Pork

About

Pork is the most widely consumed meat in the world despite religious restrictions in some cultures. It tastes less salty and slightly sweeter than beef. Roasted pork combines woodland and farmyard notes that pair well with garlic, mushrooms, cabbage, potatoes, and robust herbs, or contrast well with tart apple; anise, white pepper, and cooked onion also enhance its savory character. Meat color reflects how much the animal exercised: well-raised pork is typically a healthy pink when raw, while paler meat often indicates a less active animal.

Pairs well with pork

• EaPotatoA classic salty, earthy pairing seen in sausages and mash, frankfurters with potato salad, and Tuscan roast pork with potatoes.
• SuEggEgg and pork meet in the English fried breakfast, breakfast sandwiches, and layered pork pies with boiled egg set in aspic.
• FrTomatoTomato's acidity contrasts nicely with pork's fatty sweetness.
• SuGarlicAdobo, the Filipino stew often called the national dish, leans heavily on garlic alongside fatty pork, vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaves and…
• SpCinnamonA Vietnamese charcuterie called cha que combines ground pork with fish sauce, peanut oil, cornstarch, cinnamon, and baking powder, shapes…
• FrApplePigs were traditionally given the run of orchards, where windfall apples fattened them while they fertilized the ground and cleared…
• CrCoconutThe Vietnamese dish thit heo kho tieu is pork slow-cooked in coconut water and fish sauce until caramelized, with boiled eggs added near…
• CiGingerShogayaki, Japanese fried ginger pork, is the classic form of this pairing, though the same technique works with beef or squid.
• EaMushroomBoletus edulis, better known by the Italian name porcini ("little pigs") for the coarse, bristly look of its stalks, shares pork's need to…
• MeBeefTraditional meatballs often combine beef, pork and veal-pork for flavor, beef for a darker, more mineral note, and veal for texture;…
• MaShellfishPorco à alentejana, a Portuguese dish of pork stewed with clams, peppers and onions, gets much of its flavor from the clams' briny juice,…
• GrAniseAnise pairs with pork at any timescale.
• BrBaconBacon and pork appear together in dishes like the full English breakfast, French choucroute garnie (which combines back bacon, pork…
• GrChiliChorizo pairs sweet dried red chili with pork, its flavor determined by the pimentón used, sweet (dulce), spicy (picante) or bittersweet…
• EaCuminJust as lamb suits herbal, grassy flavors reminiscent of its habitat, pork takes well to cumin's earthiness, rubbed onto tenderloin or…
• SuOnionPork pairs well with the whole onion family, garlic with roast pork, chives in Chinese pork dumplings, onion gravy on sausages, or pork…
• MaOily FishWriter Norman Douglas, in Venus in the Kitchen, describes eel as pairing well with pork since eel occupies a similar role among fish as…
• FrPineappleTacos al pastor, a Mexican street food, layers spiced pork with fresh pineapple on a vertical spit, as it cooks, pineapple juice…
• RoPeanutPeanut and pork appear in an Americanized take on dan dan noodles, not part of the authentic Sichuan dish, stir-fried minced pork with…
• GrCilantroCilantro is Portugal's most widely used herb, appearing in dishes like cold pig's ears with cilantro and garlic.
• EaCeleryCelery's mild anise-fennel note pairs naturally with pork; celery seed is a common addition to charcuterie, liver sausages, and meatloaf.
• GrPeaA classic British pairing, especially in Welsh and Black Country cooking, is faggots and peas, faggots being balls of pork offal, belly,…
• BeRosemaryArista al forno con patate, a Florentine roast pork dish with rosemary-roasted potatoes, pairs tender pork in a tangy gravy with the…
• SuCabbageCabbage complements pork's fattiness in dishes like choucroute garnie, buttered cabbage with roast pork, and shredded raw cabbage served…
• GrCucumberFrench rillettes, pork, duck or goose slow-cooked in fat, then shredded into a rich, spreadable paste, is traditionally served with tiny…
• EaBeetA 19th-century French recipe for barszcz (borscht) combines beef, smoked pork ribs, ham, mushrooms, onions, leeks and beet juice into a…
• FrPearPears pair less often with pork than apples do, since apples' acidity better cuts pork's fattiness, but pears work well with leaner cuts…
• BeThymeA rustic braise built on this pairing: brown pork sausages and sliced onions in oil, add a can of beans, a sprig of fresh thyme, salt,…
• CrApricotAt a sausage-tasting festival in Ludlow, Shropshire, a pork sausage cut with sharp, sweet apricot stood out among local entries, edging…
• GrDillCabbage, leek and chives are common freshening additions to pork in Chinese dumplings; dill appears more rarely, mainly in dishes from…