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3 tablespoons Chinese oyster sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound boneless pork tenderloin, cut into matchsticks

2 tablespoons peanut, sunflower, or canola oil

1 pound mustard greens or kale, shredded (about 12 cups lightly packed; remove and discard tough stems)

Hot cooked rice, for serving

1 Combine 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of the rice wine, the oyster sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic. Mix well, stir in the pork, and set aside.

2 Heat a large wok over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil and swirl in the hot wok. Add the pork mixture and stir-fry until the pork is cooked through and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Remove the pork and sauce from the wok and keep warm.

3 Wipe the wok clean. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil in the wok over high heat. Add the greens and the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon rice wine. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then cover and steam until the greens are barely tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Return the pork and sauce to the wok and stir-fry for an additional 2 to 3 minutes to finish cooking the greens. Serve at once over hot rice.

Kitchen Notes: This stir-fry can be made with cabbage, though I prefer the heartier greens. And chicken or beef can replace the pork.

Roast Pork with sauerkraut and Vegetables

Serves 6–8

Don’t overcook the pork. Today’s lean pork is best roasted until it is medium, not well done. Applesauce is a traditional accompaniment.

1 tablespoon sunflower or canola oil

1 (3- to 5-pound) bone-in pork loin roast

½ cup chicken broth (page 127)

4 pounds sauerkraut, homemade (page 84) or store-bought (choose the refrigerated type, not the canned type), drained

6 cups peeled and cubed mixed root vegetables (beets, carrots, celery root, parsnips, rutabagas, salsify, and/or turnips), white and sweet potatoes, and/or winter squashes

1 large onion, halved and slivered (sliced vertically)

1 large sprig rosemary Freshly ground black pepper

1 Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2 Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer the pork to a large roasting pan. Add the broth to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits. Remove from the heat.

3 Taste the sauerkraut and rinse with warm water if it is very salty. Drain well.

4 Add the sauerkraut, root vegetables, onion, and rosemary to the roasting pan. Pour in the broth. Season generously with pepper. Tightly cover the pan with aluminum foil.

5 Roast for 1½ to 2 hours, until the pork registers 145° to 150°F on an instant-read thermometer.

6 Transfer the meat to a warm platter and let rest for 15 minutes. Keep the vegetables warm. Carve the meat and serve with the vegetables.

Vegetables are interesting but lack a sense of purpose when unaccompanied by a good cut of meat.

— Fran Lebowitz

Choucroute Garnie

Serves 6

In Alsace, where French and German cuisine mingle, choucroute garnie is a perfect example of winter peasant food, complexly flavored and deeply satisfying. It is made of sauerkraut braised in white wine and served with an assortment of sausages, ham, and fresh and smoked pork. Boiled potatoes and strong mustard accompany the dish. We can’t always find the classic sausages in this country, but the dish is perfect with almost any sausage you might think to use. A slightly fruity Riesling is a good choice for the wine.

12 cups (3 pounds) sauerkraut, homemade (page 84) or store-bought (choose the refrigerated type, not the canned type), drained

4 ounces bacon or salt pork, diced

2–3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 onions, halved and sliced

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 large tart apple, peeled, cored, and chopped

1½ cups chicken broth (page 127)

1 cup white wine

1 bay leaf

6 whole peppercorns

8 juniper berries

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1½ pounds assorted smoked and precooked fresh sausages

1 pound smoked boneless pork loin (Canadian bacon),