Pork

On Monday, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health released study results showing that red meat consumption was associated with a higher risk of early death. The more red meat -- beef, pork or lamb, for the purposes of the research -- study participants reported they ate, the more likely they were to die during the period of time that data collection took place (more than 20 years). So what is it in red meat that might make it unhealthy?   No one is sure, exactly, but the authors of the Harvard study mention a few possible culprits in their paper in the Archives of Internal Medicine .   First, eating red meat has been linked to the incidence of heart disease.  The saturated fat and cholesterol in beef, pork and lamb are believed to play a role in the risk of coronary heart disease .  The type of iron found in red meat, known as heme iron, has also been linked to heart attacks and fatal heart disease.  Sodium in processed meats may increase blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease. Other chemicals that are used in processed meats may play a role in heart disease as well, by damaging blood vessels.

SACRAMENTO - Might as well scratch one measure from the likely crowded November ballot: a pork-filled $11.1-billion water bond that is dying of its own weight. The Legislature produced this monster in late 2009 after years of wrangling by competing interests, culminated by an all-nighter in the Capitol. Like the proverbial bar pickup, the bond wasn't nearly as good-looking in daylight. It had been slated for the 2010 ballot, but the Legislature and then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wisely delayed seeking voter approval until this year.

You can tell when a dish has made it into the mainstream by looking it up in the dictionary. There you'll find entries for sushi, taco and pho. I still have to italicize as a foreign word bao , the term for Chinese steamed bread and filled buns, but my hunch is that I won't have to do that for long. Bao is on the rise, and that's not just because it features leavened dough. Just check Costco, supermarket chains such as Vons/Pavilions and Ralphs, and of course, any nearby 99 Ranch.

Total time: 1 hour, 40 minutes Servings: Serves 4 as part of a multi-dish meal 2 pounds meaty pork spareribs, cut crosswise through the bone into strips about 1½ inches wide 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger 2 large green onions, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 1 tablespoon dark (thick) soy sauce 3 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry 1 1/2 cups water 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 tablespoon fermented black beans, unrinsed and chopped 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro, optional 1. Starting from one end, remove the tough white membrane from the underside of each rib strip: Slide the tip of a knife underneath the membrane that lies between 2 rib bones, lift it up and cut it. Then, use a paper towel to grab the membrane and pull it away from the ribs.

Maple-bourbon hot-smoked pork belly Total time: 1 1/2 hours, plus 3 days brining time Servings: 8 to 10 Note: Pork belly can generally be found at Asian markets. Make sure the rind (skin) is removed before marinating. This recipe calls for a commercial stovetop smoker; a heavy-duty roasting pan with a rack and lid can be substituted. 3 pounds pork belly, rind or skin removed before weighing 2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt 1/4 cup maple syrup 1 tablespoon toasted and crushed mustard seed 2 tablespoons bourbon Black pepper Small hardwood apple-wood chips 1. Wash and dry the pork belly.

  Pan-fried pork and scallion mini buns (Sheng jian baozi) Total Time: 45 minutes plus rising time Servings: Makes 32 mini buns Note: You can find ground pork with a higher fat content at many Asian markets, or ask your butcher to grind fat into regular ground pork (you want about 20% fat). Or substitute regular ground pork. Ground beef chuck or chicken thigh may be substituted for the pork in this recipe. Regardless, fatty, rich ground meat makes for better, succulent buns.

Total time: 1 hour, 40 minutes Servings: Serves 4 as part of a multi-dish meal 2 pounds meaty pork spareribs, cut crosswise through the bone into strips about 1½ inches wide 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger 2 large green onions, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 1 tablespoon dark (thick) soy sauce 3 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry 1 1/2 cups water 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 tablespoon fermented black beans, unrinsed and chopped 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro, optional 1. Starting from one end, remove the tough white membrane from the underside of each rib strip: Slide the tip of a knife underneath the membrane that lies between 2 rib bones, lift it up and cut it. Then, use a paper towel to grab the membrane and pull it away from the ribs.

One word to describe the latest tasty sensation from Dunkin' Donuts? Pork. The chain, which normally restricts itself to fried dough, is venturing out on the gastronomic limb as it seeks to widen its presence in pork-loving China. Pork donuts are being added to the menu as Dunkin' seeks to add 100 stores to the 150 outlets it already operates in China, according to a Reuters story. "Donuts are a very flexible product. You can do savory donuts, you can do donuts with shredded pork - that's in China," Nigel Travis, Dunkin's chief executive, told Reuters.

It was a wedding the guests would never forget. Everybody of consequence in the village had been invited to a banquet to celebrate the marriage of the son of one of the wealthiest families. Fifty tables groaned under a lavish spread of dumplings, steamed chickens, pork ribs, meatballs, stir fries, all of it exceptionally delicious, guests would later recall. But about an hour into the meal, something seemed to be wrong. A pregnant woman collapsed. Old men clutched their chests. Children vomited.

