Spicy Rice Flour Steamed Meat

          In China, there are many flavors of rice flour steamed meat, all made with different meats -- pork, chicken, beef, lamb.  However, Spicy Rice Flour Steamed Meat is my favorite, because the packaged recipe base was produced in Sichuan province, so it has that authentic flavor.  Sichuanese food's special characteristic is being "ma-la" -- literally "numbing" and spicy.  Spicy Rice Flour Steamed Meat is a dish made of pork chucks, rice flour, hot sauce, garlic, ginger, etc., and the recipe base that includes huajiao (literally "flower pepper," Sichuan's characteristic peppercorn), with sprinkles of scallions on top.  The recipe can be made with other meats, but not with seafood.

         Chinese people value complex food preparation, which can be time-consuming and require patience and a deep understanding of Chinese spices.  Nevertheless, using a prepared recipe base from a Chinese market makes preparing Chinese food not as hard as you think.  Packaged recipe bases can be purchased at Chinese grocery stores--just browse around at places like the Super 88 Market in Allston or the Kam Man Market in Quincy.

         Spicy Rice Flour Steamed Meat only takes 10-15 minutes to prepare after setting up the steamer.  The dish can be made in any kind of steamer: what you need is a large pot on the bottom to boil the water, with a light steamer (bamboo is most authentic) to place over the top to bathe the cooking food in steam.  Most foods need to steam for about an hour, but this depends on size, so keep an eye on your food.  If you want your food well done, add another 15-30 minutes.  Your finished dish is best served with rice.