to the final frying or steaming methods. It transitions into noodle dishes, specifically focusing on a vegetable lo mein that won the noodle category's poll, outlining the ingredients and steps required to create this beloved dish. The detailed descriptions underscore the simplicity and speed of making lo mein while maintaining the dish's integral flavors and textures, indicative of its place within the larger context of a balanced Chinese takeout meal.

10:03

πŸ› Main Dishes: Beef and Broccoli & General Tso's Chicken

The third paragraph focuses on two main dishes: beef and broccoli and General Tso's chicken, explaining the preparation techniques, such as velveting the beef for tenderness and marinating chicken for depth of flavor. The segment provides detailed recipes, including sauces and cooking instructions, emphasizing the effort to replicate authentic Chinese takeout flavors at home. The narrative captures the anticipation of determining whether these dishes contribute to the perfect Chinese takeout meal, setting the stage for a taste test that evaluates each dish's contribution to the overall meal experience.

15:04

πŸ₯’ Final Verdict on the Perfect Chinese Takeout Meal

The conclusion offers a reflective look at the entire meal, discussing each dish's strengths and whether it contributes to what can be considered the perfect Chinese takeout meal. The discussion extends beyond the flavors and preparation techniques to consider the meal's overall balance and variety, including appetizers, main dishes, and sides. The verdict is nuanced, considering personal preferences for dishes like lo mein and Mongolian beef, and concludes with a mixed agreement on the meal's perfection. The narrative emphasizes the joy of cooking and the personal touch in recreating these traditional dishes at home.

Mindmap

Keywords

πŸ’‘Chinese Takeout

Chinese takeout refers to a style of Chinese cuisine that has been adapted and popularized in American culture, known for its convenience and wide range of dishes that cater to American tastes. It's characterized by its variety, including rice, noodles, vegetables, and meat dishes, often served in distinctive packaging. The video emphasizes Chinese takeout as a significant part of American dining, exploring its unique aspects and how it brings families together for a meal. The script delves into creating a perfect Chinese takeout meal at home, suggesting it's a deeply ingrained cultural phenomenon beyond just food.

πŸ’‘Homemade Egg Rolls

Homemade egg rolls are a popular appetizer in Chinese takeout, consisting of a variety of fillings wrapped in a thin dough wrapper and deep-fried until crispy. The video script describes the process of making egg rolls from scratch, emphasizing the importance of quality ingredients for the filling and the technique for wrapping and frying. Making egg rolls at home is presented as an opportunity to elevate this classic takeout dish, with a focus on customization and enhancing flavor, particularly through the creation of a homemade sweet chili sauce to accompany them.

πŸ’‘Sweet Chili Sauce

Sweet chili sauce is a versatile condiment often served with Chinese and Southeast Asian dishes. It combines sweetness with a mild to moderate chili pepper heat. In the script, making the sauce at home is portrayed as a straightforward process that results in a flavor superior to store-bought versions. The inclusion of ingredients like fish sauce and dried Korean chilies suggests a depth of flavor and authenticity aimed at complementing the homemade egg rolls, underlining the effort to recreate an authentic takeout experience with an elevated taste.

πŸ’‘Ground Pork

Ground pork plays a central role in the filling for homemade egg rolls, emphasizing the importance of meat quality. The script advises using high-fat pork for richer flavor and texture, even suggesting grinding the pork at home for better control over the final product. This detail underlines the theme of elevating takeout dishes by prioritizing ingredient quality and preparation techniques to enhance the homemade version of these popular dishes.

πŸ’‘Pot Stickers

Pot stickers, also known as dumplings, won the appetizer category in the video's audience poll, highlighting their popularity. They consist of ground meat and vegetable filling wrapped in a thin dough and are cooked with a method that allows them to be crispy on one side and tender on the other. The script covers both the filling and the folding technique, emphasizing the simplicity yet importance of mastering these elements for creating a beloved takeout item at home.

