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Hot Cheetos Chicken! |
After seeing these brilliantly colored food items, ensconced in a Hot Cheetos hail of fire, I could not and the kiddoes would not let me rest, until I emulated what we'd seen and quell our curiosities. My young teens have stumbled upon and subsequently introduced me to Mukbang or Mukbanging, which from my understanding and a visual assessment is when people record themselves eating massive quantities of food, with the main focus on the sounds made while doing so, ergo biting, chewing and swallowing. The menus of the participants vary, from French fries, burgers, cheese sticks, onion rings and chicken nuggets to king crabs, octopus and whole fried spam dipped in cheese sauce and various other delicious looking dishes, from their native country. American youth are taking part in the action too. I have seen Soul Food plates with greens, cornbread, chicken, ribs and macaroni and cheese, crab boil platters, loads of McDonald's food, KFC and Taco Bell, plus hot wing trays. Please be advised, I never said these practices were healthy or healthful, but no judgement here, so save your waistline by watching someone else do it. One of the coolest parts of these videos is the participants that prepare their dishes right before your eyes. It seems to be the standard to wear gloves for the event, black usually. I am not certain as to the exact reasons other than hygiene, but likely to draw focus to the hands and for dramatic effect and contrast.
There are copious amounts of noodles and noodle bowls with all the accouterments and super hot sauces. The displays also feature random other vegetables lying around like fresh mushrooms, peppers and lettuce leaves, that serve as quick bites and vessels to house some of the prepared proteins and items that are small by comparison.
Another very popular dish to Mukbang is select items breaded with Hot Cheetos and deep fried to crunchy hot perfection. This was almost bizarre to me at first, but after seeing it done and all the items the Bangers would 'incrimsonate' (to make red or add red color) with those crushed, hot little staffs of goodness, I had to give it a go. I'm glad I did.
The breading is a two step method, one with egg wash as the binder of the crushed Cheetos to the protein or items of choice. I wasn't certain of the heat index for this first round, so I decided to mix in some of the original Cheetos with the Hot Cheetos. The regular ones can be seen in the flecks on the chicken pictured above. I found the finished dish not so full of fiery heat, so next time, I'll use the Hot Cheetos XXL, yeah, it's a thing!
I used boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets for my recipe and they turned out marvelous. The crisp and satisfying crunch may be obtained by using an air fryer or a deep fry method. Either way, if you are a fan of Cheetos and chicken or anything with 'crunchtacity,' (the ability of a food item to audibly crunch) this method is for you. The breading allows the protein to stay moist during cooking, which is a plus! The color alone is brilliantly seductive in nature, encouraging you to feel the burn of chilies, even before your first bite! I can't wait to share the next recipe and photography with you all, it's a tossup between Hot Cheetos Cauliflower and Katsudon, Hot Cheetos style. Katsudon is a breaded and fried pork cutlet, served with egg and thinly sliced onions, simmered in a delicious and flavor forward brown sauce, over steamed rice. My daughter Bronwyn and huge Anime fan, chose this dish as her 13th birthday meal, while my nephew Braelyn, also an 'Animeniac', decided on Sweet and Sour Chicken as his celebratory meal on his 14th birthday, only two days later. Both were served with my go to Yellow Jasmine Rice recipe and Braelyn's with veggie stir fry on the side. They were pleased with their menus and I beamed with pride in contributing to their special days! Stay tuned for the next episode of Hot Cheetos Cuisine!
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Bronwyn's dish, Katsudon for her 13th birthday. |
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Katsudon for my mom. |
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My Hero Academia Plus Ultra Energy Drinks! |