What is the difference between Democratic "pork" and Republican "pork"? Absolutely nothing. HOWARD COHEN North Hills

Burger King Corp.promised Wednesday to switch to only cage-free eggs and pork -- a day after the reemergence of mad-cow disease focused national scrutiny even more on Americans' food sources. The fast food giant, one of the largest in the world, said it would phase out cages for its chickens and gestation crates for breeding pigs by 2017 - making its pledge among the most sweeping of many such vows made recently by competitors such as McDonald's and Wendy's. Changes in animal welfare practices have swept the food service and supply industries in recent months, as undercover investigations by animal rights activists and concessions from major companies created a domino effect.

Have you ever been frightened by a dumpling? Truly, genuinely scared? Because the juicy crab and pork buns at Wang Xing Ji - smoking-hot dumplings the size of water balloons, sneakily full of boiling juice - could probably be weaponized. You could deploy them as grenades, I'm pretty sure, lobbing the heavy spheroids over battlements. Or you could employ them as sub-lethal projectiles, splatting them into the enemy at will, although the sticky broth is undoubtedly prohibited in an obscure codicil of the Geneva Conventions.

One word to describe the latest tasty sensation from Dunkin' Donuts? Pork. The chain, which normally restricts itself to fried dough, is venturing out on the gastronomic limb as it seeks to widen its presence in pork-loving China. Pork donuts are being added to the menu as Dunkin' seeks to add 100 stores to the 150 outlets it already operates in China, according to a Reuters story. "Donuts are a very flexible product. You can do savory donuts, you can do donuts with shredded pork - that's in China," Nigel Travis, Dunkin's chief executive, told Reuters.

McDonald's Corp. says it wants its pork suppliers to start treating pregnant pigs better. The fast-food giant said Monday that it is requiring suppliers to provide plans by May to phase out stalls like the one in the photo above that restrict the movement of pregnant pigs. It made the announcement in a joint statement with the Humane Society of the United States. "There are alternatives that we think are better for sows," said Dan Gorsky, senior vice president of the company's North America Supply Chain Management.

Hustling for votes three days before the South Carolina primary, Republican front-runner Mitt Romney made an impromptu stop for pulled pork, baked beans and coleslaw before his third rally Wednesday, urging diners at each table in the crowded restaurant to support him at the polls Saturday. Romney led his closest GOP rival by 10 points among likely Republican voters in a CNN/Time poll released Wednesday, but the survey showed former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gaining ground. That shift prompted Romney to criticize Gingrich by name for the first time since December on Wednesday, suggesting that he had exaggerated his role in creating jobs while working in the Reagan administration in the 1980s.

For a lot of Angelenos, the holidays bring a craving for tamales - fat, corn-husk-wrapped packets of tender steamed masa filled with gooey melted cheese or shredded fall-apart pork or chocolatey chicken mole. This time of year, places such as Liliana's in Boyle Heights or Tamara's in Marina del Rey are swamped with orders. Luckily, L.A.'s a world of tamales: the Michoacan uchepo and Belizean ducunu, or even a Puerto Rican pasteles (which isn't made with masa but with plantains steamed in banana leaf)

Beijing-style pork and cabbage dumpling filling Total time: 20 minutes Servings: Makes enough filling for 3 dozen dumplings, about 6 servings Note: You can find ground pork with a higher fat content at many Asian markets, or ask your butcher to grind fat into regular ground pork (you want about 20% fat). Or substitute regular ground pork. Ground beef chuck or chicken thigh may be substituted for the pork in this recipe. Regardless, fatty ground meat makes for more succulent dumplings.

Hustling for votes three days before the South Carolina primary, Republican front-runner Mitt Romney made an impromptu stop for pulled pork, baked beans and coleslaw before his third rally Wednesday, urging diners at each table in the crowded restaurant to support him at the polls Saturday. Romney led his closest GOP rival by 10 points among likely Republican voters in a CNN/Time poll released Wednesday, but the survey showed former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gaining ground. That shift prompted Romney to criticize Gingrich by name for the first time since December on Wednesday, suggesting that he had exaggerated his role in creating jobs while working in the Reagan administration in the 1980s.

Barbecue pork ribs Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes, plus marinating time. Servings: 6 3 pounds pork ribs, spare ribs or baby backs 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon black pepper 1/4 cup rice wine 1/2 to ¾ cup Chinese spare rib sauce, preferably Lee Kum Kee brand 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey 1. In a large baking dish, rub the ribs with the sugar, salt, black...

My Chinese grandmother, Tina, sits to my right at the head of our Christmas dinner table, the matriarch of the family, poised, shoulders up straight and a sincere look on her face. She quietly eats her food, listening to her family as we loudly banter. I'm admiring her, mid-bite into a beautifully golden pork rib. My hands are sticky from the sweet glaze, and I'm busy searching the packed table of food before me for another napkin. "Pass the sweet rice, please," squeals my younger sister Jessica, oblivious to the bliss I'm experiencing.