πŸ’‘Lo Mein

Lo Mein is a Chinese noodle dish known for its soft noodles and flavorful sauce, mixed with vegetables and sometimes meat. The video script describes Lo Mein as a straightforward, quick dish to prepare, emphasizing its status as a beloved noodle category winner in their poll. The process of making Lo Mein at home is presented as a way to customize the dish to personal taste while maintaining the essence of what makes it a takeout favorite.

πŸ’‘Fried Rice

Fried rice is a quintessential Chinese takeout dish, made by stir-frying cooked rice with ingredients like vegetables, eggs, and sometimes meat. The video highlights it as the winner of the rice category, presenting a recipe that aims to recreate the classic taste of takeout fried rice at home. The focus on seasoning, including the use of MSG for umami, underscores the commitment to achieving authentic flavor in a homemade version.

πŸ’‘Beef and Broccoli

Beef and Broccoli is a popular Chinese takeout dish featuring thinly sliced beef and broccoli in a savory sauce. The video script details the process of velveting beef, a technique used to tenderize the meat, demonstrating the steps to replicate this restaurant-style dish at home. The emphasis on technique and ingredient preparation illustrates the broader theme of enhancing the quality and taste of takeout favorites through careful home cooking.

πŸ’‘General Tso's Chicken

General Tso's Chicken, a deep-fried chicken dish coated in a spicy and sweet sauce, emerged as the most favored entrΓ©e among the video's audience. The script outlines a method for preparing this dish at home, focusing on the balance of flavors in the sauce and the importance of marinating the chicken. It represents the endeavor to bring complex takeout dishes into the home kitchen, maintaining their characteristic flavors while possibly surpassing the quality of many restaurants.

πŸ’‘Perfect Chinese Takeout Meal

The concept of the 'perfect Chinese takeout meal' is central to the video's theme, exploring the idea through audience polls on favorite dishes and demonstrating how to make them at home. The discussion and recipes provided aim to construct an ideal meal that captures the essence of Chinese takeout while possibly elevating its quality and taste. The script concludes with reflections on whether the dishes prepared meet this ideal, engaging with notions of cultural authenticity, personal preference, and culinary craftsmanship.

Highlights

Chinese takeout as a staple in American culture, offering a complete meal experience.

Conducted a poll on favorite Chinese dishes across five categories.

Demonstrates making the top-voted dishes at home, aiming to match or exceed restaurant quality.

Starts with homemade egg rolls, emphasizing the importance of quality ingredients.

Provides a detailed recipe for making a superior sweet chili sauce from scratch.

Highlights the significance of the filling in egg rolls and recommends grinding your own pork for it.

Shares a detailed method for cooking and assembling egg rolls.

Moves on to pot stickers, which won the appetizer category in the poll.

Includes a recipe for a classic dipping sauce to accompany pot stickers.

Explains the simplicity yet importance of the filling in pot stickers.

Describes the technique for folding pot stickers and cooking them to perfection.

Prepares a classic vegetable lo mein, emphasizing ease and speed of making.

Details the recipe for lo mein sauce and stir-frying the noodles with vegetables.

Makes a highly popular fried rice dish, sharing one of his most famous recipes.

Discusses velveting beef for beef and broccoli, a process for tender meat.

Concludes with General Tso's chicken, focusing on the marinade and sauce.

Evaluates each dish to determine the perfect Chinese takeout meal at home.

