Pork is the staple Chinese meat and is available all over China, except for Muslim areas. If the menu just says "肉" (rou /roh/ "meat"), then it will be a pork dish.
Cooking Methods
There are various ways to cook pork, including stir-frying, deep-frying, braising, baking, and stewing.
Pork from different parts of a pig tastes different. Choosing a suitable cooking technique for each part of a pig is very important. For example, the foreleg muscle is tender so it can be fried, while a hind leg muscle has a very hard texture and is not suitable to be cooked by stir-frying.
Popular Chinese Pork Dishes
Sweet and sour porkPork is considered to be the most versatile meat in China, with a flavor that can be combined successfully with the greatest range of other food types. Two regional favorites are:
Sweet and Sour Pork
Sweet and sour pork is one of the most classic Han dishes and is well-known in the world. It is thought to have originated in Guangdong but now it can also be found in other cuisines, including Zhejiang cuisine, Shandong cuisine, and Sichuan cuisine.
This dish is cooked with tenderloin pork (the tenderest cut of pork), wheat flour, starch, vinegar, ketchup, and sugar. Its sweet and sour flavor has captured the appetites of many people both in and out of China.
'Red-fried' pork'Red-Fried' Pork
'Red-fried' pork is a classic and famous dish in China. This dish makes use of pork belly as its main ingredient. It is not difficult to make and is very delicious. It tastes sweet as well as quite strongly of soy, due to the sugar and soy sauce used in it. Other seasonings include star anise, Sichuan peppercorn, and fresh ginger.
This dish is served regularly at home as a daily meal and can also be served at celebratory occasions.
Pork Dishes Menu
| English | Chinese | Pronunciation | Characters |
|---|---|---|---|
| roast pork | chāshāo | cha-shaoww | 叉烧 |
| 'red-fried' pork | hóngshāoròu | hong-shaoww-roh | 红烧肉 |
| sweet and sour fillet of pork | tángcù lǐjí | tung-tsoo lee-jee | 糖醋里脊 |
| steamed pork | kòuròu | koh-roh | 扣肉 |
| Wanshan trotters | Wànshān tí | wann-shan tee | 万山蹄 |
| braised Dongpo pork | Dōngpō ròu | dong-por roh | 东坡肉 |
| braised pork with vermicelli | zhūròu dùn fěntiáo | joo-roh dwnn fnn-tyoww | 猪肉炖粉条 |
| shredded pork with garlic sauce | yúxiāng ròu sī | yoo-sshyang roh-srr | 鱼香肉丝 |
| pepper salted spare ribs | jiāoyán páigǔ | jyaoww-yen peye-goo | 椒盐排骨 |
| Shaanxi Chinese hamburger | Shǎnxī ròujiāmó | shan-sshee roh-jyaa-mor | 陕西肉夹馍 |
| Chinese ham | Jīnhuá huǒtuǐ | jin-hwaa hwor-tway | 金华火腿 |
| roast suckling pig | kǎo rǔ zhū | kaoww roo joo | 烤乳猪 |
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