Pork
1290 recipes found
Okinawan Soba
Though soba usually refers to buckwheat noodles, Okinawan soba uses wheat noodles that more closely resemble ramen. The chef Steven Pursley, whose family comes from the island prefecture off the Southern coast of mainland Japan, makes his own noodles from scratch. You can use store-bought fresh ramen noodles or another thicker Asian egg noodle for this soup, which gets its flavor from a delicate pork and bonito broth. You can find the noodles, kombu, sake, mirin, bonito, fish cake and red pickled ginger at Japanese markets or well-stocked Asian grocery stores.
Ozoni (New Year Mochi Soup)
Typically consumed just once a year on New Year's Day, this brothy soup is comforting and nourishing. It’s also said to bring good luck and good fortune to those who eat it. Ozoni is highly customizable, but it must always contain pieces of chewy mochi. The rice cakes are traditionally pounded by hand, but are now sold already prepared and are easy to find in Japanese markets around the New Year. This Japanese American version from the chef Chris Ono includes pork belly that simmers in a mix of dashi, soy sauce, sake and ginger until tender. To balance that richness, he serves this soup with lots of mizuna leaves, which can easily be substituted with spinach. For those who believe pork is unlucky at New Year's, it can easily be left out or substituted with chicken.
Wanja Jeon (Pan-Fried Meat and Tofu Patties)
These celebratory meat-and-tofu jeon — a variety of Korean pan-fried fritters, patties and savory pancakes — are peak party food. This brilliant recipe from Daniel Harthausen, the chef and owner of Young Mother, a pop-up restaurant in Richmond, Va., calls for a touch of baking soda in the meat mixture to give the patties a little lightness and lift. Unlike most traditional jeon recipes, these start on the stovetop and finish cooking in the oven, which means you can take your time assembling them in advance, then bake them off right before serving. Enjoy these meaty delights with Mr. Harthausen’s special dipping sauce (see Tip), a simple herb salad dressed with some of that sauce, as well as rice and kimchi.
Hallacas
During the Christmas season, Venezuelans typically gather with their families and team up to make one of the most labor-intensive dishes of the entire year: hallacas, which are similar to Mexican tamales or Puerto Rican pasteles. This multigenerational recipe from Isbelis Diaz and her son, Ivo Diaz, is served at Casa Ora, their fine-dining Venezuelan restaurant in Brooklyn. Ms. Diaz’s great-grandmother learned this recipe from her neighbor nearly a century ago; it has passed down to each matriarch of the family. It starts with a deep red oil made from annatto seeds that is used to flavor the pork filling and masa for the hallacas. Before opening Casa Ora, Ms. Diaz would bring the hallacas — which are double-wrapped in banana leaves and tied with cotton twine — to businesses and events all throughout New York City, hoping to create a clientele. Today, they’re on the menu as an appetizer throughout the year, with a pork or vegan filling. The dish is typically served with other sides, like pan de jamón, but it makes a quick lunch or light supper. Though it’s project cooking at its finest, this recipe yields about 25 hallacas that can be frozen for future feasts.
Dwaeji Bulgogi (Spicy Pork Bulgogi)
In this chile-fragrant variation of the Korean grilled beef dish bulgogi, a quick but impactful marinade tenderizes thin slices of pork. Sweet and spicy dwaeji bulgogi, known to some as jeyuk bokkeum, can be both a weeknight staple for the family and a crowd pleaser for a gathering, not least because you can marinate the meat in advance and cook it whenever you’re ready to eat. Wrapping the juicy red pork in grassy, aromatic perilla leaves (a mint-family herb that you can find in Korean grocery stores) is a beautiful eating experience, but lettuces such as red leaf, romaine and butter lettuce work as well. A side of white rice helps sop up the saucy, flavorful pork.