Transcripts

00:00

at this point Chinese takeout has become

00:02

a staple in American culture the thing I

00:04

really love about Chinese takeout is

00:06

that it's one of the only things is

00:08

specifically in American culture it's

00:09

actually about a whole meal it's never

00:12

just the one it's the rice it's the

00:14

noodles it's the side dishes it's the

00:15

chicken it's the beef having all of that

00:17

in one experience maybe one of the few

00:19

things that the family sits down to eat

00:20

together which begs an extremely

00:22

important question which is what is the

00:24

perfect combination so I asked you the

00:26

audience that did a poll on my Instagram

00:27

we asked you to vote on your favorite

00:30

Chinese dishes in five separate

00:31

categories so I'm taking the winners of

00:33

each category I'll show you how to make

00:34

them all at home perfectly so that

00:35

they're just as good if not better than

00:37

most Chinese takeout restaurants and at

00:38

the end we'll find out our favorite dish

00:40

and determine is this the perfect

00:41

Chinese takeout meal at home let's begin

00:44

so we're starting off with the greatest

00:46

simple homemade egg rolls and before we

00:48

actually make these egg rolls obviously

00:49

you'll serve them with a sweet chili

00:50

sauce you could easily buy this at the

00:52

store but come on we're going to make

00:53

our own and it's honestly not that hard

00:55

so here's how you do it in a small

00:56

saucepan add 1 and 1/2 cups or 300 G of

00:58

granulated sugar half a cup 120 ml of

01:01

water 1 cup or 240 ML of white distilled

01:03

vinegar half a cup or 120 ml of fish

01:05

sauce half a cup or 20 G of dried Korean

01:08

chilies five whole peeled cloves of

01:10

garlic two green onions rough chopped

01:11

place it in the stove bring it to a boil

01:13

over medium high heat and then Place

01:14

either a lid or a carou on top reduce

01:17

the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15

01:19

minutes or until everything is

01:20

completely softened transfer all that to

01:22

a blender and blend on high until as

01:24

smooth as possible transfer to a bowl

01:26

cool it down and you have I would argue

01:27

one of the most delicious sweet chili

01:29

inspired sauces that there is for

01:31

warning fish sauce is stinky when you

01:33

make it now egg rolls The Filling is

01:35

everything it is the Beating Heart the

01:38

soul of the egg roll so use the highest

01:40

quality 1 lb or 450 G of ground pork you

01:44

can possibly find I wanted high fat okay

01:47

none of that lean ground Bull and if you

01:49

have a meat grinder great but you're

01:50

basically just going to grind one pound

01:51

of a boneless fatty Boston butt I will

01:54

say this is obviously the benefit of

01:55

grinding your own I chose to grind my

01:57

pork two times to make sure the filling

01:59

was extra fine you obviously don't have

02:01

to do that you also don't even have to

02:02

grind it yourself if you don't want to I

02:04

just like to control my product heat a

02:06

large pan or pot over medium high heat

02:08

add just enough oil to coat the bottom

02:09

of the pan add in your ground pork and

02:11

smash that down to get full contact let

02:13

that sear for about 2 minutes so you

02:14

start to get some Browning and use a

02:15

hand Masher to break up the pork as

02:17

finely as possible let the pork continue

02:19

to cook stirring often until you get

02:21

little crispy Brown bits like this pop

02:23

one of those in your mouth brother don't

02:25

go to flavor Town once that's brown

02:26

reduce the heat to medium then to that

02:27

pot you're going to add a 1 inch knob of

02:28

Ginger grated two green onions thinly

02:30

sliced the whites and the greens four

02:32

cloves of garlic grated cook that for 1

02:33

to 2 minutes then add 1 taspo or 4 G of

02:35

MSG 1/4 teaspoon or 1 G of ground white

02:38

pepper 1 TPO or 4 G of granulated sugar

02:40

1 tbsp or 15 G of Shing wine 2 tbsp or

02:43

30 G of soy sauce 1 taspo or 4 G of

02:45

toasted sesame oil 1 tbsp or 15 G of

02:47

oyster sauce two carrots that have been

02:49

shredded 2 cups of cabbage thinly sliced

02:51

