Tyrone Courier - Features - Two Pork Recipes that Allow You to Eat Healthily

Features

Two Pork Recipes that Allow You to Eat Healthily

Tuesday, 7 December 2010

As we approach the end of the year, the excess food and drink we have consumed over the festive period begins to catch up with us. One of the most common resolutions people make to celebrate a new year is to lose the excess weight that they have gained. Unfortunately, that means many of the UK's favourite meals then become off-limits due to their high fat content. Fortunately, there are still plenty of delicious options available to those on a diet. In this article, we are going to look at two healthy pork recipes that are not only low in fat but utterly delicious too!

For many considering a diet, pork would not necessarily be their first choice of meat to consider for their plan. The image many people have of pork is of a large shouldered joint covered in a crispy fat coating and dripping with a mixture of juices from the meat and fat from the dripping. As such, this type of pork joint is entirely unsuited to those seeking a low fat alternative!

However, pork is a very versatile meat and can be prepared and cooked in a variety of ways, allowing even those on a very restricted diet to enjoy its distinctive tastes and flavours.

The first thing to note when making any pork recipe is to ensure that the meat is prepared properly for you to cook. Now, if you are on a diet, this means that all excess fat from the meat must be trimmed carefully away before you cook it. By removing this excess fat from the pork and leaving only the meat, you are taking all the saturated fat from the meat and leaving only the high protein flesh behind. Trimming the meat is easy with a pair of kitchen scissors or a sharp knife and it is important that any fat in the middle of the pork is removed too.

If you remember this golden rule for pork, or indeed almost any joint of meat, then you can transform your diet and the options open to you. By adapting well-known recipes, you can change your eating habits from feeling you are limited in your choice of meals, to one where you have opened up a completely new avenue of tastes and experiences that are not only delicious, but low in fat and great for your new dietary regime.

Take Greek recipes, for example. Pork is a staple food of the Greek diet and as such, there are a great many varieties of pork meals available in the country's national cuisine, and you can make your own low-fat version of some of these most popular recipes. For example, you can make your own Greek pork patties with radish tzatsiki and tomato salad.

Using lean minced pork, an onion and a small amount of breadcrumbs (wholegrain bread preferably), mix the ingredients with a single egg until you can form the mixture into small patties. Once complete, refrigerate the patties for a short time while you make the accompanying salad and tzatsiki.

For the salad, simply slice several tomatoes into quarters and add some sliced red onion, grated garlic and a little pepper. For an extra kick, you can sprinkle a few chilli flakes into the mix. Add a little rocket and a touch of balsamic vinegar and toss the ingredients together. It is strongly recommended that you only use the best herbs and spices in any of these recipes to really enhance the flavour and ensure that you get the combination of tastes you desire.

For the tzatsiki, use a zero per cent Greek yoghurt as a base, add to that some grated garlic, a little chive and several chopped radishes. If you enjoy cucumber, then you can add some cubed cucumber to the mix too. Stir well and leave to chill for 30 minutes.

After refrigerating, the patties are quickly fried using a very low fat frying spray that is added to a non-stick frying pan. When the pan is very hot, add the patties, cooking evenly and turning frequently to ensure that they do not stick to the pan or burn. Serve the cooked patties immediately, with the prepared salad and dip for a delicious and completely healthy pork meal.

It is not just foreign dishes, however, that can be adapted for your new healthy eating plan. If you are not following a prescribed diet, then check a reputable online cooking guide for hints and tips on how to use this versatile meat in a variety of healthy meals, some of them originating closer to home.

One such example of how a much-loved staple of British cuisine can be adapted is pork and apple. Roasted pork and apple is a hugely popular Sunday lunch, but is very high in fat when cooked in the traditional way. However, there is an easy way to make your own version that has almost the same taste and is fantastically healthy too.

Simply prepare your pork so that it is free from any excess fat by trimming it as described above, and then slice the pork down the middle. Into this cut, add the zest of half a lemon and a little salt and a generous helping of pepper. Sprinkle sage over the top of the pork and grill for around eight to ten minutes, turning once until cooked through.

For the apples, simply take two cooking apples and peel and cut them into small wedges. Add lemon juice to the pan and heat, add the apple and a little sweetener (to replace sugar) to the mix and add a little salt and pepper. Add a sprinkling of sage and stir the mixture until it begins to boil and the apple softens. Serve with the cooked pork and your choice of vegetables, immediately.

So with a little imagination, a little online research and your own willpower, you will be able to begin 2011 on your new diet and still enjoy some of the classic pork recipes that you have enjoyed in the past, only with a special healthy twist!