Lumpia
Shatteringly crisp and stuffed with juicy pork filling, Shanghai lumpia are a popular Filipino dish similar to fried spring rolls. Pork is the traditional filling, but they can also be made with a combination of pork and shrimp, ground beef or chicken. If you have one, use a food processor to finely mince the vegetables, and for a pleasant crunch, drop in a big handful of water chestnuts or jicama. Rolling the lumpia into a cigar-like shape takes a little bit of practice, but don’t overstuff them, wrap them tightly so the oil doesn't seep in and keep at it. You can prepare a large batch and freeze (see Tip) until ready to fry. Serve lumpia with store-bought sweet chili sauce for dipping.
Yaki Udon
Pleasantly chewy udon noodles are tossed with a mix of vegetables and meat, then coated in a salty-sweet combination of soy and oyster sauce, mirin, rice vinegar and sugar in this version of yaki udon, the Japanese stir-fry dish. Using precooked frozen udon noodles, available at Asian markets in vacuum-sealed bags, ensures that they don’t overcook and fall apart. Keep them on hand for a fast meal: Just give them a quick bath in boiling water before stir-frying alongside just about any meat and vegetables. While using dark soy sauce (see Tip) and oyster sauce is not traditional, this variation combines them for a thicker and slightly sweeter sauce.
Lechon Kawali
Lechon, or whole suckling pig, is traditionally prepared for large holiday gatherings in the Philippines, but lechon kawali, a dish of crispy deep-fried pork belly, is served year-round for special occasions. (Kawali refers to the pan used for frying the pork.) To maximize lechon kawali’s crispiness, it’s important to make sure the skin is as dry as possible. In this version, the pork belly is first simmered in a savory broth of onion, garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns, then dried in a low oven. To finish, the pork is fried until the skin is crisp and crackly. Serve lechon kawali with a side of rice, and don’t skip the garlicky vinegar sauce for dipping, which balances the fried pork by adding a necessary tang.
Crispy Ginger Sticky Rice
Inspired by a Chinese classic that translates to “flavorful rice,” this dish lives up to the name. Chewy sticky rice has a natural faint sweetness and here it goes savory with bacon and mushrooms. A heaping mound of ginger sizzles in oil to mellow its sharp, hot bite to a fragrant crisp. Speckled throughout the rice, the ginger offers a tiny crunch and surprising pop of warmth. You can keep the rice warm for an hour on the stovetop or for a few hours longer if you return it to the rice cooker and turn on the warm setting. Stir in the ginger just before serving to keep it crispy. Serve it as stuffing in a Thanksgiving spread, with other dishes for a feast or simply on its own.
Sausage and Leek Stuffing
Heavy cream is a nontraditional addition to Thanksgiving stuffing, but in combination with the stock and eggs, it lends a special custardy richness to this otherwise classic, no-frills recipe. (Watch Claire make Thanksgiving dinner from start to finish on YouTube.)
Orzotto Alla Carbonara
This carbonara swaps out spaghetti for smooth, velvety orzo. It’s up to you how much you want to treat this eggy, peppery comfort like pasta or like risotto, where orzo is used like rice (minus all that stirring). For more of a risotto flavor, you could cook a finely diced shallot, maybe even some celery or celery seed, in the guanciale fat before adding the orzo, then add a splash of white wine. This creamy pantry dish is best eaten right off the heat, but it is odd how, even straight out of the fridge, it still stays glossy somehow, like a dreamy pasta salad.
Gumbo
While there are no hard and set rules, it’s generally agreed that roux and the “holy trinity” of celery, onion and green bell pepper are the foundation of gumbo, a pleasantly spicy, thick soup that was declared Louisiana’s official state dish in 2004. From there, gumbo can include a wide range of meat, seafood and vegetables. (Chicken, andouille sausage and shrimp are highlighted in this version.) The roux — a combination of vegetable oil and flour, in this case — takes time and patience, as it needs to be continuously stirred to achieve a deep shade of brown. To break up the work, the roux can be prepared up to a week in advance, and the gumbo can be made the day before eating. (Second-day gumbo has an even deeper flavor.) Filè powder, which is ground sassafras leaves found in the spice aisle or online, is optional, but if using, sprinkle some over each bowl, or stir it into the pot off the heat to thicken and flavor the soup.
