Whether a food you love or one you avoid for personal, religious or cultural reasons, knowing the sources of pork and pork products can make meal planning easier. Sometimes dubbed "the other white meat," pork can be found in many forms other than a typical chop served with applesauce. Coming from the meat of a pig, all aspects of pork may be used as a main component of a dish or as a seasoning agent.
Fresh Meat
The most obvious source of pork is straight from the pig. Tenderloin, chops, ground and loin roasts are standard cuts of pork. Often, these sources are breaded or marinated. Baby back ribs and spare ribs are ribs from a pig, and are sometimes served with a barbecue sauce or rub. Certain cultures eat all components of the pig, including the feet and snout. They are commonly found fresh or pickled.
Processed Meats
Ham is another form of pork, which has been cured and aged. Bacon, including Canadian bacon, pancetta and prosciutto, is generally made with pork. Many stores now carry turkey bacon as a healthier alternative to some of the higher fat pork bacon options. Likewise, hot dogs and sausages are often pork based but can also be made with turkey, chicken or beef.
Pork Fat And Seasoning
Walk into any Southern cook's kitchen and you may find greens, dumplings or cornbread being cooked in pork fat. Sometimes called "fat back," is it often used as a seasoning added to certain foods. In addition, small pieces of pork or pork fat may be added to baked beans, soups and stews. Pea soup commonly uses a ham hock to add extra flavor. Biscuits and other foods prepared with lard generally contain pork ingredients. An alternative to those who choose not to use lard in baking is to use vegetable shortening. Lard is sometimes also used as a cooking medium for fried foods. Crispy, crunchy pork rinds are made from the fried skin of a pig. They can be found pre-packaged as a snack food in many grocery stores, or as "cracklings" served warm as part of a meal.
Pork Fillings
Ground pork is often used as a filling in dishes such as pot-stickers and stuffed cabbage leaves. It may also be added in combination with other ground meats to make meat pies, empanadas, meatloaves or home-made sausages. Checking the labels for specific ingredients helps decipher what type of meat was used.
