If you have never heard of Bob Villas, and if you love classic American, you are about to pig out on over 300 treats. Born in North Carolina, James has written 15 cookbooks with five James Beard nominations or awards for his excellence in both writing quality and recipe authenticity.
Published in 2010, Pig may be his ultimate work. Although beef, poultry and fish are lavishly adored in the South, it is the pig, the veritable pig, that stands atop the protein ladder. With its warm climate and abundance of pig-friendly food, pigs enjoy an unrivaled environment in the South. And the Southerners embraced the culinary opportunities pigs provide. Pork recipe development in the South was, and remains, intense and passionate. Visit a barbecue festival and you’ll understand.
How can you use Pig? Well, kindly, James does not provide us with any pork brownie recipes. There is nothing silly here at all. But there is this abundance of recipes that means there surely has to be something you will love in one of these chapters:
- Appetizers and Salads
- Soups, Chowders and Gumbos
- Stews, Casseroles and Stratas
- Chops, Cutlets and Steaks
- Pies, Loaves, Hashes and Burgers,
- Roasts
- Ham
- Sausage and Bacon
- Variety and Specialty Meats
- Vegetables and Rice
- Bread
Yes, bread. There is a recipe, for example, for Bacon Corn Sticks and one for Bacon Corn Pones [bacon, cornmeal, baking powder and soda, plus buttermilk but NO egg!].
With his Southern heritage, James is able to present recipes that will surprise and please. Here are a baker’s dozen ideas that should give you some happy pause:
Salt Pork and Chicken Liver Spread
Pig Knuckle Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
Creamed Country Ham and Rutabaga Soup
Pork, Prune and Orange Casserole
Creamed Pork Cutlets with Vidalia Onions and Potatoes
Pork Steaks with Vermouth, Corn, and Raisins
Ham Croquettes with Parsley Sauce
Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder with Orange-Raisin Glaze
Roast Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Honeyed Apples and Pecans
Georgia Coca-Cola-Glazed Baked Ham
Beer-Braised Spiced Barbecued Spareribs
Deviled Pork Liver
Creole Mirlitons [peppers!] Stuffed with Ham and Cheese
I doubt you have every had any of these. And, before you turn a skeptical nose at the Coca-Cola glaze or beer braising, remember these recipes have tone and honed for generations. Southern cuisine is noted for its sweetness, and that glaze is something you just have to try once. Then you can retreat back north of the Mason-Dixon line. If you wish.
The joy of Pig is surely this capture so many key regional recipes. Pig is thus both cookbook and treasure chest, one you can return to over and over for one gem after another. If pork is a protein that can grace your plates at home, then Pig is a resource you will endlessly enjoy. One surprise at time.