Backing Away from Basics

How many times have you said to yourself or to others that there is a need to get back to basics? A return to the basics can help us realign with the fundamental principles of the task at hand. It’s generally very helpful. When I was struggling in a sport, I often backtracked to the fundamentals to discovered my point of error. Other’s use it in work, family life, and in cooking.

Unfortunately, I believe that we have remained a bit too basic in our approach to pork. Go to a retail store and you will see the same cuts that have been available for the past 30 years. You will see chops, shoulder and loin roasts, tenderloins, ham steaks, etc. Now there is nothing wrong with those cuts as they present a myriad of cooking opportunities. But the wonderful pig produces so much more!

Take for example some of the dishes we served this week at a pork education event. We made street tacos out of pork steaks (it’s the Spinalis muscle if you want to get technical). We made Chuletas with a sous vide and deep fryer. We made country-style ribs by taking double boned chops and simply removing the bone. It was refreshing to cook with those different cuts. Oh, and it was incredibly delicious!

Bottom line? We are drastically underselling pork in all facets of the industry. Not in price (though I’d love to see that go up), but in how we use it. This is not a new thought, many of my colleagues and friends around the pork category have been calling out the same thing for years now. This week offered me a glimpse into the untapped potential of pork. Pork more than thin chops, bacon, and pulled pork. We made pork fries, belly bites, and tacos with cuts that you can’t regularly get in retail or foodservice for that matter.     

For those who help make the decisions about what makes it into the meat case or on the menu, I encourage you to look for those unique cuts. For consumers, I encourage you to seek out different cuts of pork. Step outside your comfort zone at restaurants and challenge yourself in your own kitchens. Trust me, it is worth it. Basics are important, but it is equally important to build upon them.

• Cory Van Gilst