I Made The Best Chinese Takeout Meal Ever

Egg Rolls

Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce:

1. In a 2-quart (1.9L) saucepan, combine sugar, water, white distilled vinegar, fish sauce, Korean chilies, garlic, and green onion. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Place a lid on the saucepan or a cartouche gently placed directly onto the surface of the sauce. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until all ingredients have completely softened. 
2. Transfer the sauce to a blender, and blend on high until as smooth as possible. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside to cool.

‍Egg Rolls:

1. To make the filling, begin to heat a large saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and then add the ground pork. Using a wide spatula, smash and press the pork into the bottom of the pan, creating as much contact with the hot pan as possible, and sear for 2 minutes. Once the pork is beginning to brown, use a potato masher to break up the ground pork as much as possible. Continue to cook, stirring often, until mostly crispy and browned, about 3-4 minutes. 
2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the ginger, green onion and garlic to the pot. Stir and cook until the vegetables begin to soften about 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the MSG, white pepper, sugar, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, oyster sauce, carrots, and cabbage. Increase the heat to high and cook, tossing often, for 2-4 minutes or until the cabbage and carrots have softened. Transfer the filling to a baking sheet to cool completely. 
4. Fill a 7-8 quart (6.6-7.5L) heavy bottomed pot just over halfway with oil. Heat to 350℉ (175℃). Line a baking sheet with a cooling rack and paper towels and place that next to the hot oil.
5. Lay out an egg roll wrapper onto a work surface so that one of the corners is pointed towards you. Lightly wet the edges with water. Place 2 spoonfuls, about 3-4 Tbsp, of filling slightly off center closer to you. Fold the bottom point up and over the filling and then fold the left and right sides of the wrapper into the middle and continue to roll the wrapper away from you, keeping it as tight as possible, like a burrito. Before you close the wrapper, wet the tip of your finger with water and lightly dab the top point of the wrapper. Finish rolling to seal completely. Repeat for all wrappers and filling. 
6. Add the egg rolls to the pot of hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 2-4 minutes. Using a spider, remove the egg rolls from the oil and transfer to the prepared cooling rack. 
7. Serve with the sweet chili dipping sauce on the side. 

*Cook’s Note: If you don't want to grind your own meat, high-fat (70/30 or 80/20) ground pork can be purchased from a local butcher.

Potstickers

Dipping Sauce:

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients until fully combined. Set aside.

‍Potstickers:

1. Add the cabbage to a large mixing bowl and lightly season with salt. Using your hands, massage the salt into the cabbage until it begins to release some of its moisture. To remove the rest of liquid from the cabbage, use either your bare hands, or wrap the cabbage in a towel, and squeeze the cabbage until as much liquid as possible is expelled, then discard the liquid.
2. Add the cabbage back to the large mixing bowl and then add the ground pork and mix by hand to incorporate. 
3. Add the green onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and optionally, salt to taste. Mix and knead by hand until fully incorporated. 
4. To fold the dumplings, first lay out a dumpling wrapper on your work surface, making sure to keep the remaining wrappers covered in plastic wrap or with a lightly damp paper towel to avoid drying out. Place about 1-2 tsp (5-10g) of filling into the center of the wrapper. Be sure not to overfill the wrappers. Use your finger to wet the entire border of the wrapper with water and then fold up the wrapper in half like a taco. Pinch the top of the taco in the center, leaving two open split ends. From each open split end, crimp and fold the front half of the taco over itself 3 times, sealing it against the back half of the taco. Please refer to the video on how to fold if you need visual aid.
5. Repeat with the rest of the filling and wrappers. 
6. Heat a 10-inch (25cm) non-stick skillet set over medium heat. 
7. Add the canola oil and heat. Add 8-12 potstickers to the skillet in a single layer, crimped side up, ensuring the potstickers all have full contact with the skillet and are not touching each other. Sear the potstickers for 2-4 minutes or until the bottom of the potstickers are a deep golden brown in color. 
8. Add the water to the skillet and immediately cover with a lid and steam for 2-4 minutes or until the water has completely evaporated. 
9. Turn off the heat and lightly drizzle the tops of the potstickers with toasted sesame oil. 
10. Transfer the potstickers to a plate and top with chili oil, if desired, and thinly sliced green onion.  
11. Serve with dipping sauce on the side and enjoy.

