Lotus root has a sweet flavour that goes well with pork and beef. My grandmother and mother always used it in dishes that took a long time to cook, a process which turned the root soft and tender; they simmered it in soups with pork or added it to oxtail stew with lots of dried mushrooms. The root gives a slightly sticky texture to these preparations.
Lotus root is delicious cooked with a little sliced pork: peel the vegetable, halve lengthwise and slice thinly. Marinate the pork with soy sauce, rice wine, oil, cornstarch, a little sugar, salt and white pepper. Heat oil in a wok and add a couple of cloves of garlic and a slice of peeled ginger. Add the pork and cook over high heat for a few seconds, stirring constantly, then add the sliced lotus and stir. Add about 1/4 cup of water or chicken broth to the wok, cover and simmer for a few minutes, or until the lotus root is al dente - it should still be crunchy. Stir in a drizzle of sesame oil then sprinkle with minced spring onions.
Lotus root is also good 'stuffed' with minced pork or fish paste. Peel the vegetable and slice it into thin rounds. Either buy fish paste from the wet market (enhance the flavour with lots of minced cilantro and spring onions) or make a mixture with minced pork, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, cornstarch, sugar, salt, pepper, cilantro and spring onions. Spread a little of either mixture on one slice of lotus root and sandwich with another slice. Press tightly together then deep-fry in hot oil and drain on paper towels. Serve hot.