It's New Year's again — Yay! And though we might be hard-pressed to find a lion dance or firecrackers in our neck of the woods today, that doesn't mean we won't celebrate the Return of the Dragon this Lunar New Year with a special meal (or two), like these elegantly spiced Chinkiang Pork Chops, from Breath of a Wok, by Grace Young.

I was intrigued by this recipe because it has some rather unusual ingredients — namely, A.1. sauce, ketchup and Tabasco! Not exactly what one expects to see in a Chinese cookbook! Ms. Young attributes this recipe to Chef Henry Hugh of the N.Y. School of Culinary Arts, so that might account for the fusion of Western and Asian flavors. The chops are briefly marinated, then seared in a skillet and finished in a simmering sauce. The nice thing about this recipe is that you could easily sample this rather exotic dish using ingredients you already have in your cupboard! The Chinkiang vinegar, which lends its name to this dish, and Shaoxing rice wine are the only ingredients that would require a special trip to a Chinese or Asian market, but Ms. Young provides appropriate substitutes from Western kitchens that approximate the flavors of the special vinegar and wine.

I really enjoyed these chops, but T. was a bit ambivalent. My notes on the recipe say the sauce reminds me BBQ, so maybe that's why I liked them so much — you know I have a weakness for BBQ'd pork! I would like to try this recipe again, but using pork ribs instead of chops — I love the texture and flavor of the meat closest to the bone, so the more bones the better!

Don't forget, Lunar New Year celebrations extend from the beginning of the new moon, which is today, to the full moon, which is on February 7th! So you have two full weeks to enjoy and count your many blessings for the year.

Happy Lunar New Year — it's the Year of the Dragon!

CHINKIANG PORK CHOPS
(Method adapted from Breath of a Wok, by Grace Young)
Serves 3-4 persons as part of a multi-course meal

For the Marinade:
1lb/450g of thin-sliced pork chops, about 4 pieces
2 TBL Shao Hsing (also spelled Shaoxing) rice wine, or pale dry sherry
1 tsp soy sauce
½ tsp sea salt
1 large egg, beaten
½ tsp cornstarch

Lay one chop in the middle of 2 sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap. With a mallet, rolling pin or meat pounder, gently but firmly pound the meat to flatten and tenderize. Turn the chop over (I just turn the whole thing, paper/plastic and all), and repeat on other side. Repeat with remaining chops. Author recommends cutting each chop into 3 pieces, keeping the bone in one piece; I didn't do this.

In a shallow bowl or plate, combine the wine/sherry, shoyu, salt, egg and cornstarch. Marinate meat in this mixture for at least 30 minutes.


For the Sauce:
3 TBL Chinkiang vinegar, or balsamic vinegar
3 TBL raw sugar
1 TBL ketchup
½ tsp A.1. Sauce
½ tsp Tabasco brand hot sauce
¼ tsp sea salt

Combine all Sauce ingredients, stir well, and set aside.

To Finish:
¼ cup cornstarch, for dredging
2 TBL peanut or safflower oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced

Pre-heat large skillet over medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, remove meat from marinade and pat dry. Dredge in cornstarch, and shake off excess.

Add 1 TBL oil and pan fry meat to brown well on each side, about 1 minute each side. If necessary, do this in batches so the skillet is not over-crowded. Remove to serving platter, as they brown. Turn down heat to medium.

In the same pan, add remaining oil and garlic, and cook until garlic is fragrant. Immediately add the combined Sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn heat down again to medium-low, return pork pieces to the pan and simmer together until the meat is cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.

Serve pork chops with sauce drizzled over, and accompanied with rice and vegetables of your choosing. We had them with Chinese Broccoli with Wolfberries, Fresh Corn and Mushrooms (photo below), which is also adapted from the same cookbook. But go with what makes you happy!

Here are a few other recipes that you might consider for your Lunar celebration:
Venison Dumplings, Watercress Dumplings,
Steamed Fish with Ginger and Scallions,
Lychee Sake Pork Stir-fry,
Choi Sum with Garlic, Five Spices Chicken,
Flash-Cooked Watercress,
Chinese Mustard Green (Gai Choy) with Garlic,
Black Silkie Chicken Broth

Tags: Pork