Rising temperatures means it is time to declare barbecue season officially open. It is a welcome change from the biting cold of the long Beijing winter. Here in Shunyi, we are lucky to have enough space to set up a grill and enjoy some homemade barbecue in the evening breeze. Nearly every family has their favorite marinade, the go-to recipe that has everybody smiling the moment the scent starts to waft in the air.
For something different but equally delicious, enter the Chinese barbecue marinade. It’s very easy, really. Head over to the nearest Jenny Lou’s and pick up a bottle that reads kaorou jiang (烤肉酱 or "barbecue sauce").
This works well brushed on meat or vegetables before cooking once or twice throughout the grilling process. Do as the locals do and prepare a variety of meat skewers. If the recent chicken and lamb scares turn you off from meat chuan’r, then experiment with eggplant, tofu cubes, rolled-up tofu skin (dou pi), and mushrooms. Sliced and grilled mantou is also a mainstay of street-side barbecue joints. Who knew barbecued dough could be so tasty? For an extra kick, spread a thin layer of the marinade and sprinkle generously with cumin and red pepper flakes.
A bottle of Kim Lan Foods Bar-B-Q Sauce should not set you back more than 8 kuai, little red plastic basting brush included. Ingredients are listed as soy sauce, chili sauce, sugar, salt, starch, and 2% or less of:garlic, ginger, glycine and acesulfame potassium.
Bon appetit! Let us know how you liked it!
photo by Dana Cosio-Mercado
Dana is the beijingkids‘ Shunyi Correspondent. Originally from the Philippines, she moved to Beijing via Europe in 2011 with her husband, two sons and Rusty the dog. She enjoys writing, photography, theater, visual arts, and trying new food. In her free time, she can be found exploring the city and driving along the mountains roads of Huairou, Miyun and Pinggu.