I saw a post in the archives about soy sauce and thought I'd comment here. I find the best soy sauce at asian food marts. The better ones are not as salty and have better flavor than what you find in most grocery stores. I like Kimlan from Taiwan. Most of the brands from China or Taiwan are naturally fermented.

Here's the referenced post in "Best of" archives:

Soy Sauce

I have to agree, best stuff is in the Asian Market. Now if I could just find a friend to teach me their cooking, I'll teach them mine. Hard to read some of the labels, but it's fun trying.

"...a friend to teach me their cooking"

It's all in the wrist!

Have you seen the stir fry pavilions in the heart of Singapore? Lordy. Serious cooking going on.

But....far from low and slow.
Fast and hot is more like it!

Try a book called chinese cooking for dummies, We live next to a Korean lady, she recommended it, not sure if she was refering to our cooking methods or intelect???

You calling me a Dummy Vernon? I don't take hints very well I know, those are usually pretty good books.

Well, it's really the issue of going into the market and learning what all that stuff is.

Smokin, just had to comment here, I see a deal to be made in the future!!
In about a year or so when I get ready to open up a BBQ rest. here you can come over give me a hand, and I'll line up all the Oriental cooking classes you need!!!!!!
There a so many great sauces here to use, and I have to tell you that I love Taiwanese cooking. I pretty much cook everything in a wok now. When I first opened up my restaurant 6 years ago, I even cooked the darned french fries in a wok!! (That's starting off small) It's funny hearing how you all have to find an oriental grocery or market, I'm always trying to find where to get the darn imported foods from back home here!!!
ROTS OF RUCK!!!!! OR r.o.r
Steve.

Smokin', here's a great book for beginner to intermediate level Chinese cookery. Helen Chen's Chinese Home Cooking It has a very comprehensive section on ingredients, good coverage of techniques and the recipes are excellent.

Actually using a wok is pretty easy. Just crank up the heat and let 'er rip. As was stated above, it's cooking hot, fast and furious.

Also, no need to spend a lot of money on a wok. I've been using the same hammered carbon steel wok for ten years now and it just gets better with each use. Once it's seasoned it's as non-stick as Teflon.

Steve,

Man that's an offer. Now if I can just bring my supplies with me through customs...

Thanks for the book idea TaktEZ.

Don't get me wrong, I know how to cook chinese, it's figuring my way around the oriental market and all that "interesting" stuff. Just the food hobbiest trying to figure out new ways to do stuff with new food items. Maybe you can help out there Steve, stuff that might translate into new Q possibilities.

..."how can I take some of this Oriental stuff, and add to my Q" for improving tastes.

Smokin, I'll try to work on that. So far, being new, I've been trying to smoke everything like we do at home. Maybe I should be trying to add a more oriental flavor? I'll start to experiment with that, if anything does work, I'll be more than happy to pass it along.
Take care, Steve.

Steve, when I do chicken wings or legs, on the grill, I use the following recipe as a finishing sauce at the end to give it an Oriental flair. Just brush it on let it thicken a little then repeat until everything is well glazed. You can adjust the flavors according to to whatever your partons like.

1 cup honey
1 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon chinese five spice
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8 teaspoons chinese chili sauce

Just mix it up and baste it on.

EZ

EZ, thanks, I'll give that a try. I've been doing mainly ribs, and pork shoulder so far. I'd like to try to work on some chicken!!
Take care, Steve.

Nah, Steve, work on the Q first, I'm sure you've eaten enough Oriental for a while and you need the change.

Maybe we can just discuss some of the oriental spices and sauces and what might work well as different flavor profiles?

any ideas out there CS?

Hoisin Sauce
Sesame Oil
Fish Sauce

what?

Smokin, as for sesame oil, Tom posted a jazzed up baked bean recipe a few years back. Sesasme seed oil was added to a big can of beans(along with a lot of other things.) Wow! Very exciting results. A hint of toast or something...

I think the hoisin (and others?) would work well in a finishing glaze on a butt or especially ribs.