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1
Slice each breast and thigh across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick strips.
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2
When cutting the breast tenders, remove and discard the silvery strip of tendon.
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3
Keep any visible fat for richness, but trim away any cartilage or sinewy bits, as they wont grind well.
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4
To make the marinade, in a bowl large enough to fit the chicken, whisk together the baking powder, tapioca starch, sugar, fish sauce, and oil.
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5
Add the chicken and use a rubber spatula to mix well.
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6
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to overnight.
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7
The chicken will stiffen as it sits.
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8
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and use a spoon to break it apart.
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9
Working in batches, grind the chicken in a food processor until a smooth, stiff, light pink paste forms.
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10
(This step takes several minutes and the machine will get a good workout.)
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11
Stop the machine occasionally to scrape down the sides.
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12
When you are finished, there should be no visible bits of chicken and the paste should have a slight sheen.
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13
Using the rubber spatula, transfer each batch to another bowl, taking care to clean well under the blade.
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14
The paste is ready to use, or it can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
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15
For long-term keeping, divide it into 1/2- and 1-pound portions (a scant 1 cup paste weighs 1/2 pound), wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 2 months.
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16
To make gio the old-fashioned way, you must first hand pound the meat and then add the marinade ingredients.
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17
Use a large Thai stone mortar and pestle, which can be found reasonably priced at Asian restaurant-supply and housewares shops.
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18
My 9-inch-wide mortar has a 5-cup capacity bowl that is 6 1/2 inches wide and 4 inches deep.
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19
The 8-inch-long pestle is about 2 inches wide at the base.
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20
Select a pestle that fits your hand comfortably.
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21
(Stone pestles, heavier than the wooden one mentioned in the chapter introduction, make pounding easier.)
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22
To minimize physical strain, I sit on a low kitchen stool and put the mortar on a solid table or box, with the rim of the mortar slightly below my knee.
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23
You may also sit on the floor with the mortar between your legs.
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24
Place a thick towel under the mortar to protect the work surface.
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25
Regardless of your setup, you want to sit astride the mortar and efficiently use your upper body strength to work the pestle.
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26
It takes about 35 minutes to produce a full batch of paste, so you may want to halve the recipe.
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27
To yield gio that is close to the traditional version, pound pork (see Note, above), which works better than chicken.
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28
The beef mixture used for making Beef, Dill, and Peppercorn Sausage (page 161) is also a good candidate for hand pounding.
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29
Cut the meat into 1/4-inch-thick strips as instructed in the recipe.
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30
Blot the meat dry with paper towels to prevent it from sliding around the mortar.
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31
In a small bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients.
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32
Set aside near the pounding station.
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33
(Hand-pounded gio doesnt traditionally call for leavener and starch, but I find that they guarantee a silkier result that is neither too dense nor too firm.)
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34
Put about 1/2 pound of the meat (or a quantity you find manageable) in the mortar and start pounding with a steady rhythm, pausing only to remove any gristly bits that come loose.
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35
After about 4 minutes, the meat should have gathered into a mass and, perhaps, even stuck to the pestle, allowing you to use the pestle to lift the meat from the mortar and pound it down again.
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36
Keep pounding for another 2 minutes to make the meat cohere into a smooth mass that resembles a ball of dough.
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37
Use a rubber spatula or plastic dough scraper to transfer the meat to a bowl.
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38
Repeat with the remaining meat.
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39
Add all the marinade ingredients to the meat, stirring with a fork until the marinade is no longer visible.
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40
In batches, pound the meat for about 3 minutes longer to combine all the ingredients well.
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41
You should hear a suction noise as air is mixed in.
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42
The finished paste will feel firm and look ragged, and small nuggets of meat will be suspended in the paste.
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43
Transfer the paste to a clean bowl and repeat with the remaining meat.
