Anyone
who has spent a considerable amount of happy time eating along the streets and alleys of
Beijing will tell you the same thing: these foods are more often than not the
creations of the capital’s Muslim community. Tantalizing aromas of beef and
lamb take the place of the usual Chinese preference for pork. Breads and pasta
supplant the delight in rice.
Even
more important is that the nice person who is cooking up the dish will often
wear a small white hat or a scarf, for even though Mecca is thousands of miles
away, in the southwest corner of the old city the thousand-year-old Muslim
temple on Niujie (Ox Street) still summons the faithful.
Meant
to be enjoyed at any hour of the day, I adore these crispy pastries fresh during
leisurely weekend brunches and have them in the freezer for easy dinners during
a busy week. That is because they are easy to make, freeze beautifully, and
only need to be slowly fried to make their fragrant juices come alive.
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| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...yup: 7 |
Often
called “thousand-layer pastries” (qiancengbing) with
what must be a salesman’s eye to flogging the daily special, I’ve only been
able to find seven in here, which makes these, oh, about 993 layers short. But
never mind. Those seven layers are perfect just as they are.
What happens is
that the meat—seasoned with a steady hand and hued a rosy pink from the curing
salt—is cosseted between thin pastry blankets.
The outside crisps up into a
crunchy brown that contrasts with the soft layers of bread and meat hiding
inside. Forming all of these into thin strata ensures that the meat cooks
quickly while remaining lusciously juicy, and the thin bread sheets have no
time to turn doughy, but rather become like silk blankets.
In Beijing, these
are usually served with bowls of thin millet porridge or hot cups of tea, and
if a small plate of pickles completes the scene, then just about every food
group is represented on your tiny table with a flourish. But up in the desert
Northwest, a thin rice gruel, strong brick tea, or even a glass of milk might round
out the meal.
In China, you
always know where you are by the foods that are in front of you.
Grilled layered beef breads
Qīngzhēn níuròu
qiāncéngbĭng 清真牛肉千層餅
Beijing
Serves 4
Serves 4
 |
| Roll the dough into a thin sheet |
Filling:
1
pound organic ground chuck or ground beef (15% fat)
1½
tablespoons finely minced ginger
2
green onions, trimmed and finely chopped
2
teaspoons regular soy sauce
½
teaspoon sugar
⅛
teaspoon pink #1 curing salt
Freshly
ground black pepper
1
clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
Wrappers:
1
cup Chinese flour
6
tablespoons boiling filtered water
2
to 3 tablespoons cool filtered water
Extra
flour as needed
Oil
for pan-frying
1.
The day before you make these pastries, combine all of the filling ingredients
except for the garlic, place in a covered container, and refrigerate at least 8
hours so that the meat has time to cure and marinate. Just before filling the
pastries, stir in the garlic, which would overpower the filling if left in
there too long. Divide the filling into 8 lumps.
2.
To make the pastry, place the flour in a small work bowl and use chopsticks to stir
in the boiling water until large flakes are formed. Then stir in just enough
cool water to form a soft dough. Knead the dough on a lightly dusted smooth
surface until the dough is supple and passes the earlobe test. Cover the dough
with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
3.
Divide the dough into 4 even pieces. Working on one piece at a time, and
keeping the rest of the dough covered, roll it out on a lightly-floured smooth
surface into a thin square around 10 inches on each side. Spread one of the
portions of filling evenly over the lower half of the square, but keep the
edges clean so that they can be sealed later. Fold the top half over the
filling and lightly pinch the open edges closed. Then, spread another eighth of
the filling evenly over the right half of the pastry—still keeping the edges
clean—and then fold the left half over the right like a book. Firmly crimp the
open edges closed to seal in the juices. Cover the filled pastry with plastic
wrap to keep it from drying out. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling
until you have 4 filled pastries.
 |
| Spread the filling on the dough |
4.
The pastries can either be immediately cooked or frozen at this point. To
freeze them, put them in a single layer on a sheet lined with plastic wrap; as
soon as they have frozen solid, pack the pastries in a resealable freezer bag.
The frozen pastries can be cooked like fresh ones, only use a lower heat to
give the filling time to evenly defrost.
5.
To cook them, heat a flat seasoned frying pan over medium heat and then film it
with a tablespoon or two of oil. Lay as many pastries in the pan as you wish,
as long as they do not touch each other, and cover the pan. Gently fry the
pastries until they are a golden brown on one side, and then flip them over and
fry the other side. Remove the cover for the final few minutes of frying so
that the pastry crisps up on the outside. Cut into pieces, if you like, and
serve as is, or with a black vinegar or chili dip.