Coq au Vin Blanc Meatballs
Coq au vin blanc, a creamy, delicate French dish, is very different from the classic coq au vin made with red wine. Turning it into an easy skillet dinner of chicken meatballs in mushroom sauce is the kind of trick that has made Half Baked Harvest a wildly popular recipe site in the last decade. Tieghan Gerard, its creator, is a home cook from a big family who has sold millions of cookbooks. The meatballs are seasoned just with salt and pepper, making them superquick, but the sauce is spiked with enough herbs, white wine and Dijon mustard to give the dish depth. You can easily substitute ground turkey.
Bangers and Mash
The “bangers” in this classic British pub dish get their name from English sausages during World War I. Made with filler ingredients and a high water content, they would often explode, or “bang,” when cooked. The name as well as the appeal of this comforting dish stuck. Any sausages will work here, but pork sausages provide the most flavorful pan drippings for the onion gravy, the rich, brown sauce that really makes bangers and mash special. Serve with steamed peas or roasted broccoli on the side.
Tamales
Tamales are a traditional Central and South American dish of masa, a corn dough, that is filled with meat, vegetables, cheese and seasonings, then wrapped in a corn husk or banana leaf and steamed. They have been around for thousands of years — the Aztec and the Maya people ate them — so there are innumerable delicious variations, but this Mexican version, which is known as rojos de puerco, is filled with braised pork and red chile sauce. Often served at special events like weddings, baptisms, first communions and the like, tamales are particularly important to Mexicans and Mexican-Americans at Christmas time during which tamaladas, or tamale-making parties, are hosted to divide the work, share the food and enjoy each other’s company. For convenience, this recipe calls for masa harina, a dried form of masa that can be found in most supermarkets and is reconstituted with water and fat, but if you can find fresh masa, use it for outrageously good, authentic results.
Mortadella Sandwich With Ricotta and Pistachio Pesto
Mortadella may just be the best sandwich meat there is. Run through with translucent spots of pork fat and sometimes slivers of pistachio, it’s tender yet springy when sliced deli-thin. Here, it’s layered with milky sweet ricotta to balance its savoriness, while pistachios add crunch and basil freshness. Homemade focaccia turns this simple sandwich into a life-affirming meal, but reheated bakery-bought squares have a similar effect. If your deli counter sells mortadella, ask for it very thinly sliced.
Cuban Sandwich
There are many types of Cuban sandwiches, but the star of this one, also known as a Cubano, is tender, fall-apart roast pork. The pork’s marinade, called mojo, is citrusy and garlicky and spiked with earthy cumin and oregano. Sour oranges are traditionally used (see Tip), but a mix of regular oranges and lime juices can be swapped in if the former is difficult to source. A loaf of Cuban bread is ideal for its fluffy interior, but a soft French bread, bolillo bread or hero rolls can stand in its place. Besides the pork, the sandwiches are stacked high with deli ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles and yellow mustard (add salami to make it Tampa-style). They’re pressed until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden. Any leftover pork can be served alongside Cuban beans, maduros and rice.
Cabbage Rolls
Cabbage leaves stuffed with a mixture of meat, vegetables and rice have been eaten in Europe for centuries. While variations abound, the version most popular in the United States bears some resemblance to Polish gołąbki, in which the leaves are filled with a mixture of cooked ground beef, pork and rice, then rolled and baked in tomato sauce. The rolls are incredibly tender, lightly spiced, and topped with fresh dill. Serve with classic mashed potatoes for a comforting cold weather meal.
