December 26

Mao Zedong's  Birthday
 


 
Mao Zedong is considered the father of Communist China.  Mao was born into a peasant family in Hunan province, central China . He started  his professional career as a teacher and began to read books on Marxism. He quickly converted to Marxism and he became a founding  member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1921. To wage war against the Chinese warlords in Northern China, , the CCP formed an alliance in 1923 with  the Kuomintang (KMT) nationalist party. Four years late, the KMT leader Chiang Kai-shek launched a communist purge of the alliance and forced Mao his followers to retreated  to northwest China.

Two two groups formed an alliance again from  during of war with Japan (1937-1945).  However, civil war broke out again between the two faction, but this time Mao and his communist forces overcame Chiang Kai-shek and his followers who fled to the island of Taiwan, On  October 1, 1949, Mao proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China and introduced radical land reforms which helped the peasants who became very loyal to him. Although he was a dedicated Marxist, Mao remained very independent of Russia and publicly criticized Khrushchev when he became the Russian lead.

Inn 1959, Mao gave up the position of head of state. but remain party chairman  Liu Shao-chi became head od state and soon they began to struggle for absolute power.. The  clash between the two leaders fermented the Cultural Revolution of 1966 which Mao  eventually  won with his overwhelming peasant support.  

To celebrate Chairman Mao's birthday, we suggest making the Chinese classic Mao Shi Hong Shao Rou (braised pork belly). According to Fuchsia Dunlop, the author of. Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook  "Red-braised pork is a dish that in Hunan is inseparably bound up with the memory of Chairman Mao: many restaurants call it “The Mao Family’s red-braised pork.” Mao Zedong loved it, and insisted his Hunanese chefs cook it for him in Beijing." .While devouring this now classic Chinese celebratory dish, we suggest watching a video of Biography's The Secret Life of Chairman Mao (2000).

 

Fuchsia Dunlop's Mao Shi Hong Shao Rou
(Red-Braised Pork Belly)

 

Ingredients
 
1 lb. pork belly (skin optional)
2 TB peanut oil
2 TB. white sugar
1 TB Shaoxing wine
Fresh ginger (a ¾-inch piece), skin left on and sliced
1 star anise
 		 2 dried red chilies
A small piece of cassia bark or a small cinnamon stick
Light soy sauce
Salt
Sugar
Scallion greens

 

 

 
Instructions
 
  1. Plunge the pork belly into a pan of boiling water and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes, until partially cooked. Remove and, when cool enough to handle, cut into bite-sized chunks.
  2. Heat the oil and white sugar in a wok over a gentle flame until the sugar melts, then raise the heat and stir until the melted sugar turns a rich caramel brown. Add the pork and splash in the Shaoxing wine.
  3. Add enough water to just cover the pork, along with the ginger, star anise, chilies, and cassia. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes.
  4. Toward the end of the cooking time, turn up the heat to reduce the sauce, and season with soy sauce, salt, and a little sugar to taste. Add the scallion greens just before serving.
Serves 4
 
© 2012 Gordon Nary and Tyler Stokes