Feeling a little porky

A little COVID-19 weight gain has me feeling porky this week, so perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised I’ve been craving bacon, ham and pork roast. As grocery costs escalate, I find myself much more cost conscious on every food purchasing decision. As I write this, I even found myself Googling historical retail pork pricing to confirm my suspicions that the cost of pork has remained relatively stagnant compared to beef and other proteins. Believe it or not, an AC Nielsen survey published on Agriculture and Agri-food Canada’s website indicates the retail prices of pork chops in Atlantic Canada has only risen three cents per kilogram since 2015 and pork roast has decreased from $6.67 per kilogram to $5.99 per kilogram.

5 PORKY PAIRINGS:

Ham and Riesling

Pork chops and Chianti Pork tenderloin and Merlot Pork ribs and Zinfandel or Chilean Merlot

Pork loin roast with a fruit forward California red wine

PIRI PIRI LOIN ROAST:

• 10 to 12 Servings

• 1 8 lb full pork loin roast

• 2 onions, peeled, quartered

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Kosher salt

• 1/4 cup piri piri*

• 2 oranges, zest, quartered Directions: Pat pork loin dry with paper towel. Score the pork loin in criss-cross fashion being sure not to pierce the meat. Rub with olive oil and season all over with kosher salt, piri piri and orange zest. Place pork loin roast fat side up on wire rack set on baking sheet.

Set orange slices and onions on baking sheet, as they will release flavour as they steam. Roast in oven preheated to

350 F for 10 to 12 minutes per pound. Turn oven to broil and broil for 5 minutes to crisp skin.*Piri piri is a reference to a type of chili, that is typical dried and ground. It is known as a Portuguese spice blend, featuring chilies and a variety of herbs and other spices, which is often transformed into a sauce. Piri piri can be found in many grocery stores. Atlantic Superstore / Dominion sells piri piri spice blend under its ‘Black Label’ brand.

MAPLE GLAZED CHOPS:

4 servings

• 4 center cut pork chops Salt

• Freshly cracked pepper

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

• 2 cloves garlic

• 4 tbsp butter

• 2 sprigs thyme

• 1 shallot, finely diced

• 1/3 cup maple syrup Directions: Pat pork chops dry with paper towel. Season generously with salt and pepper. Set a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add oil. When the oil is hot, gently lay in pork chops. Sear chops for 3 to 4 minutes on one side. Turn over, add 1 tablespoon of butter, thyme and garlic cloves. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes while basting with the butter. Remove and let rest. Reduce heat to low, add remaining butter and maple syrup. Raise heat to medium and cook for 4 to 5 minutes to thicken the sauce. Discard garlic andPour over pork chops and serve with seasonal vegetables.

BACON-WRAPPED PORK TENDERLOIN:

• 4 to 6 servings

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tbsp grainy mustard

• Pepper, freshly cracked

• 1 2-3 lb pork tenderloin

• 6 strips smoked bacon

• Salt & pepper

Method: Whisk together maple syrup and grainy mustard. Brush pork loin with maple syrup mixture and season with pepper. Wrap pork loin with strips of bacon so the ends of strips meet on the underside of the loin forming a seam. Place the loin seam side down in a baking dish. Place in an oven preheat to 400°F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Reserve pan juices. Slice and serve. Pour the juices over the pork.

Mark DeWolf is currently the creative director of food and drink at the SaltWire Network, director of marketing and communications of the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) and pastpresident of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS). He enjoys drinking, eating, writing and talking about wine, beer and food.