I love pork. I love pork in all its forms. Bacon is quite possibly God’s greatest gift to gastronomy. I feel bad for those unable to eat pork due to religious reasons. They are really missing out on one of the most robust and beautiful flavors out there.
If you want to have a fun food adventure, you should try different forms of pork in all its glory.
Pork Chops
I’m talking the real deal, not over-cooked over-lean cardboard you get at most restaurants. I’m talking thick chops, cooked to medium with a healthy layer of fat charred to a crisp. This is a thing of beauty. It is unfortunate that in most areas of the country, the fear of Trichinosis is so high that all pork is over-cooked shadows of what it could be.
Ham and Bacon
Again, I am talking real ham. Not the city ham, water soaked salty mess. Instead, I am talking country ham. In Kentucky and Virginia in the US, country ham is a true art. We have spent time in Parma, Italy and various parts of Spain. In these countries Prosciutto and Serrano are religions. The combination of salt, sweet, and creamy is unbelievable.
I am thinking of making my own bacon and ham this year. It is the first time that I have lived somewhere cold enough as an adult. I don’t know anyone who does this now. It is a lost art. It is time to take it back. I have no idea what I am doing, so it will be an adventure.
Pig’s feet
Two of the best food surprises I have ever had have been pig’s feet.
The first time was rather fun. We were at a Vietnamese pho restaurant. Pho is a wonderful soup. Essentially it is a broth with either noodles or rice as a base. You then add fresh herbs and bean sprouts along with chili sauce to bring out the full flavor. It is a bit of soup perfection. The major variation is the protein. It can be literally anything.
The beauty of the story is the fact that I have never gotten what I ordered at this particular restaurant. We both ordered chicken pho. When the order came in we had two very different things. Not sure what either was, but they were different. One had a yellow tint (we assumed chicken) the other was a shade of gray.
We asked the waiter what we had. The reply, “soup”. ” What kind” we asked…”rice” they replied. No kidding…Next up was the owner. Finally got an answer, “pork”. “What type of pork” we asked since we couldn’t place all of the floating parts. Then we got the answer we wanted, “everything”. Heart, tongue, knee tendon, etc. Sounds interesting if you are adventurous. The resulting flavors were incredible. The richness of the broth along with the flavors of the herbs was unbelievable. I would never have ordered this way back then. I only got it because I got the wrong order. This mix up really help change my view of food.
The second pleasant surprise was at Radius in Boston. Pied de cochon, pig trotters, by any other name pig’s feet. Radius is one of the best restaurants in the US. The place is amazing. Really one of the best meals I have ever had, maybe the best. I was not expecting one of the main courses to be pig’s feet or trotters. They were braised and literally falling off the bone. The cartilage and fat had been reduced and gelatinized. The dish was a thing of beauty.
I never expected pig’s feet to be as good as they are. But what was I expecting, it is pork after all.