Pig Perfect: Encounters with Remarkable Swine and Some Great Ways to Cook Them
What Bill Bryson did for trees and walking shoes and Mark Kurlansky did for cod, Peter Kaminsky now does for pork in Pig Perfect 'I love ham and I love this book.' -Annie Dillard o you crave a juicy pork chop An old-time country ham Or maybe some Southern-style barbecue Then you'll want to join Peter Kaminsky on his pilgrimage in search of the perfect pig. Part travelogue, part cookbook, part naturalist's encounter, and part love letter, Kaminsky's book takes us from Kentucky, Burgundy, and...
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What Bill Bryson did for trees and walking shoes and Mark Kurlansky did for cod, Peter Kaminsky now does for pork in Pig Perfect.Do you crave a juicy pork chop? An old-time country ham? Or maybe some Southern-style barbecue? Then you'll want to join Peter Kaminsky on his pilgrimage in search of the perfect pig. Part travelogue, part cookbook, part naturalist's encounter, and part love letter, Kaminsky's book takes us from Kentucky, Burgundy, and Madrid to the Yucatán and back to Brooklyn to tell the tale of the pig. From the wondrous techniques of tailgate chefs to Mayan home cooking, competitive barbecuing, and the ancient rite of the pig killing that has bound communities together over the centuries, Pig Perfect brings together an oddball pork-loving band of chefs, farmers, and food lovers and offers a tasty history of the oft underappreciated pig. Still hungry for more? Try these delicious recipes interspersed throughout the book: --Porchetta, Burgundy Style --Suckling Pig Braised in White Wine and Herbs --Emile and Rachel's Roast Loin of Pork with Greens and Cantaloupe Peter Kaminsky, a lifelong "hamthropologist," is the author of numerous books, including The Moon Pulled Up an Acre of Bass. Formerly New York Magazine's "Underground Gourmet," he has written award-winning articles that have also appeared in the New York Times, Food & Wine, Outdoor Life, and Field & Stream. Currently he is a columnist for the New York Times. He divides his time between New York City and Long Island. Men's Journal "Consider a bib - this is drool-inducing reading."
AcknowledgmentsXIPart 1A Passion for Pork11A Pig's Progress32The Ham Maker's Daughter13Recipe: Country Ham Braised in Cider and Molasses24Part 2A Pork Pilgrimage273The Blessings of Rot29Recipe: Porchetta, Burgundy and Brooklyn Style384Rebirth41Recipe: Pot-Roasted Pork with Prunes, Armagnac, and Walnuts525A Brief History of Pigkind556Prisoner of Love637Invitation to a Killing71Recipe: Pork Tenderloin with Aracena Whiskey Sauce768From Pig to Pork79Recipe: Cocido, Extremadura Style849In the Land of Singing Ham89Recipe: Suckling Pig Braised in Sherry, White Wine, Aromatic Spices, and Herbs9710Mother Nature, Father Oak10111Taboo!117Part 3A Further Pig's Progress12712A Vanishing Breed12913Ossabaw13514Home Again15315Why Pork Tastes Good and Ham Tastes Great157Part 4Smoke and Fire16916The Horsepower of Prayer17117Mayan Treasure175Recipe: Cochinita Pibil18018Competition 'Cue18519Cheer Up, Mama193Recipe: Richie's Ribs209Part 5The Good, the Bad, and the Tasty21120Supermom21321Another Good Thing About Olive Oil219Recipe: Emile and Rachel's Roast Loin of Pork with Greens and Cantaloupe22322The Pr Guys22723Pig Imperfect23324Country People24925The Good Farmer25726Last Helpings275Selected Readings283
\ Men's Journal"Consider a bib - this is drool-inducing reading."\ \ \ \ \ Publishers WeeklyIn this sprawling love letter to hogdom, hamthropologist and food and fly fishing writer Kaminsky takes readers to France and Spain as well as to such American cities as Memphis, Louisville and Des Moines to visit a broad variety of pork-related venues. He waxes ecstatic about long-aged country ham and laments today's leaner, less flavorful meat. He seeks out a pig slaughter, considers why pork is taboo to Jews and Muslims, and excoriates the brutality and environmental damage wreaked by hog factories. Kaminsky (The Moon Pulled Up an Acre of Bass) celebrates family farmers who give their pigs freedom in the field, offer them natural foods and produce a far better pork. The author's enthusiasm is infectious, but since he races all over the map, the chatty accounts of his various adventures and the people he meets along the way are often fleeting as well. The narrative is, however, generously embellished with dozens of facts about pigs (such as the staggering statistic that about 350,000 U.S. hogs are slaughtered every week). Nine recipes, ranging from Country Ham Braised in Cider and Molasses to Emile and Rachel's Roast Loin of Pork with Greens and Cantaloupe, are scattered throughout to honor the oinker itself. Agent, Lisa Queen at IMG. (May 11) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.\ \ \ Library JournalKaminsky, an award-winning writer of numerous articles for Field & Stream, Food & Wine, and Outdoor Life magazines and currently a columnist for the New York Times, is a lifelong lover of ham; this is his culinary search for the best pork. He travels from Kentucky to Madrid to Brooklyn, NY, regaling readers with stories and mouth-watering recipes (e.g., Porchetta, Burgundy Style). Meanwhile, Kaminsky reveals a disquieting fact: the industry has changed processing procedures to market large quantities-the end result of which has only compromised flavor and our health. Kaminsky's passion and love of pork is reminiscent of Peter Mayle's fervor for food and the south of France (see A Year in Provence). For those who enjoy food literature and cooking, this work is an ideal escape; it will inspire creativity in your kitchen, as well as have you embarking on your own pork adventure! For all collections.-Jennifer A. Wickes, Suite101.com, Pine Beach, NJ Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.\ \
