Sponsored Recipe: Braised Pork Belly with Kohlrabi Slaw and Lifeway Kefir

With the holiday season right around the corner, we’re gearing up for a few weeks of decadent dining—balanced with some healthy flourishes, of course.

At our recent Taste America cooking demos in Chicago, we found exactly that, courtesy of Boarding House chef Tanya Baker. The 2015 Rising Star nominee treated guests to a succulent dish of cured and braised pork belly, served with a light kohlrabi and apple slaw. Baker dispensed some great cooking tips along the way, explaining that toasting the spices and herbs for the pork cure draws out the aromatics’ natural oils. She also shared her preference for storing prepped apples in salted water instead of lemon water. “Salted water seasons the fruit,” Baker said. “I find that lemon water breaks down the texture of the apples and makes them a little mushy."

Another secret to Baker’s dish? Lifeway Organic Whole Milk kefir in the kohlrabi slaw. The tart, tangy lesser-known sibling of yogurt, kefir is packed with protein, calcium, and billions of beneficial probiotics, and it can be substituted for yogurt in any recipe. Next to unctuous pork belly, chef Baker’s kefir-marinated slaw was just the kind of virtuous accompaniment we seek during the indulgent holidays.

Get Tanya Baker’s recipe for pork belly with kohlrabi and apple slaw. Learn more about Lifeway Foods.