Diet Food Reviews
Farmer John Extra Lean Ground Pork
By: | Mar 28, 2008
I couldn't resist picking up a pack of Farmer John Extra Lean Ground Pork - it was the "extra lean" bit that reeled me in. First, I made my spectacular meatloaf by mixing the exra lean pork with extra-lean beef. The result was juicy, hearty, delicious meatloaf that pleased even my doubting dad. This went over so well that I also decided to make traditional potstickers, which just don't taste the same when made with ground poultry. Surprise! The results were equally fabulous - not dry, like with a lot of lean ground meat, and not greasy, like regular ground pork.
A 4 ounce serving of Farmer John Extra Lean Ground Pork provides 180 calories, 6% of the RDA for total fat (4 grams), 10% of the RDA for saturated fat (2 grams), 90 mg cholesterol (29% of the RDA), a low 110 mg sodium (5% of the RDA), and a whopping 35 grams of protein. While the cholesterol level is something to keep and eye on, the other stats are impressive.
One chub cost me a reasonable $2.50, and for a less-guilty version of authentic dishes, the taste can't be beat. (Note: The picture is not of the potstickers I made, but rather is taken by disneymike on Flickr - but my potstickers tasted just as good as these look).
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I'm surprised the potstickers weren't dry with extra lean pork. The only two ways I know of to make juicy potstickers is to add extra pork fat to the meat, or to add tiny bouillon jell cubes to the meat before mixing (soup stock jelled with kanten and minced).
where'd you find these?
Mark: the trick is to make a panade and mix it into the meat along with the vegetables.
I was curious:
1) where did you find these? (tj's? safeway?)
2) would you like to share your potsticker recipe with the rest of us? ;)
1) I found it at my local military commissary, where I do most of my shopping.
2) Ingredients
1/2 lb ground pork
1 slice bread, crusts removed
2 tbsp. milk
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell peppers
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons ketchup
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
35-40 small wonton wrappers
water, for sealing wontons
3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
1 1/3 cups chicken stock, divided
Directions
1Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
2Combine the first 13 ingredients in a medium-size mixing bowl (pork through cayenne). Set aside.
3To form the dumplings, remove 1 wonton wrapper from the package, covering the others with a damp cloth. Brush 2 of the edges of the wrapper lightly with water. Place 1/2 rounded teaspoon of the pork mixture in the center of the wrapper. Fold over, seal edges, and shape as desired. Set on a sheet pan and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat procedure until all of the filling is gone.
4Heat a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat. Brush with vegetable oil once hot. Add 8 to 10 potstickers at a time to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, without touching. Once the 2 minutes are up, gently add 1/3 cup chicken stock to the pan, turn the heat down to low, cover, and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove wontons to a heatproof platter and place in the warm oven. Clean the pan in between batches by pouring in water and allowing the pan to deglaze. Repeat until all the wontons are cooked. Serve immediately.