Heritage Pork Recipes
In this section you can find recipes for all kinds of pork:
Roast Chops Steak Ribs Ham
By the way, most of these recipes involve the slow cooker but can probably be easily translated into the oven.
Scroll down for a great all purpose pork recipe as well as a bit of myth-busting about lard.
Roast Chops Steak Ribs Ham
By the way, most of these recipes involve the slow cooker but can probably be easily translated into the oven.
Scroll down for a great all purpose pork recipe as well as a bit of myth-busting about lard.
Heritage Pork Tips
Heritage pork, regardless of the breed, is not anything like the pork you see in the grocery store. Nothing against our commercial hog farmer friends, but contrary to the claims of "The Other White Meat", one of the most successful ad campaigns ever, by the way, pork is not supposed to be white! Good pork should be pink and well marbled ... like any other red meat. Fat on your pork is not bad. The marbling is what gives it the flavor and tenderness.
The first tip is that, unlike commercial pork that was raised partially for uniformity, heritage pork is not all alike. Each breed has it's own unique characteristics in flavor, texture, fat, and so forth. If you don't like one, don't write them all off - find another breed. Here's a link to a few of the more well known heritage hog breeds. Personally, we think the Mulefoot (which is not on this list - I've asked them to include it) is stellar. But we're biased.
So here's your second tip: cut the excess fat off your cut of pork if you don't like it. That's what I do. Glenn likes the fat but I'd prefer to have a bit less of it. There have been times I turned a roast into stew because there was so much fat in the roast. Some breeds of heritage hog are lard hogs. The Mulefoot that we raise is a good example. They produce lots of lard - too much if we don't watch their diet. (For more on lard, scroll down.)
The third tip addresses the fact that heritage pork comes from pigs that matured more slowly than their commercial cousins. Think of the difference between a slow cooked hunk of meat and the same thing cooked quickly. Slower = more tender (in my experience, anyway). Our hogs take about twice as long to reach butcher-able size, they reach full maturity (thus full flavor). That being said the tip is this: heritage pork doesn't require gravies, sauces, intense seasonings, or anything else to make it edible. It tastes good all by itself. Try it. Toss a couple chops onto the grill without any seasoning and see what you think. Granted, you'll likely elect to use those gravies, sauces, and seasonings, but because you like them for their own sake, not to help the pork.
OK, so we're biased. If you have a different opinion, that's fine. We can still be friends. (By the way, you'll see a very silmilar "rant" on the poultry page. Just warning you.)
The first tip is that, unlike commercial pork that was raised partially for uniformity, heritage pork is not all alike. Each breed has it's own unique characteristics in flavor, texture, fat, and so forth. If you don't like one, don't write them all off - find another breed. Here's a link to a few of the more well known heritage hog breeds. Personally, we think the Mulefoot (which is not on this list - I've asked them to include it) is stellar. But we're biased.
So here's your second tip: cut the excess fat off your cut of pork if you don't like it. That's what I do. Glenn likes the fat but I'd prefer to have a bit less of it. There have been times I turned a roast into stew because there was so much fat in the roast. Some breeds of heritage hog are lard hogs. The Mulefoot that we raise is a good example. They produce lots of lard - too much if we don't watch their diet. (For more on lard, scroll down.)
The third tip addresses the fact that heritage pork comes from pigs that matured more slowly than their commercial cousins. Think of the difference between a slow cooked hunk of meat and the same thing cooked quickly. Slower = more tender (in my experience, anyway). Our hogs take about twice as long to reach butcher-able size, they reach full maturity (thus full flavor). That being said the tip is this: heritage pork doesn't require gravies, sauces, intense seasonings, or anything else to make it edible. It tastes good all by itself. Try it. Toss a couple chops onto the grill without any seasoning and see what you think. Granted, you'll likely elect to use those gravies, sauces, and seasonings, but because you like them for their own sake, not to help the pork.
OK, so we're biased. If you have a different opinion, that's fine. We can still be friends. (By the way, you'll see a very silmilar "rant" on the poultry page. Just warning you.)
Basic Slow Cooker Anything Pork
This is absolutely one of my favorite recipes because any cut of uncured pork can be used. I've done this with roast, chops, loins, ribs, you name it. Delicious.
Of course, you'll have had to do your work ahead of time last summer and made your batch of
Relish, Sauce and Chutney. If you didn't, put this on your to-do list for next summer and you'll have two amazingly easy and delicious options for next winter when you don't have time to do anything more than dump and go.
Grab a jar of Sweet and Sour Sauce or Barbecue Relish off the pantry shelf. Hope you have some on hand. (See note above.) (All right, I suppose you could use some store variety, but pleasepleaseplease read the label and don't ruin your meat by pouring flavored corn syrup all over it.)
