It’s about time pork’s had it’s time in the spotlight. While Asian cuisine depends on pork, (think Chinese roast pork buns, Vietnamese satay, and Japanese pork ramen) until recently, Americans primarily consumed pork in the form of bacon, sausage, and ribs smothered in BBQ sauce. Nowadays, pork is the tasty poster child of increasingly popular farm to table restaurants and local, artisan butchers. From Boston to Chicago to San Francisco, it’s not hard to find modern, small plate restaurants celebrating all parts of the pig, not just bacon and sausage. Pro tip: you haven’t lived until you’ve had crispy, cracklin’ pork skin. Sigh, champion of my heart.
One of my favorite pork dishes is a crunchy, salty, spicy Chinese pork chop. Often found amid dim sum fare, these crispy pork chop strips feature all of my guilty pleasures – garlic, hot peppers, and deepfried-ness. It’s a great recipe for using up leftover pork and can be eaten as a snack or a flavorful entree with a side of jasmine rice. Dig in!
