Things That Make You Go "..."

[tuftears]

Well, as some of you know, I have been clearing out an incredibly huge accumulation of detritus and memorabilia that my parents brought over and then never cleared out. I found one item that made me go "..."

Now I must share this with you!

The paper is titled 'Gaa Gow Ngok - Imitation Dog Meat Stew.'

I'll pause a moment to let that sink in.

For reference, my dad's from San Francisco and his parents were from China, and my mom's family is from mainland China. It's most likely that my mom or someone else transcribed this from my maternal grandparent's cooking.

Now, the recipe itself. Warning: I have not cooked this myself! I include it because if you've read this far, you want to know.

Gaa Gow Ngok
Imitation Dog Meat Stew

Bean curd skin
Beef
Garlic and fermented bean paste
Fermented bean cake
Dried red dates
Dried orange peel
Water

Braise beef in hot oil.
Add garlic and fermented bean paste and fermented bean cake in the beef.
Add water.
Add red date and orange peel.

Ahead of time: deep fry bean curd skin and wash out the oil.

Gentle readers, please don't take this as a cue to find a neighborhood dog and taste test its meat. I'm pretty sure the beef will taste better. Also, I apologize that the quantities, cooking time, etc. are not present here. I simply post this for the bafflement of my readers, just as it was written.

Comments

[anher.livejournal.com]

<.< >.> o.o O_o o_O

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

As written, it probably isn't a bad recipe, though I can tell that the fermented bean paste will be pretty spicy, and the red dates and orange peel probably give it the elements of sweetness and sourness as well. -_-

But... OMG my ancestors had recipes for dog meat! And they actually thought the recipes were worthy of faking when real dog meat became culturally inappropriate?

[merrycalliope.livejournal.com]

M is pretty sure he inadvertently sampled dog during his trip. Heck, small country villages probably still make due with what they can manage!

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

I dunno, I figure it'd be kind of a desperation meat - no one raises packs of dogs for eating! >_>

[merrycalliope.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm sure it's a desperation meat. The meat of meat eaters is...pretty nasty. But people become accustomed to it in leaner times and it becomes sort of a nostalgic thing.

A more palatable example would be Welsh Rarebit which was, as it's said, invented to be, essentially, "pretend meat". But people still LOVE Welsh rarebit and it's often a treat when it's made! (It is really tasty though not particularly healthy). :D

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Isn't Welsh rarebit cheese on toast?

Anyway, that would explain the use of fermented tofu in the recipe! That'd definitely add a pungent flavor.

[merrycalliope.livejournal.com]

A little more complex than that but basically, yeah, that's Welsh rarebit.

Now I want some. :9

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Cheese on toast is good stuff. ^_^ Are you still on your no-carbs diet?

[okojosan.livejournal.com]

There are dog breeds who were created as a food dog, though. Chow chows for one example.

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

*tyckles*!

[jordangreywolf.livejournal.com]

Actually, they ARE raised specifically (as "food dogs") in dedicated breeding operations for eating in some places.

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Goodness gracious!

...

What breeds?

[anher.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the recipe as written looks alright, but it is a bit disturbing for its roots/

[okojosan.livejournal.com]

Well, yes. When I went to Hong Kong the tour guide told us the Chinese people will eat anything but panda and human. *shrug* We avoided going to the food markets, which are big tourist draws.

[merrycalliope.livejournal.com]

I love dogs but I also understand that dog is a perfectly viable protein option in other countries. I won't hunt down dog to try this recipe (gotta be SO VERY gamey) it otherwise looks pretty good with the beef!

M told me some stories about the pig styes in the village he stayed in on his China student exchange. Like, the pig sty is where all the waste goes. ALL the waste...meaning it's often the bathroom for the humans as well. That'd put me off my pork (if I even had a choice). XD

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Goodness gracious, that can't be healthy, since pigs are close enough for diseases to communicate. D:

[okojosan.livejournal.com]

Way back when, my ancestors ate anything they could get their hands on.

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Nom nom nom! If you go far enough back, our ancestors were eating bugs. ^_^ Though I gather they're decent protein - and crunchy!

Why avoid the food markets? Concerned about health standards or worried about 'mystery meat' products?

[okojosan.livejournal.com]

We avoided the food markets because my mother is very sensitive, and seeing snakes being skinned alive and the carcasses of dogs and cats hanging up was something we really didn't want to see. Now that I think about it, though, we were told that eating dog was not legal in Hong Kong itself, so people went to Canton to eat dog.

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Oh, good plan. Even if they didn't have dogs and cats, they would definitely have had whole roast pigs on hooks! heck, they have that in San Francisco.

[desertcoyote.livejournal.com]

I don't think I could handle that either. Poor snakes! O_o I don't have a problem with killing animals for food, but I do have a problem with animals being tortured before they're killed (or during), and that qualifies. And if I saw them doing that to a dog, I'd either go catatonic or all "Rambo" rescue mission. :P (Plus, just seeing a dog or cat at that kind of market would depress me for the rest of the trip. :( I'd want to rescue them all.)

[chefmongoose.livejournal.com]

Eeegh. I can;t even muster enough mongoose to be happy abotu snakes being skinned alive. :P mind, I'll klill and cook lobster, but that's fast and *necessary*. I'd like my tasty animals, ideally, to be humanely treated and killed. :P

[xianjaguar.livejournal.com]

Eh, some people enjoy eating Dog (the real thing, not Imitation).
A friend of my mom's from the Phillipines told us that the best meat comes from Black Dogs. I kid you not.

And I see your comment above about Bugs. I just came across a cooking show yesterday night, where the chef showed how to make WaxWorm Tacos. I'm tempted to try them, they looked good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA_rBNeVtzo&feature=player_embedded

Mmm, waxworms! :D

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Aaack! D:

*clicks the video window closed as soon as the larva starts wiggling*

[paka.livejournal.com]

I'd always heard that eating dog meat was supposed to be a medicinal thing. The red dates sure suggest that one, no?

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Could be! I read:

Dog meat has long been thought by some to have medicinal properties, and is especially popular in winter months, as it is believed to generate heat and promote bodily warmth

As for red dates:

Nourish blood and calm the mind for insomnia and restlessness; invigorate the spleen and stomach with poor appetite; promote secretions of vital fluids; retard aging; warming; moderating the toxicity of potent drugs. It is best for fatigue, hypertension, physical exhaustion and malnutrition.

*uses his SCIENCE! icon for this comment*

[rowyn]

So, have you tried it yet? n.n

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

No... Kind of tempted to try it at some point. -_-

Using up the leftovers last and this weekend so I haven't been cooking much of anything!