Vegetable Lo Mein

Sauce:

1. To a small mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and whisk together until fully combined. Set aside. 

‍Noodle Stir Fry:

1. To a large wok, or large nonstick skillet, over medium-high heat, add the oil and swirl to coat. Once the oil is beginning to smoke, add the green onion, green cabbage, celery, carrot, and bean sprouts to the wok. Season lightly with salt and stir-fry for 30 seconds - 1 minute, stirring often until the vegetables begin to develop color, have wilted slightly, but still have some crunch. 
2. Add the lo mein noodles and stir fry until heated through, around 45 seconds (take note of the noodle package directions to confirm if your noodles need to be heated prior to stir-frying).
3. Add the ginger, garlic and prepared sauce. Toss to evenly combine. 
4. Transfer cooked noodles to a bowl and garnish with thinly sliced green onion. Serve and enjoy.

Pork Fried Rice

Sauce:

1. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and whisk until fully combined. Set aside.

‍Fried Rice:

1. In a small mixing bowl beat together the eggs and reserve.
2. To a wok over medium-high heat add the oil and swirl to coat. Once the oil is beginning to smoke add the shallot, carrot, the whites of the green onions, and season to taste with salt. Stir fry for 30 seconds and optionally add char siu pork or another cooked protein of your choice. Stir fry 1 minute longer, or until the vegetables have softened and your protein is browned. 
3. Push the contents of the wok to the side and tilt the wok so that the emptied part rests on your burner and the pooled oil heats intensely. Add a little extra oil, if needed, and then add the beaten egg to the empty part of the pan. Stir the eggs until they are just set, 30-45 seconds, and season lightly with salt. Using your spoon, chop the cooked egg into small pieces and toss with vegetables and protein to combine. 
4. Add the rice to the wok and break up the rice as best as possible. Stir fry just until the rice is hot. Then add your peas and your sauce to the wok. Toss and stir fry for 30 seconds until combined. Add your garlic and then turn off the heat and toss to combine.  
5. Transfer fried rice to a bowl for serving and garnish with remaining thinly sliced green onion greens.

Beef and Broccoli

1.  In a medium mixing bowl, toss the sliced beef with baking soda until coated. Cover the beef and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. This step is called “velveting,” and it is optional, but highly recommended, as it will help make the beef more tender when it cooks. 

1. To make the sauce, in a small mixing bowl add the dark soy sauce, soy sauce, white distilled vinegar, ground white pepper, granulated sugar, ginger, and oyster sauce and whisk together until combined. 
2. To a wok over medium high heat add 2-3 Tbsp (30-45g) oil and swirl to coat.  
3. While the wok heats, remove the beef from the refrigerator and add the cornstarch to the  beef. Toss to coat and shake off any excess cornstarch. Set aside.  
4. Add the broccoli to the wok and season with salt, to taste. Add the onion and season again lightly with salt. Stir fry for 2 minutes ensuring the broccoli is slightly browned but still crunchy. Remove the vegetables from the wok and set aside. 
5. Add the remaining 2-3 Tbsp (30-45g) oil into the now-empty wok.
6. Add the beef and sear for 1 minute or until one side is browned nicely. Stir fry for an additional 1 minute. Add the broccoli and onion back to the wok, followed by the sauce. Stir fry for 1 minute. 
7. Turn off the heat and add the garlic and toss to combine.  
8. Transfer to a serving plate and enjoy!

General Tso’s Chicken

Chicken:

1. In a large mixing bowl combine the chicken, salt, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, ginger, and garlic and toss by hand to fully coat the chicken in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.
2. Fill a 7-8 quart (6.6-7.5L) heavy bottomed pot just over halfway with oil. Heat to 350℉ (175℃). Line a baking sheet with a cooling rack and paper towels and place that next to the hot oil.
3. While the oil is heating, make the dredge. In a large mixing bowl combine the cornstarch, flour and salt, to taste. Add the marinated chicken to the dredge and toss by hand to fully coat, making sure you shake any excess starch from the chicken before frying. 
4. Once the oil is hot, fry 3-5 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Using a spider, transfer the cooked chicken to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain of excess oil. Season lightly with salt. 

‍Sauce: 

1. Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat.  
2. While the wok heats, make a slurry by adding cornstarch and vinegar to a small bowl and mixing until combined. Set aside. 
3. Into the hot wok, add the ginger, garlic, dried chili pepper, and chili flakes and saute just until the chiles begin to toast, around 10-30 seconds. Add the sugar, chicken stock, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine, and bring to a boil. 
4. Add half of the reserved slurry and stir into the sauce to thicken, adding more slurry, as needed. The sauce should be very thick, like an extra-thick teriyaki sauce.  
5. Add the chicken and constantly toss until every piece of chicken is coated. 
6. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onion. Serve and enjoy.