increase the heat to high and cook

02:52

tossing often just until the vegetables

02:54

are soften about 2 to 4 minutes turn the

02:56

heat off and transfer your cooked

02:57

filling to a sheet tray to cool

02:59

completely the rest is extremely easy

03:01

all you need is an egg roll wrapper

03:03

obviously you can make them yourself

03:04

roll wrappers made at home not always

03:07

worth these squeeze so find the finest

03:08

quality you can or make them at home if

03:10

you wish lay an egg roll wrapper in

03:11

front of you with one of the corners

03:12

facing you lightly wet the edges with

03:14

water place three to four tablespoons of

03:16

your filling slightly off center towards

03:18

you start by folding the bottom point up

03:20

and over the filling fold the left and

03:22

the right side over and before you close

03:23

this up W the tip of a finger and

03:26

lightly dab the top point of the egg

03:27

roll wrapper close and finish rolling

03:29

all the way up to seal completely now

03:31

I'm minut to repeat that process with

03:32

all of your egg roll wrappers and

03:33

filling until everything has been used

03:34

up and then fry at 350Β° F 175Β° Celsius

03:38

in a deep fryer or in a pot filled with

03:39

vegetable oil until the most beautiful

03:42

blistered gbd egg roll I think I've ever

03:46

seen emerges about 2 to 4 minutes remove

03:49

transfer to a wire rack to drain and

03:50

repeat with all of your egg rolls serve

03:52

with your sweet chili and enjoy moving

03:54

on to our second appetizer pot stickers

03:56

this is by far the highest winner of the

03:58

appetizer category with nearly 40% of

04:01

the vote so first we need to start with

04:02

that classic salty slightly sweet and

04:05

sour dipping sauce so in a small bowl at

04:07

half a cup of 120 M of soy sauce 1/4 cup

04:09

or 60 G of Chinese black vinegar 1 taspo

04:12

or 4 G of sesame oil 2 taspo or 8 G of

04:14

mirin 1 and 1/2 teaspoons or 6 G of

04:16

Honey one tight chili thinly sliced and

04:18

1/4 cup or 60 G of rice wine vinegar get

04:20

the little whis together and that's your

04:22

sauce let's talk filling this is a much

04:24

simpler filling than the last so first

04:26

you're going to need a quarter of a head

04:27

of green cabbage thinly sliced lightly

04:29

season that with salt and give it a nice

04:30

little massage feel the little threads

04:32

of cabbage squeeze out the excess

04:34

moisture and discard that liquid then

04:36

mix that into one pounder 450 G of a

04:38

high fat ground pork adding four green

04:40

onions thinly sliced three cloes of

04:42

garlic finely chopped a 1 and half inch

04:43

knob of Ginger grated 2 teaspoons or 8 G

04:45

of soy sauce and optionally season with

04:47

a light pinch of salt to taste mix and

04:49

knead that by hand until completely

04:50

Incorporated in tacky now the Assembly

04:52

of these are simple first you'll need to

04:54

lay out a dumpling wrapper jsh what if I

04:56

want to make it at home hey guess what

04:57

sweetheart I have a recipe for making

04:59

your own dumpling wrappers from scratch

05:01

and the link for that will be in the

05:02

description obviously you can also use

05:03

store bot fill that with a 1 to two

05:04

teaspoon bowl of your meat and here's

05:06

the folding technique it's not as

05:07

complicated as it looks but it does take

05:09

some practice first wet the entire

05:10

border of your dumpling wrapper you're

05:12

going to fold it like a taco and pinch

05:14

right at the top of that taco in the

05:16

center leaving two open split ends now

05:18

on each open split end you will crimp

05:20

and fold one side not both sides of your

05:22

dumpling wrapper over itself three times

05:24

sealing it against the other half of

05:26

your taco which should leave you with

05:27

one sealed side repeat that on the other

05:29

side and now you have a crimped

05:31

beautiful dumpling repeat that with all

05:32

of your dumplings look at these little

05:34

things now heat a 10-in DA stick pan

05:35

over medium heat add 2 tbspoon or 30 G

05:37

of a neutral tasting oil such as canola

05:39

once that's hot add as many pot stickers

05:41

as you can fit in the pan be careful not

