Cooking Videos — 2026-07-17#

Watch First#

If you only watch one video today, make it the State Banquet Master’s Scallion Pancake by the channel 老饭骨. It is an absolute masterclass in Chinese pastry that reveals the golden ratio for a perfectly flaky, soft-on-the-inside scallion pancake, utilizing a brilliant no-knead, high-hydration warm water dough.

Highlights by Theme#

Recipes & Tutorials#

Over on the 老东北美食 channel, you’ll find a hearty, comforting recipe for Red Braised Yuanbao Pork Ribs, featuring deeply savory pork ribs slow-braised for over an hour alongside hard-boiled eggs that soak up a glorious caramelized sugar and soy sauce broth. Meanwhile, 鲁菜老厨陈宗明 delivers a classic, deeply authentic Shandong-style tutorial with their Scallion Braised Tofu. This fail-proof recipe emphasizes proper heat control and the technique of batch-frying scallions to build a rich, fragrant sauce that beautifully coats the tofu without turning it to mush.

Food Science & Tips#

There are some fantastic culinary technique takeaways in today’s digest. The scallion pancake tutorial demonstrates the critical importance of temperature control, showing how using 56°C warm water yields a softer dough with distinct layers, and explains how pouring hot oil over a 1:1 mix of large white scallions and small green scallions balances pungent flavor with vibrant visual appeal. Additionally, the tofu tutorial drops a great tip on ingredient mechanics: always opt for firm brine tofu (卤水豆腐) and fry it before braising to seal in the moisture; this prevents the tofu from crumbling in the wok and turns it into a sponge for that savory scallion sauce.