Oriental Pork Stuffed Cabbage
2 pork chops with the bone (6 ounces each), or 1/2 pound boneless pork chops, cut in 1-inch chunks, including a small amount of the surrounding fat
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro (coriander) leaves
2 medium-size cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons sliced water chestnuts, cut in 1/8-inch cubes
1 large head cabbage (2 1/2 pounds), blanched
2 tablespoons water
-
Place pork, cilantro and garlic in a food processor and pulse until pork
is ground and cilantro is coarsely chopped. Add spice powder and soy sauce
and process until combined. Stir in water chestnuts. -
Carefully separate nine cabbage leaves. Cut each leaf in half, removing
the center rib. Trim the heavy white sections from each half, leaving a
rough 4 1/2-inch square. -
Place one cabbage leaf outside down on work surface. Drop 1 level
tablespoon of the pork in the top third of the leaf. Fold the top of the
leaf over the filling. Fold the sides of the leaf over the filling, then
roll up as tight as possible. Repeat with remaining leaves and pork mixture. -
Arrange stuffed leaves in three rows in an 11-by-7 by 2 1/2-inch glass
dish. Sprinkle with water. Cover tightly with microwave plastic wrap. Cook
at 100 percent power in a high-power oven for 7 minutes. Prick plastic to
release steam. -
Remove from oven and uncover.
YIELD 18 cabbage rolls
VARIATIONS Cook as in step 4 for 11 minutes.