05:42

to overcrowd they need to be in a single

05:44

layer only and have full contact with a

05:46

pan should be around 8 to 12 now let

05:48

those cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until

05:50

the undersides of them are a beautiful

05:51

gbd and here's the steaming secret

05:53

quickly add 1/4 cup of water it should

05:55

immediately boil and immediately add a

05:57

lid to steam for anywhere between 2 to 4

05:59

minutes until the water is completely

06:00

evaporated and your dumplings are cooked

06:02

through now for the finishing touch dzz

06:04

with 1 and 1/2 teaspoons or 6 G of

06:06

toasted sesame oil over the dumplings

06:08

just a tiny bit transfer to a plate and

06:09

serve with your sauce obviously if you

06:12

want to get real naughty you can put a

06:13

little chili oil or chili crisp on it

06:15

and garnish with thinly sliced green

06:17

oniony onto the noodle portion of our

06:19

meal we're going with a classic low man

06:22

vegetable only but obviously get have

06:24

protein if you want this won 40% of the

06:26

vote for the noodle category chain was

06:28

in second place with 30 5% thankfully we

06:30

have a recipe for chow by the way which

06:32

is also the link in the description but

06:33

this low man is really what we're

06:34

talking about so first we need our low

06:36

man sauce very basic in a small mixing

06:38

bowl add 2 tbsp or 30 G of dark soy

06:40

sauce 1 tbsp or 15 G of shaing wine 1

06:42

taspo or 4 G of ground white pepper half

06:44

a teaspoon or 2 G of toasted sesame oil

06:46

1 and 1/2 tbsp or 22 G of oyster sauce 2

06:49

tasps or 8 G of water and 2 taspo or 8 G

06:51

of cornstarch don't skip the cornstarch

06:54

the thickening properties are a part of

06:56

the recipe now you're going to need a

06:59

big boy walk for this add 2 tbsp or 30 G

07:02

of canola oil obviously you can use a

07:03

large pan if you don't have a walk

07:04

that's totally fine but you will not get

07:06

the walk hay and we all know Uncle Roger

07:08

is watching heat that over medium high

07:10

heat and once it is ripping hot add two

07:12

green onions sliced into 1 in segments

07:14

three cups of cabbage thinly sliced one

07:16

large rub of celery thinly sliced one

07:18

carrot Julien and 1 Cup or 120 g of bean

07:21

sprouts season that lightly with salt

07:22

and stir fry just until the vegetables

07:24

begin to soften about 30 seconds to a

07:26

minute then add 6 oz or 170 G of low May

07:29

noodle noodles now look some Lade

07:30

noodles won't require cooking prior to

07:32

stir frying but if they do please check

07:34

the package directions to ensure you do

07:35

it correctly now stirfry that just until

07:38

the noodles are hot another 45 seconds

07:40

and add a 1in knob of Ginger grated four

07:41

cloves of garlic finally chopped add

07:43

your sauce toss to combine transfer to a

07:45

bowl garnish with green onion and enjoy

07:47

Not only was this one of the easiest but

07:48

it's also the fastest to make and look

07:50

at this thing I know you want this next

07:53

up the rice category there are many ways

07:55

you can enjoy rice but what was really

07:57

the winner that came in with nearly 70%

07:59

% of all the votes for the rice category

08:01

no surprise it's fried rice here's one

08:04

of my most famous recipes so in a small

08:06

bowl add 2 tbsps or 30 G of soy sauce 2

08:08

taspo or 8 G of Shing wine 1 tbspoon or

08:11

15 G of mirin half a teaspoon or 2 G of

08:13

ground white pepper half a teaspoon or 2

08:14

G of MSG and 1 teaspoon or 4 G of sesame

08:17

oil give that a whisk put it to the side

08:19

and now we're going to make a very quick

08:20

very delicious very simple fried rice

08:22

crack three eggs into a small mixing

08:23

bowl whis together to combine have those

08:25

ready for you you will use them soon get

08:27

a walk and heated over medium high heat

08:29

add two tablespoons or 30 G of canola

08:30

oil or really any neutral oil I don't

08:32

care you could use avocado oil I don't

08:33

know I'm trying to save yall money if I

08:34

say avocado oil then people go yeah I

08:36

don't want to spend money okay then fine

08:38

so once that's hot add one shallot

