Master Sauce

Photo: flickr user Lil' Dee

Ingredients

See instructions

Preparation

TO START: Cook any basic braised or soy chicken or any red-cooked duck or pork. Strain the sauce through a cheesecloth and reserve. Refrigerate in a covered container. (Remove the fat when it congeals.)

TO USE: Bring the sauce to a boil in a large pan. Then add any of the following: pork, beef or lamb (in large, pieces or cubed), chicken or duck

(whole or in parts); or chicken wings, hearts, livers or gizzards. Simmer covered, until done, turning once or twice for even coloring. Eat hot or cold without the sauce (which is reserved for cooking subsequent dishes).

NOTE: When using a leg of lamb, sear it first in several tablespoons of hot oil. This may also be done with any of the other meats and poultry.

Pork butts, however, are best when parboiled first for 5 minutes.

Master sauce can also be used for pot-stewing eggs. (The eggs must be hardboiled first; then cooled under cold running water and shelled.) Add the eggs to the heated master sauce; then simmer, covered, about 1 hour.

TO REPLENISH: After each use, strain the master sauce, refrigerate and remove the fat as above. After two or three uses (or more often if desired), add about 1/4 cup each of soy sauce and sherry, a sliced scallion stalk, a slice or two of fresh ginger root, a pinch of sugar and about 1/2 teaspoon salt. At longer intervals, add a pinch of such seasonings as Five Spices, anise pepper or Szechwan peppercorns. To keep the sauce "alive" (if it has not been used for cooking), reheat to the boiling point at least once a week.