It doesn’t matter if it’s served alongside steaming sticky rice, or sprinkled in a pile of fried rice Chinese sausages provide an intensely cured taste to any dish. The following Asian recipes for sausages will offer the cook a variety of choices for making this delicious and salty Chinese style sausages for your next quick dinner.
What exactly is Chinese sausage (lap xuong)?
Chinese sausage, also known as “lap cheong,” is an all-purpose name for preserved, dried sausages which originate from China. It’s important to remember that there are a variety of Chinese sausages but the most well-known one is called lap cheong that translates to “wax sausages” because of its slippery outer layer.
Lap cheong, popular as a sweet and delicious combo usually made of pork and pork fat , and is seasoned by rice wine and soy sauce. It’s so sweet and loved that it’s been introduced to different parts of Asia such as Vietnam in the Philippines. In Vietnam lap cheong, it’s known as lap xuong. It is usually consumed along with the sticky rice.
Although I grew up having Kam Yen Jan at the home of my parents and at my cousin’s house I’ve also enjoyed Chinese sausage in my most-loved Asian restaurants , like T.K. Noodle.
Where to purchase Chinese sausage?
The red Chinese pork sausages typically come packaged in vacuum sealed packages and I’ve found them in the freezer in my neighborhood 99 Ranch or another Asian retailer. Some of my favorites include Kam Yen Jan and Xishangxi China Sausage. Sausage.
Where to buy chinese sausage: Here
There are new Asian food stores online such as Weee! where you can locate local stores and have them delivered right to your door. I’ve also bought lap xuong at one of my neighborhood Vietnamese stores within Little Saigon, but you can also purchase Vietnamese brands such as “Harbor Sausage” online.
Cooking Chinese sausages?
Because lap cheong is stuffed with sweet and savory flavours within each sausage, I usually serve it with simple side dishes such as the steamed sweet rice or mixing it into simple garlic-fried food dish (like sinangag) or just white rice steamed. It can be added to your next noodle meal or serve it with an easy omelet in the morning.
If you own rice cookers it is also possible to make use of the rice cooker cook your sausage, sticky rice and other foods as well!
The process of cooking the Chinese sausages in the steamer of sticky rice is incredibly simple because you just put a handful of sausages into the rice and bamboo steamer. It simultaneously cooks and imparts a delicious flavour to the rice. Even though the meat has been cured however, you must ensure that it’s cooked thoroughly since it’s technically raw. When you cook with the steamer, you have a great and firm sausage that maintains its shape once it’s cooked.
My family was awestruck when we went to TK Noodle and ordering their Fried Rice because they included lap cheong. They are among my favorite memories together with family. In the past, I’ve attempted to recreate this dish at home, and this recipe will show you how to cook authentic fried rice that includes lap Cheong.
Storage
To keep extra cooked Chinese sausages, put them in an airtight container that has lid, and place them keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days. I like to warm the sausages by adding some drops of water and then putting it in the oven at 20-second intervals until they’re hot and delicious.
Chinese Sausage served with sticky rice (Xoi Lap Xuong)
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- hand towel or cheese cloth
- Bamboo Steamer
- pot/pan
Ingredients
- 208 g (1 c) glutinous sticky rice
- 48 fl oz (6 c) water plus more for steamer
- 94 g Chinese sausages
Instructions
- in a bowl mix the glutinous rice and water. Cover the bowl with a lid or towel, and let it be at minimum 8 hours.
- In a kettle of water on medium-high temperature, add the steamer, and then line it with cheesecloth. Heat the steamer for about two minutes, or till you begin getting steam to rise up above the steamer.
- Remove the water from the rice that is soaked.
- Place rice in the steamer which is lined with cheesecloth, and distribute it equally. Sprinkle the Chinese sausages over the rice, at least one inch spaced.
- Cover the lid with a lid and let it steam for 20 minutes. Be sure you keep adding water into the vessel throughout the process of steaming to ensure that the pot isn't depleted of water.
- Take the lid off and test your rice's texture. it should be soft, plump and chewy. The rice shouldn't be too soft or mushy. If the texture is not soft for you it is possible to close the lid and let it cook for another 2 minutes before examining the texture. Cook until it is at the desired texture, as it will cease to cook after removing it from the flame.
- Put the rice and rice bowls in the bowls. Then, cut into pieces the Chinese sausage into bite-sized pieces. Serve right away.