Maple-Soy Pork Chops With Shichimi Togarashi
Shichimi togarashi is a citrusy, savory Japanese seven-spice blend featuring ground red chiles, roasted orange peel, black and white sesame seeds, sansho pepper, seaweed and often ginger. You can extend those sharp, multilayered flavors with lime juice, maple syrup and a touch of soy reduced to a sticky pan sauce that slicks quick-cooking pork chops in this easy recipe. Try to find bone-in loin chops with nice fat caps around the curved outer edges for richness and succulence. Serve with white rice and green beans, or alongside a big crunchy salad.
Hiroshima-Style Okonomiyaki
Meals seldom get more soulful than okonomiyaki — the Japanese cabbage pancake is soothing and filling, hearty with pork and savory with a topping of seaweed and bonito flakes. Its name stems from “okonomi,” which translates closely to “how you like,” and the recipe is an exercise in variation and flexibility. With a framework of shredded cabbage and its accompanying batter, any number of proteins, vegetables, cheeses and seasonings are fair game, yielding a meal that’s as personal as you’d like it to be. This iteration’s locality is commonly attributed to Hiroshima: the layered pancake’s noodles add texture while absorbing sauce and flavor from pork belly, a fried egg and whichever other toppings of yours are adorning the dish. If you’re cooking with a griddle, it’s possible to make multiple pancakes at once; but if you’re using a pan on your stovetop, it’s worth cooking them one at a time, then serving each immediately.
Bánh Mì
Bánh mì are, frankly, perfect sandwiches. From the baguettes (“bánh mì” literally translates to bread) to the fillings, they leave room for endless variation while remaining entirely distinct as a complete, complex Vietnamese dish. For this recipe, pork is the star: Following a brief marinade, the meat is broiled, then stuffed in a warm baguette alongside pickles, mayo, butter and a sprinkling of herbs. Ideally, it’s worth picking up the baguettes and butter from your local Vietnamese bakery or bánh mì shop (just ask; they’ll likely sell some to you). Both the pork and the pickles can be made ahead of time. Any extra cooked pork shoulder would serve as delicious leftovers when reheated alongside rice and eggs, or tossed between noodles, or folded into yet another bánh mì. Any extra pickles will hold in the fridge for several weeks — and are endlessly adaptable for later meals.
Creamy One-Pot Orzo With Corn and Bacon
In “Eat Your Vegetables: Bold Recipes for the Single Cook,” Joe Yonan suggests grating corn to take the kernels off and extract the delicious milky pulp from the cob. This method maximizes the amount of pure corn flavor that you can add to any dish. Here, most of the corn is grated to create a super creamy, one-pot pasta that tastes sweet and summery. Calabrian chile paste, which is usually made of chiles from the Calabria region of Italy, oil and vinegar add heat, acidity and a bit of smokiness to this dish. If you can’t find it, swap in some homemade red chile sauce or harissa.
Taco Soup
This cozy soup has very little to do with traditional Mexican tacos, but is inspired by the ingredients and flavors in the hard-shell ground beef variety. You can use a taco seasoning packet from the store, but it’s very easy to make your own blend to suit your taste (and whip up extra, if you like, to have on hand for other dishes). If using a packet, it will also include salt, so adjust accordingly when seasoning. You can easily make this soup vegetarian by omitting the meat and using an extra can of beans or subbing in a meat substitute. Set up a colorful toppings bar and be sure to squeeze on a little lime to brighten up all the flavors.
Refried Beans
Refried beans, a staple of Mexican cuisine, is a flavorful side dish that’s surprisingly easy to make at home. (They’re not really fried twice — “refried beans” is derived from their Spanish name, frjoles refritos, which means “well-fried beans.”) Throughout Mexico, the beans are cooked in freshly rendered lard, which adds a deep, caramelized pork flavor. In this quick recipe, smoked bacon stands in for the lard while chipotle pepper in adobo adds heat, sweetness and a long-simmered flavor that makes canned beans taste homemade. For a meatless version, replace the bacon with half a bell or poblano pepper, and swap the vegetable oil with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. You can easily make a double batch and freeze the leftovers. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.