Pork is the name for the meat we get from domestic pigs. Pork is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide. Pork is eaten fresh whereby it can be cooked, roasted, deep-fried. Preserved pork is in the forms of; pork sausages, ham and bacon. These are used in making very many recipes like burgers.
The domestic pigs are usually slaughtered from the ages of 6 months to 1 (One) Year. The most desirable pork meat colour is greyish pink with white fat around it. Pork is the most common meat world over, it is highly consumed in east and southern Asian countries, central Europe.
In Uganda pork joints are very popular are the most popular meat restaurants in the country. Pork is mostly sold together with beers and other alcoholic drinks. Most pork places also run a football-watching cinema for mostly European football games. Running a Pork joint is one of the lucrative businesses in Uganda. Most people prefer their pork roasted or cooked kikalayi pork.
RELIGIONS AND PORK EATING
Catholics are known to be the most dominant religion that loves to eat pork in the company of wines, spirits, and alcohol. 3rd June the Uganda martyrs day celebrations will be marked with a pork joint around the Namugongo shrine making a lot of money selling pork to catholic believers.
Muslims on the other hand belong to a religious culture that forbids them from eating pork. They say Allah forbids them from eating pork because it is a sin. Seventh-day Adventists also forbid their congregation from eating pork as it is viewed as a dirty animal from the old testament. Christians on the other hand have no issue with pork and have managed to outcompete for the muslims in numbers.
HEALTHY BENEFITS OF EATING PORK
- Pork is a high-quality protein, it is very useful for muscle growth and maintenance, it is mostly made up of monounsaturated and saturated fats.
100G OF COOKED PORK CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING NUTRIENTS
297 calories
25.7 grams of proteins
20.8 grams of fat
- Pork contains good amounts of vitamins and minerals like thiamine, selenium, zinc, vitamin B 12, Vitamin B 6, Niacin, phosphorus and iron. These are good for the body’s immunity.
- Pork contains several bioactive meat compounds such as creatine, taurine, and glutathione that may benefit one’s health in different ways.
PERFECT UGANDAN PORK STEW INGREDIENTS
1kg of pork
Black paper
Salt
4 big tomatoes ( finely chopped)
2 big onions ( finely chopped)
2 carrots ( grated)
2 cloves of garlic ( finely chopped)
I green paper
2 Irish potatoes optional chopped to four pieces
This pork stew is mostly cooked at home and served for lunch or dinner with food. Pay attention to the step by step process of making the perfect Ugandan pork stew
METHOD
STEP 1
I Separate the pork skin from the pork meat, and I cut the pieces of pork skin further into small pieces. I then cut the meat pieces into the right sizes with a sharp knife.
STEP 2
Then I rub a little salt, black pepper and a1 clove of crushed garlic on the pork meat and I cover it with fling paper or foil and let it rest for 1 to 2 hours, preferably in the fridge
You can jump the resting period if there is no time to the resting period
STEP 3
In a thick based saucepan or cooking pot, I place all pieces of pork skin and cook it over moderate heat. The pork skin soon starts to produce oil, I keep turning it to avoid it from burning. The pork skin will start changing colour from white to brown as it produces more oil. I cook the pork skin in its oil until it becomes brown and crunchy. This method removes extra fat from the pork skin and leaves it crunchy. This process will take at least 30 minutes.
STEP 4
I pour the natural pork oil that has been generated by the pork skin out into a bowel and places the cooking pot back over the heat. I let the pork skin produce new oil for 1 to 2 minutes and then I add the rest of the meat to the skin in the cooking pot. I cook the skin and pork meat together, as I turn it to avoid burning.
The pork meat will also start browning, turn it on all sides to ensure that all the sides have browned.
STEP 5
I then season my pork by adding onions, carrots, green pepper, garlic respectively, I cook this mixture for 1-2 minutes until they have become tender, then add my tomatoes to the mixture and cook them until soft and they make a sauce, I then add salt, a pinch of black paper and curry powder to taste.
STEP 6
I then add three cups of water to make the stew soup. I then add in my 8 pieces of Irish potatoes cut from the 2 potatoes to the soup. I then cover the cooking pot and bring the stew to a boil. I let the pork boil on moderate heat for close to one hour as I monitor the soup. I let the soup reduce to a level of 1 cup to half a cup, the pork stew is now ready
STEP 7
The pork stew in Uganda will be served for lunch or dinner, with common Ugandan foods like matooke, rice, posho, pumpkin, Ugandan millet bread, cassava,yam,
3 TIPS TO NOTE WHEN COOKING PORK
- Raw or undercooked pork risks exposing you to the pork tapeworm, an intestinal parasite that can grow to 2-3 meters. This may lead to adisease called cysticercosis which is the leading cause of acquired epilepsy.
- Undercooked pork risks exposing you to parasitic roundworms that cause a disease known as trichinosis which is characterised by diarrhoea, stomach pain, nausea,and heartburn, this disease may be fatal in some instances.
- Overcooked pork is also not healthy for your body, it contains carcinogenic substances, these substances may cause cancer of the breast, colon and prostate.