Pork is getting leaner. Admittedly, that won't include bacon, pork belly and scratchings, which are not exactly the healthiest foods, but there’s more to pork than lard. Cuts such as fillet or loin are actually quite low in saturated fat while providing good protein and many vitamins and minerals.
Pork deserves more attention. Look at the Italians whom we uncritically laud for their healthy Mediterranean diet. Porchetta, the whole (or a substantial part of) pig stuffed with herbs and roasted to be enjoyed in bruschettas! Lardo, pure pork back fat, cured and thinly sliced! Salami, nduja, prosciutto di Parma and coppa! The list is long and very piggy.
My collection features choice cuts, fillet or medallions, but also minced pork which is far more versatile than just the meatball material.
Trimmed of all fat pork loin makes a great schnitzel. Here the German classic gets an Italian makeover: the loin medallion flattened and covered with Parma ham, sage leaves and a little Parmesan before being breaded and fried.
Pork suits sweetness: here a pork fillet is stuffed with medjool dates, roasted and drizzled with homemade hot honey. It’s the perfect mini roast, impressive enough for a special meal but easy to make on any weeknight.
Pork loin can also be roasted at low temperature, which makes for fantastic succulent meat, the texture and flavour similar to one cooked sous-vide. Here it is served with blueberry sauce flavoured with rosemary.
Pork loin with blueberry sauce
RECIPE
You can use loin or fillet for moo shu, Chinese stir fried pork with wood ear mushrooms and lily buds. It is usually served with thin Mandarin pancakes and hoisin sauce. But you can serve it with plain rice for just as delicious a dish.
You definitely want to try cooking porchetta, the classic Italian pork roast. It is prepared with the easiest cut to handle: pork collar, also sold as neck or shoulder. Served usually cold in bread rolls, it is also gorgeous as a roast.
The usual, expensive beef fillet is replaced with the much better value pork fillet. Pork and mushroom stroganoff is perfect for when you want to cook an easy but special dish and can’t afford to spend a small fortune on the ingredients.
A full pork roast for a Sunday or even Christmas: braised pork shoulder with chillies and cumin, Mexican style flavours. Beer braised pork shoulder joint takes four hours to cook in the oven and the result is pork so tender it can be pulled or shredded.
Lean shoulder of pork can be cut into steaks and used in neapolitan pork braciole in tomato sauce. Braciole napoletane al sugo is an authentic and classic Italian Sunday lunch dish of stuffed pork roulades braised in tomato sauce.
We are on to cheap pork now: good quality pork mince mixed with minced beef makes the best Italian-style meatballs, gently simmered in a rich tomato sauce. It’s a one-pan meatball dish with Parmesan and herbs, classic comfort food perfect for serving with pasta or rice.
Italian meatballs in tomato sauce
RECIPE
You don’t have to fashion meatballs out of pork mince: try just frying it. Cabbage and minced pork is the perfect combo, put together in this easy recipe of spicy Asian flavours. Pork mince with cabbage makes a delicious, easy and budget dish that resembles both East European peasant food and a good Chinese stir-fry.
Cabbage and minced pork
RECIPE
Pork mince and red kidney bean chilli is a wonderfully warming and easy budget dish. With dried chillies or even just chilli powder, beans cooked from scratch or tinned, the end result will always be comforting and rewarding.
Pork and red bean chilli
RECIPE
And the cheapest but also one of the most beloved cut of pork: baby back ribs. Oven braised racks of baby back pork ribs with Creole seasoning and maple syrup glaze, cooked for 4 hours into tender perfection.