08:40

thinly sliced one carrot finely diced

08:42

whites of three green onions thinly

08:43

sliced season to taste with salt surf

08:45

for that for about 30 seconds then

08:47

optionally you can add a half pound or

08:48

225 g of a cooked protein if you wish I

08:51

have some of this cooked charu pork

08:53

which I have a recipe for the link is in

08:54

the description for that as well now

08:56

cook that another minute till you get

08:57

some Browning on the meat and the veg is

08:58

softened now push all that stuff to one

09:01

side of the walk and tilt the walk in a

09:02

way that the empty side is being blasted

09:05

with your flame BR add a little extra

09:06

vegetable oil to the pan if needed add

09:08

your beaten eggs to the empty side of

09:09

the pan let those cook just until the

09:11

eggs are set I forget to season them

09:12

lightly with salt and once they're set

09:13

chop your scrambled egg up into small

09:15

pieces tossed together then add in three

09:17

cups of rice that has been cooked and

09:18

chilled in the fridge overnight make

09:20

sure that rice is broken up as much as

09:21

possible stir fry just until the rice is

09:23

hot then add half a cup or 70 G of

09:24

frozen peas add in your sauce stir fry

09:27

for about 30 seconds and add four cloves

09:28

of garlic finally chopped toss to

09:30

combine then cut off the heat and

09:31

garnish with your thinly sliced green

09:33

onion tops you know the ones that you

09:35

didn't add cuz we just used the whites

09:36

earlier and that is your fried rice now

09:39

you can't have a Chinese takeout meal

09:40

without a couple Entre and the first

09:42

entree was beef and broccoli so I

09:45

thought well let's make the most OG

09:47

delicious beef and broccoli we can make

09:49

at home so First Slice one lb or 450 G

09:51

of flank sck as thinly as possible I'm

09:54

cutting this on a bias to get wider thin

09:56

slices now in a large bowl you're going

09:57

to Velvet the beef to do that toss your

10:00

beef with 1 teaspoon or 4 G of baking

10:02

soda and let that sit for 20 minutes in

10:04

the refrigerator you can also skip the

10:06

velveting process if you want but if you

10:07

want that classic Chinese takeout how is

10:09

this beef so tender question mark you're

10:11

going to do the velveting process next

10:13

assemble your beef and broccoli sauce in

10:15

a small bowl by combining 1 teaspoon or

10:17

4 G of dark soy sauce 2 tbsp or 30 G of

10:19

regular soy sauce 1 and 1/2 taspo or 6 G

10:22

of white distilled vinegar half a

10:23

teaspoon or 2 G of ground white pepper 1

10:25

tbsp or 15 G of granulated sugar and

10:27

half2 inch knob of Ginger grated 1 tbsp

10:29

or 15 G of oyster sauce and whisk until

10:31

combined it's time to cook this thing

10:33

brother so heat a large walk over medium

10:35

high heat add about 2 to 3 tbsp of

10:37

vegetable oil then once that's ripping

10:39

hot add 2 crowns worth of broccoli

10:41

fettes season with salt to taste and

10:42

half an onion thenly sliced season with

10:44

a little more salt to taste just to

10:45

bring out that water from the onion and

10:46

stir fry for 2 minutes I want a little

10:48

bit of color on that broccoli and I want

10:50

a little bit of crunch left in the

10:51

broccoli do not overcook it remove that

10:53

from the walk added some additional

10:54

vegetable oil another 2 to 3 tablespoons

10:56

or so now typically people would rinse

10:58

the beef after the V in process honestly

11:00

I skip it often times but if you want to

11:02

rinse it you can toss your beef in half

11:04

a cup or 60 G of cornstarch shake off

11:06

the excess add your beef to the walk

11:07

once you get your Browning on one side

11:09

of the beef stir fry for about a minute

11:11

then add your broccoli and onions back

11:12

to the walk followed by your sauce

11:14

stirfry for one more minute then cut off

11:15

the heat finish with four cloves of

11:17

finely chopped garlic toss and serve in

11:19

a bowl that is it and finally our most

11:22

voted for line item more specifically

11:25

our final entree the one that everybody

11:27

loves and the one that surprisingly beat

11:30

out orange chicken it is General so's

