Chinese Condiments

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lhanson

Cook
Joined
Jun 21, 2005
Messages
51
Location
Oregon
Does anyone have a quick and easy recipe for making the "red sauce" that accompanies fried shrimp or BBQ'd pork at Chinese restaurants? Would also like to know how to make a restaurant copy of sweet and sour sauce. I haven't been impressed with the store-bought versions.
Thanks!
 
Im not sure what you mean by red sauce... do you mean the ketchup like stuff they have in some less "traditional" restaurants (which is basically just coctail sauce) or do you mean the slighly orange chilli paste? Or maybe chilli oil?

Sweet and sour:

2/3 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp chinese white rice vinegar or cider, vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp tomato paste (I use ketchup actually)
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp water
 
There's only two red sauces that I know of that are served as condiments. A red sweet 'n sour like Lugaru posted, or chili paste which is traditionally served with dim sum.

Other sauces include a bottled pre-made XO sauce but that's for cooking. Restaurants won't serve that as a condiment unless you ask for it.
 
I was thinking of the little bowl of the ketchup-like stuff that generally has a squirt of hot mustard and some sesame seeds of to the side of it. The one I like is mildly spicey.
 
This might be what you are looking for. I found this recipe in one of my Chinese cookbooks.

Red Sweet and Sour Sauce

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup sugar
15 drops red pepper sauce (Tabasco)

Mix all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate. Serve with appetizers. Makes 1 1/4 cups.
 

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