Trim excess fat off your pork, toss it into your slow cooker (hope you sprayed it first), and dump the jar contents on top. Turn on the cooker and there you go. Low all-day, high if half the day. Serve however you like. Here are a couple suggestions:
Sweet and Sour pork goes well with rice, a nice apple salad, steamed greens, and sugar snap peas with chutney on the side.
Barbecue pork is great with potatoes, green salad, any other kind of veggie (we recommend one not green and another green), and some kind of fruit. Chutney or Home canned pears, for instance.
Of course, you'll have had to do your work ahead of time last summer and made your batch of
Relish, Sauce and Chutney. If you didn't, put this on your to-do list for next summer and you'll have two amazingly easy and delicious options for next winter when you don't have time to do anything more than dump and go.
Grab a jar of Sweet and Sour Sauce or Barbecue Relish off the pantry shelf. Hope you have some on hand. (See note above.) (All right, I suppose you could use some store variety, but pleasepleaseplease read the label and don't ruin your meat by pouring flavored corn syrup all over it.)
Trim excess fat off your pork, toss it into your slow cooker (hope you sprayed it first), and dump the jar contents on top. Turn on the cooker and there you go. Low all-day, high if half the day. Serve however you like. Here are a couple suggestions:
Sweet and Sour pork goes well with rice, a nice apple salad, steamed greens, and sugar snap peas with chutney on the side.
Barbecue pork is great with potatoes, green salad, any other kind of veggie (we recommend one not green and another green), and some kind of fruit. Chutney or Home canned pears, for instance.
Lard
Do you shudder when you hear the term? Memories hearkening back of childhood and hearing someone referred to as Tub-o-Lard, Lard-o, or Lard-Butt, decidedly not the most positive of nicknames? Were you taught that shortening is a far healthier alternative to lard in your kitchen?
You've been duped! You've fallen victim to one of the classic examples of mass marketing ad campaigns. You can read about it here. It's enough to make anyone raised on Crisco cringe. Contrary to that popular myth, lard is, in most ways, far healthier than shortening, especially synthetic shortening. (Seriously, why would anyone want to eat something that has "synthetic" as part of it's name? Really?) People with gluten issues are the only ones who should be using shortening instead of lard. (And vegetarians. But I don't expect there are many of them surfing this page.)
Granted, these days there are those whose health issues require shortening. (Personally, we believe this is directly linked to our century old cultural love affair with cheap, synthetic, high-sugar, chemical-laced products sold as food. But that's just our opinion - we aren't medical doctors nor scientists. Just farmers with the ability to observe and draw conclusions.)
So if you want to make the leap to lard, let us know. We have lots. Or find a farmer with hogs and purchase some lard. Of course, you'll have to render it yourself. But it's not hard. Search on "How to Render Lard" and choose your method. Here's a way that's super easy and uses my favorite appliance ... the slow cooker! (Although we're still trying to get our butcher to keep the leaf lard and the rest of it separate. He's used to butchering for people who want to chuck it all.)
You've been duped! You've fallen victim to one of the classic examples of mass marketing ad campaigns. You can read about it here. It's enough to make anyone raised on Crisco cringe. Contrary to that popular myth, lard is, in most ways, far healthier than shortening, especially synthetic shortening. (Seriously, why would anyone want to eat something that has "synthetic" as part of it's name? Really?) People with gluten issues are the only ones who should be using shortening instead of lard. (And vegetarians. But I don't expect there are many of them surfing this page.)
Granted, these days there are those whose health issues require shortening. (Personally, we believe this is directly linked to our century old cultural love affair with cheap, synthetic, high-sugar, chemical-laced products sold as food. But that's just our opinion - we aren't medical doctors nor scientists. Just farmers with the ability to observe and draw conclusions.)
So if you want to make the leap to lard, let us know. We have lots. Or find a farmer with hogs and purchase some lard. Of course, you'll have to render it yourself. But it's not hard. Search on "How to Render Lard" and choose your method. Here's a way that's super easy and uses my favorite appliance ... the slow cooker! (Although we're still trying to get our butcher to keep the leaf lard and the rest of it separate. He's used to butchering for people who want to chuck it all.)
So what's the difference between shortening and lard and butter?
Below are a couple links (or just apply these terms to your favorite search engine) but here are the basics:
Lard vs. Shortening
1. Lard is made out of animal fat. Shortening is made out of a variety of different oils which are derived from plants and vegetables in the same manner as it is derived when making oil.
2. Shortening is commonly used only for cooking and baking (although it was invented for the soap and candle industries). On the other hand, lard is used for a variety of ways such as the manufacturing of soap, cosmetic products and even biofuel to power motor vehicles.