11:33

chicken so let's make this easy in a

11:34

large mixing bowl at 1 and2 lb or 675 G

11:37

of boneless skinless chicken thighs cut

11:39

into 1in pieces 2 taspo or 8 G of salt 1

11:42

tbsp or 15 G of soy sauce 1 tbsp or 15 G

11:45

of shaing wine 1 inch knob of Ginger

11:47

finely chopped two cloves of garlic

11:49

finely chopped toss that together and

11:50

let that marinate for at least 1 hour in

11:52

the fridge but ideally overnight in a

11:54

separate large mixing bowl you're going

11:55

to combine half a cup or 60 G of

11:56

cornstarch half a cup or 70 G of

11:58

allpurpose flour

12:59

120 ml of chicken stock 3 tbsp or 45 G

13:02

of soy sauce 1 tbsp or 15 G of Shing

13:04

wine once that comes up to a boil which

13:06

should only take a few seconds add your

13:07

cornstarch vinegar slurry Follow by your

13:09

chicken and then constantly toss until

13:11

it's completely coated in the most

13:12

beautiful luxurious lacquer of a sauce

13:15

pop that chicken in a bowl garnish with

13:17

toasted sesame seeds and thinly sliced

13:18

green onions hopefully this ends up

13:20

concluding the perfect Chinese takeout

13:22

meal but first i'm want to find out

13:24

which our favorites are I feel like we

13:25

got to start with the fried rice just

13:27

because it's like the iconic Center

13:29

piece of a Chinese takeout meal yeah I

13:32

normally have fried rice with like a ton

13:33

of soy sauce mixed in but this is still

13:35

very balanced it's got that classic

13:37

restaurant taste to it this is like

13:39

childhood Nostalgia on a plate

13:41

everything about fried rice is kind of

13:42

everything you want in a Chinese takeout

13:44

meal there's texture it's chewy rice

13:46

it's salty you got Umami from the MSG a

13:48

little sweetness garlicky it really is

13:50

like the perfect dish but I don't know

13:52

that it's my favorite now moving on to

13:54

General so's chicken another certified

13:56

Hood classic I like General so's chicken

13:58

right it's kind of like the same Vibe as

14:01

orange chicken but just more flavor it's

14:03

got a spiciness to it it's not too sweet

14:05

it's saltier there's also just like the

14:06

general flavor of the pepper is really

14:08

what makes this dish all right before we

14:10

go to the last main let's move on to an

14:11

appetizer the egg roll this is a classic

14:14

you a little dunk in the

14:16

sauce that sauce just takes it up

14:18

another level yeah that sauce is not

14:20

fair the sweet chili you're used to is

14:22

like the sugary a little pinge of

14:24

spiciness red sauce that we're used to

14:26

seeing in a packet or in a little mini

14:28

Deli sauce container this is crack this

14:30

is essentially that in the sense of you

14:32

got the sweetness and the spiciness but

14:34

there is so much flavor compacted into

14:37

that it's got like an oceanic quality to

14:39

it it's the fish sauce but it doesn't

14:40

taste like fish making egg rolls at home

14:42

should be a standard I'm telling you

14:45

this out of anything so far is the most

14:48

worth making yourself this redefined

14:50

what egg rolls are for me I didn't know

14:51

they could be this good homemade I think

14:52

I'm very used to how they are at

14:54

restaurants and this effort that you put

14:56

in is really worth it these set the bar

14:58

like here to thep top for anybody

14:59

thinking we're fluffing this we're being

15:01

real this really good moving on to dumpl

15:04

Lings can't believe I'm poking this with

15:05

a fork what I will say is these will

15:08

taste quite literally exactly like you

15:10

would expect but the texture is better

15:12

because they're fresh made dough and

15:14

they're made right in front of you now

15:15

that being said if you go to a

15:16

restaurant that's making them fresh you

15:18

probably won't make them better but you

15:19

will make them just as good at home I

15:21

love the layering that you can do here

15:22

there's a lot of flavor on the inside

15:23

then you wrap that and then you can

15:24

layer texture and flavors on the outside

15:26

I think it's a great vehicle for flavor

15:28

dumplings are one of the greatest things

15:29

