Top 4 Delicious Chinese Ground Pork Recipes

Top 4 Delicious Chinese Ground Pork Recipes

Pork is among the staple meat options in Chinese cuisine. Pork features in many dishes in its different forms including steak and chops. Ground pork however, is slowly becoming a favourite because it is cheap and versatile. There are dozens of Chinese ground pork recipes that you can add to your menu especially during the holiday season which calls for a lot of feasting. Cooking ground pork requires very little fuss, and you can incorporate it into any meal in the day.

Health Benefits of Ground Pork

We can confidently say that all Chinese ground pork recipes are healthy when properly cooked and consumed in moderation. This is because Chinese dishes use a lot of spices and other ingredients with high nutritional values. Putting the aspect of yin and yang into consideration, almost all Chinese dishes find a balance between taste and benefit to your body. Here are some of the benefits of having pork in your menu:

• Pork is particularly high in protein content. Protein is necessary for muscle growth in the human body. Therefore, pork is great for people trying to cut down on carbs while maintaining their muscle mass.
• Having zero carbohydrate content, pork is a great addition for people on low carb diets.
• Pork has all nine essential amino acids that are used to build, grow, develop and maintain the human body. It is therefore a necessary part in diet especially for growing children.
• Pork has a variety of minerals and vitamins including Zinc. These nutrients make up most of the immune system in the human body. A strong immune system means fewer attacks from germs and diseases.

Health Benefits of Ground Pork

Precautions

Pork meat is high in caloric and fat content. If eaten in excess, these properties can increase your chances of getting cardiovascular complications including clogged arteries and heart attacks.

Please note that you should never eat pork, especially in ground state raw. Parasites such as tapeworms and other germs like bacteria thrive on raw meat. Therefore, before eating pork, make sure to thoroughly clean it and cook it to get rid of any germs.

1.Ground Pork with Tofu Stir Fry

The amazing thing about most Chinese ground pork recipes is that they are very easy to cook. This recipe for example only needs four other ingredients apart from the ground pork and tofu. The tofu blends well with the ground pork giving the whole dish a lot of flavour and complimentary textures. This 15-20 minute dish pairs perfectly with steamed white rice or noodles.

Ground Pork with Tofu Stir Fry

In your wok or skillet, place about two tablespoons of vegetable oil and let it preheat. Add in the ground pork and let it cook as you occasionally stir it to avoid it sticking at the bottom of the pan. You can add a few spoons of water if you realize the pork is browning faster than it should. The water keeps the pan cool and helps in even distribution of heat.

After the ground pork is a light shade of brown, add in garlic and ginger. You can use white onions as well. These three ingredients give the whole dish amazing aromas and flavours. Continue stirring before you add your tofu. Mix the contents of your wok to create a uniformity. Add in soy sauce for colour and salt to taste. Finally add in the scallions and continue cooking for about two minutes. Serve this easy dish over steamed rice and enjoy when hot. You can add bell peppers and chilli to give the dish more flavour.

2.Chinese Ground Pork Meatballs

It is almost a crime to go through Chinese ground pork recipes and not mention meatballs. These bite sized foods take many forms including snacks, meal accompaniments, left over breakfast and even sole meals. Meatballs are easy and fun to make. The best part being, that even first time chefs can put together this amazing dish.

What you put in your Chinese meatballs is absolutely up to you, as long as you have the Chinese style sauce. We chose to use ingredients such as garlic, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, pepper and sugar. You can omit the sugar if you want to have the sweet and sour dance of the ingredients in your mouth.

Chinese Ground Pork Meatballs

In one large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix them thoroughly. You can use a large spoon or your clean hands for the best results. I should mention that some recipes include eggs in the mixture to help with binding the ground pork. This is totally up to you. Once everything is evenly mixed, make small balls of the meat. The smaller, the better they will cook.  Now take another bowl and make your sauce.

Heat your peanut oil in a wok and place the meatballs, making sure not to crowd them. You want all sides of the balls to cook well so make sure they have space to roll and move. Cook for about 5-6 minutes, making sure to flip every 2 minutes. Do this for all meatballs. Now place the balls in a serving dish lined with paper towels to absorb all excess oils. Remove the paper towels and gently pour your sauce over the meatballs. You can garnish these with coriander. Serve them sole or over pasta or rice.

3.Ground Pork and Chives

Chives are a staple Chinese vegetable. They are a powerhouse when it comes to aroma and flavour and so for the most part, they are prepared solely. If you want to add some colour and taste to the dish, you can always use bell peppers and soy sauce. Some people add ginger and garlic as well, but truth is, they only end up overdoing the dish.

Like most of the Chinese ground pork recipes, this dish takes less than twenty minutes to prepare. You can have this meal as an accompaniment for steamed rice, or as a stuffing for pancakes. You can also just enjoy it as it is for a light lunch.

Ground Pork and Chives

In a wok, add two spoons of cooking oil and when hot add in the pork. Cook it until brown and set it aside. Add another spoon of oil and add in the chives. Cook them until soft and aromatic. This may be within 3 minutes. Now add in the precooked pork and every other ingredient such as pepper, chilli, and bell peppers. Sprinkle over the soy sauce and vinegar (if using) and continue to stir for about a minute. Salt to taste and serve when hot.

4.Chinese Eggplant and Ground Pork

Our last feature in the delicious Chinese ground pork recipes is the amazing eggplant and pork combo. Eggplant is such a versatile vegetable. It fits well in whatever setting it is put, whether cooked in a pot of soup or when slightly fried, as we will be doing.

Chinese Eggplant and Ground Pork

This is a quick stir-fry recipe. Apart from the eggplant and ground beef, you will need garlic, ginger, soy sauce, scallions, pepper and tomatoes (optional). For the best results, soak the cubed eggplants in a bowl of water and salt for about 10 minutes. This makes them tender inside and salts them evenly.

Now add two spoons of oil in your skillet and fry the eggplant cubes till soft and brown. Remove them and do the same for the ground pork. Remove it also and add another spoon of oil. Fry the garlic, ginger and pepper, careful not to burn them. Add in the eggplant and pork and add in your sauce. Keep stirring for two minutes and add in the scallions. Serve when hot.