3. Between the two, shortening is the one used in the baking of gluten-free products instead of lard. This is due to the fact that compared to lard, shortening has the ability to inhibit the development of gluten in wheat products, which are long protein strands which is considered to be an allergen by many men and women.
Read more: Difference Between Shortening and Lard | Difference Between | Shortening vs Lard
Wikipedia on Shortening, Lard
Butter vs. Shortening
1. Shortening is 100% fat.
2. Butter has additional milk and water particles, and is not all fat.
3. Butter melts faster under heat.
4. Butter spreads thinner when melted.
5. Shortening retains a higher flexibility, and retains air, resulting in a higher rise.
6. Shortening products are softer.
7. Butter is used for flavor.
8. Shortening is used as a flavorless base.
9. Shortening can be exchanged for butter. (In other words, if the recipe calls for shortening, you can use butter.)
10. Butter cannot usually be exchanged for shortening. (In other words, if the recipe calls for butter, you'd better use butter.)
11. Butter has uses in the kitchen beyond just baking.
Read more: Difference Between Shortening and Butter | Difference Between | Shortening vs Butter Wikipedia on Butter
Butter vs. Lard
So "Difference Between" doesn't have a handy-dandy article on this one but it's not hard. Butter is a dairy product and comes from milk. Lard is animal fat and comes from ... animal fat. They have different flavors and differences in use - butter burns at a lower temp than lard, for one thing.
Suet v. Tallow v. Lard
While we're on the subject, you may wonder what's the difference between suet, tallow, and lard.
* Suet is raw beef or mutton (sheep) fat, especially the hard fat found around the loins and kidneys. Its high smoke point makes it ideal for deep frying and pastry production.
* Tallow is rendered suet. Tallow is used mainly in producing soap and animal feed. A significant use of tallow is for the production of shortening. It is one of the main ingredients of Native American food called pemmican.
* Lard is pig fat in both rendered and unrendered forms. The culinary qualities of lard vary somewhat depending on the part of the pig from which the fat was taken and how the lard was processed.
Wikipedia on: Dripping, Lard, Suet, Tallow
Lard vs. Shortening
1. Lard is made out of animal fat. Shortening is made out of a variety of different oils which are derived from plants and vegetables in the same manner as it is derived when making oil.
2. Shortening is commonly used only for cooking and baking (although it was invented for the soap and candle industries). On the other hand, lard is used for a variety of ways such as the manufacturing of soap, cosmetic products and even biofuel to power motor vehicles.
3. Between the two, shortening is the one used in the baking of gluten-free products instead of lard. This is due to the fact that compared to lard, shortening has the ability to inhibit the development of gluten in wheat products, which are long protein strands which is considered to be an allergen by many men and women.
Read more: Difference Between Shortening and Lard | Difference Between | Shortening vs Lard
Wikipedia on Shortening, Lard
Butter vs. Shortening
1. Shortening is 100% fat.
2. Butter has additional milk and water particles, and is not all fat.
3. Butter melts faster under heat.
4. Butter spreads thinner when melted.
5. Shortening retains a higher flexibility, and retains air, resulting in a higher rise.
6. Shortening products are softer.
7. Butter is used for flavor.
8. Shortening is used as a flavorless base.
9. Shortening can be exchanged for butter. (In other words, if the recipe calls for shortening, you can use butter.)
10. Butter cannot usually be exchanged for shortening. (In other words, if the recipe calls for butter, you'd better use butter.)
11. Butter has uses in the kitchen beyond just baking.
Read more: Difference Between Shortening and Butter | Difference Between | Shortening vs Butter Wikipedia on Butter
Butter vs. Lard
So "Difference Between" doesn't have a handy-dandy article on this one but it's not hard. Butter is a dairy product and comes from milk. Lard is animal fat and comes from ... animal fat. They have different flavors and differences in use - butter burns at a lower temp than lard, for one thing.
Suet v. Tallow v. Lard
While we're on the subject, you may wonder what's the difference between suet, tallow, and lard.
* Suet is raw beef or mutton (sheep) fat, especially the hard fat found around the loins and kidneys. Its high smoke point makes it ideal for deep frying and pastry production.
* Tallow is rendered suet. Tallow is used mainly in producing soap and animal feed. A significant use of tallow is for the production of shortening. It is one of the main ingredients of Native American food called pemmican.
* Lard is pig fat in both rendered and unrendered forms. The culinary qualities of lard vary somewhat depending on the part of the pig from which the fat was taken and how the lard was processed.
Wikipedia on: Dripping, Lard, Suet, Tallow