in the world cool moving on lowain I

15:32

love Lan it's a very sidestep dish to me

15:36

I like lowain but I don't love it I

15:37

think this would be a little more

15:38

exciting it was the first thing we ate

15:40

but we ate all these bangers then we go

15:41

to lowain I think it's a reminder that

15:43

low main is quite literally a side dish

15:45

I've been making a lot of noodles

15:47

recently and it's a very quick process

15:49

you just stir fry your veggies you throw

15:50

the noodles in there you have a sauce

15:52

that's it it's going to take much less

15:53

time than anything else here but it's

15:55

not as good but it's still a great dish

15:57

last but not least beef and broccol

15:59

broccoli I'm surprised Mongolian beef

16:00

didn't win this one but hey we made beef

16:02

and broccoli just for you so you got to

16:03

get a piece of broccoli piece of beef

16:05

beef and broccoli is the secondary

16:08

protein dish that you get when you say

16:10

we're going a little overboard right now

16:11

let's get something a little healthier

16:13

that still tastes good I like that it's

16:14

not complicated I like that it is quite

16:16

literally tenderized velveted beef that

16:18

has a nice rich Savory Brown Umami sauce

16:21

and some broccoli that's it the

16:22

velveting adds a good texture and it's a

16:24

very classic Chinese takeout flavor I

16:27

came into today being like beef and

16:28

broccoli is pretty boring and I'd rather

16:30

have Mongolian beef but honestly after

16:32

eating this I can see the case for it I

16:34

don't typically order it but I think now

16:35

I will if it tastes anything like this

16:37

meat and potatoes beef and broccoli

16:39

we're going to have two different voting

16:40

rounds one we're going to vote which one

16:42

is our favorite and then the second and

16:43

final vote will be is this the perfect

16:46

Chinese takeout meal at home I'm going

16:48

to go with the general shows I think

16:50

it's an upgrade over what people like

16:52

usually the most in America orange

16:53

chicken but it's a lot deeper of a

16:55

flavor and it's the deepest flavor out

16:56

of all of these I think it's still

16:58

really easy to make and I think the time

16:59

you put in is going to be worth it for a

17:01

flavor that you'll really enjoy I'm

17:02

going to go with the egg roll you know

17:04

what's funny every single thing in front

17:05

of us here is delicious I'm surprised to

17:08

say that I agree it's the egg roll the

17:09

egg roll here by far is the best thing

17:11

in front of us and the only reason I say

17:13

that is because there are other dishes

17:15

that exist that are like General s

17:16

chicken that are like fried rice that

17:18

are like beef and broccoli that are like

17:19

lowain that are like the dumplings but I

17:21

mean let's be honest a Chinese take out

17:23

egg roll there's nothing better than

17:24

this one right here that is by far the

17:25

best dish to me let's take our votes yes

17:27

or no is this the perfect takeout meal

17:30

would there be something you would want

17:31

to add to this if this was in front of

17:32

you or is this the one coming into today

17:35

I wanted to swap beef and broccoli with

17:37

Mongolian beef but I'm very happy with

17:39

every single dish here you have your

17:40

protein you have great appetizers you

17:42

have your starches I feel like this is

17:44

the perfect Chinese take out meal I'm

17:45

going to say no I'm not a huge fan of

17:47

low man and for me if I were going to do

17:49

a meal I would do three appetizers I

17:52

would change out the low man for crab

17:54

rang Goods honestly I would probably

17:55

replace the beef with Mongolian beef

17:57

just because I prefer a little bit more

17:59

over the beef and broccoli but I

18:01

wouldn't be upset if I got this so in a

18:02

way this is a universal Chinese takeout

18:05

meal I would still call it a success but

18:07

if you want to make the perfect Chinese

18:08

takeout meal at home you have the things

18:09

in front of us that you need to make it

18:11

I hope you enjoyed this I love you

18:12

subscribe and

18:26

goodbye

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