This was the first time I've ever cooked Kung Pao anything. And since my standards are pretty high when it comes to Kung Pao, I must say that I was really happy with how it turned out.
That crummy cell phone pic doesn't do it justice. The venison was fantastic- tender...not gamey...not dry...not tough or stringy or gristley...unbelievably good. What's more, this came from that part of the leg that you would normally throw in the pile for grinds. You know, that group in the lower legs that's full of silverskin and tendon? I filleted the meat off of that in thinnish slices, and wow, it was perfect.
Here's the base recipe, if you're interested: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/wolfgang-puck/kung-pao-chicken-recipe/index.html
The modifications I made were as follows: deer instead of chicken; I couldn't find rice wine at either Albertsons or the Filipino market, so I used half amounts of dry sherry (other recipes call for rice wine or sherry, so why not?); I like bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and red bell pepper in my Kung Pao, so I added those; I used more garlic and ginger than this particular recipe calls for; I didn't want to buy a gallon of peanut oil (that's the only size available at Albertsons), so I substituted olive oil; and finally, I cooked the peanuts along with the veggies, instead of throwing them in at the end.
Were there leftovers? Oh yeah, but what my brother doesn't finish, I'll be eating for lunch or dinner tomorrow!
That crummy cell phone pic doesn't do it justice. The venison was fantastic- tender...not gamey...not dry...not tough or stringy or gristley...unbelievably good. What's more, this came from that part of the leg that you would normally throw in the pile for grinds. You know, that group in the lower legs that's full of silverskin and tendon? I filleted the meat off of that in thinnish slices, and wow, it was perfect.
Here's the base recipe, if you're interested: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/wolfgang-puck/kung-pao-chicken-recipe/index.html
The modifications I made were as follows: deer instead of chicken; I couldn't find rice wine at either Albertsons or the Filipino market, so I used half amounts of dry sherry (other recipes call for rice wine or sherry, so why not?); I like bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and red bell pepper in my Kung Pao, so I added those; I used more garlic and ginger than this particular recipe calls for; I didn't want to buy a gallon of peanut oil (that's the only size available at Albertsons), so I substituted olive oil; and finally, I cooked the peanuts along with the veggies, instead of throwing them in at the end.
Were there leftovers? Oh yeah, but what my brother doesn't finish, I'll be eating for lunch or dinner tomorrow!
