Celebrate the Chinese Year of The Pig BY DANA JACOBI FOR THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH

In the Chinese lunar calendar, this is the Year of the Pig. Because it is also a leap year, New Year started later than usual, on February 18. However, the New Year is celebrated over the course of 15 days, offering plenty of time to mark the occasion.

According to the Chinese system of the five basic elements that can distinguish a year’s particular animal, this year is that of the Red Pig. This makes me think of the popular Chinese pork dish made with reddened meat tucked inside a steamed bun. It’s the Chinese counterpart – a neat one – of a Sloppy Joe.

The version I learned to make was taught by friends originally from Shanghai. In the way they make it, the meat is simmered in a flavorful mixture including soy sauce, star anise and sugar until it is meltingly soft, then inserted into a puffy, bland pillow of steamed white dough that soaks up its juices. I later set about modifying the recipe for health reasons. I also looked for a way to enjoy the meat while omitting the super-refined carbs of the spongy bun. And, although the kind of inexpensive clay pot they cook them in is available in some Asian stores, I also wanted to see if one could get good results using a pot I already owned.

After several experiments, I transformed the dish into a braised pork stew that includes chunks of big, mild daikon radish, or the less common smaller, feistier, green-topped Korean radish that is smaller, feistier and green-topped. The “picnic” or shoulder butt, is too lean and tough for this dish. Instead, ask for Boston butt, the part of the shoulder with enough fat to keep the meat moist and tender as it stews.

Use a deep skillet with tight fitting lid, such as a Dutch oven, so that the stew half-submerged in the rich cooking broth while it cooks and braises until fall-apart tender. The radish chunks, in the meantime, soak up the flavor of the mildly sweet, anise-flavored cooking liquid.

 

Chinese Pork Stew - Makes 4 servings.

• 1 Tbsp. peanut oil
• 1 lb. pork, preferably Boston butt shoulder, fat trimmed, cut into 3/4” cubes
• 2 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp. firmly-packed dark brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp. sherry
• 2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 cup chopped scallions, green and white parts
• 2 (1/2-inch) slices fresh ginger
• 2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
• 2 whole star anise
• 1 (3-inch) piece cinnamon stick
• 1 medium Korean or daikon radish
• 2 cups freshly-cooked brown jasmine rice

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a deep skillet with tight-fitting cover. Add the meat in one layer and cook until browned and crusty on all sides, turning often. If necessary, do this in two batches to avoid crowding and evenly brown. Transfer the meat to a bowl and set aside. Pour all fat from the pan and return it to the heat.

Pour in the broth and scrape up all the browned bits clinging to the pan. Add the sugar and cook until dissolved, 1 minute. Add the sherry, soy sauce, scallions, ginger, peppercorns, star anise and cinnamon stick. Return the meat to the pan, reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently 15 minutes. Using tongs, turn the meat. Add the radish after 30 minutes. Cook the meat about 45 to 60 minutes, turning it every 15 minutes, until it shreds when pulled apart with a fork. If needed, add water, 1/4 cup at a time, to keep the liquid half-way up the side of the meat.

Transfer the meat mixture to an oven-proof dish. Remove the cinnamon stick. Pour the cooking liquid through a sieve placed over the stew. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days. To serve, skim off any fat on top and bake in a 350 degree oven until heated through. Serve over the hot rice.

Per serving: 384 calories, 12 g. total fat (4 g. saturated fat), 46 g. carbohydrate, 20 g. protein, 1 g. dietary fiber, 582 mg. sodium

“Something Different” is written by Dana Jacobi, author of 12 Best Foods Cookbook and contributor to AICR’s New American Plate Cookbook: Recipes for a Healthy Weight and a Healthy Life.

The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) offers a Nutrition Hotline online at www.aicr.org or via phone 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, MondayFriday, at 1-800-843-8114. This free service allows you to ask questions about diet, nutrition and cancer. A registered dietitian will respond to your email or call, usually within 3 business days. AICR is the only major cancer charity focusing exclusively on how the risk of cancer is reduced by healthy food and nutrition, physical activity and weight management. The Institute’s education programs help millions of Americans lower their cancer risk. AICR also supports innovative research in cancer prevention and treatment at universities, hospitals and research centers across the U.S. Over $82 million in funding has been provided. AICR is a member of the World Cancer Research Fund International.

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