Let’s face it, we’ve hit peak bacon. With bacon sundaes, bacon cocktails, and chefs wrapping bacon around whatever they can get their hands on, it’s safe to say we’re at the saturation point.
According to Baum & Whitman’s 2015 Food and Beverage Forecast, our “bizarre fixation on everything-bacon seems to have abated,” but chefs are taking a new look at pork and beginning to explore its possibilities.
Pork is the most widely consumed meat in the world, according to Worldwatch Institute. This versatile meat is currently the fastest growing protein in the foodservice industry. Part of the resurgence of pork’s appeal can be found in niche products such as organic pork, and pork raised from specific heirloom breeds of pigs, which are valued for their distinctive flavors.
While BBQ and pulled-pork are well known dishes that demonstrate pork’s popularity, chefs are increasingly looking to new cuts of meat and ethnic recipes for inspiration. Here is where pork’s worldwide popularity shines, since there is a wealth of knowledge to draw on in introducing specialty dishes.
Pork has a reputation as being tricky to prepare at times, but a new trend that’s gaining ground helps to tackle this problem: brining or liquid seasoning. Chefs are soaking pork in everything from root beer to red wine vinegar, imparting exciting new flavors and adding extra moisture to help keep the meat tender.
As ethnic food and comfort food continue to trend, pork is there, ready for your menu. Marzetti has you covered with some great pork recipes like:
Bacon will always retain its default popularity, being the meat that makes other meats better, but if you want to get high on the hog, in 2015 it’s best to run wild with pork!
