Meats

Appears in
Chinese Technique
Chinese Technique

By Ken Hom

Published 1981

  • About
Although the Chinese eat much less meat than they do poultry and fish, it’s not because they dislike it. Scarce grazing land and a lack of surplus grain for feed has kept beef from becoming a staple in China. For the same reason, no dairy products appear in the Chinese diet.

Pork, however, requires little grain to produce, is rich in vitamins and minerals, and is by far the favorite meat in Chinese cuisine. Chinese cooks apply a variety of techniques to the preparation of pork, including a unique process, twice-cooking, that makes even fatty side pork edible and delicious. Another technique, used for Roast Suckling Pig, makes a delicious and highly prized dish which the Chinese cook offers to honor a cherished guest.