The good kind of pork

Pork-barrel spending was in the news today, as the U.S. House cut a budget item for a military airplane project the Defense Department didn’t want, but Speaker John Boehner did. Coincidentally, his state is where the manufacturer is located. I guess it’s right what they say – it’s only pork if it’s in someone else’s district.

Pork is political. Not just in the metaphorical pork-barrel spending kind of way, but in how pigs are raised, what they eat, how they’re processed, and what kinds of destructive environmental impacts are wreaked by factory farms. (In 1999, Hurricane Floyd hit North Carolina and caused massive manure lagoon flooding and overflows. Millions of gallons of raw manure polluted the rivers.)

The new wave of small livestock farms means most of us can get good quality pork. It’s not cheap like the <name brand redacted to avoid lawsuits> industrial chops and ribs you get in the supermarket. It is flavorful and nutritious, and for me, it makes a difference knowing I am eating a happy pig.

I get my pork from Sequatchie Cove Farms, which delivers to Birmingham about once a month. There are several Alabama producers including Goose Pond Farm. If you are a meat eater, you should support these small-scale pork producers, for your health and for the environment. If cost is a factor, just eat a little less of it- that’s better for you anyway.

This is what I made from my most recent pork roast. It was quick and delicious, and a little bit of pork went a long way. I used a leftover baked acorn squash and pork roast I made the day before.

Happy Pig and Squash

Acorn squash, cooked, cut in cubes

Roast pork, cut in cubes

Olive oil

Garlic

White wine

Orzo pasta, cooked

Acorn Squash

Put the olive oil in the pan then press two cloves of garlic into it. Cook a little, and then add the acorn squash. I cooked it for about five minutes until it was soft. Then add the pork, stir it up and listen to the sizzle. It looked like it needed something else, so I grabbed the bottle of white wine in the cupboard and splashed about an ounce into the dish. (And yes, I used the measuring cup as a shot glass and had a little bit myself!). Cooked it for a few more minutes – probably 15 minutes cooking time total.

I used orzo because I had a little bit of it in a big jar and it was taking up a lot of room in my cabinet. It turned out to be an inspired choice, because the small noodles were a similar size to the other ingredients and we could get all the flavors in one spoonful.

 

Pork & Squash

Orzo

The pork and squash worked well together – I think winter squashes can handle the fattier meat without being greasy. The wine mellowed the flavors together nicely. I’ve tried pork and sweet potatoes, but I prefer squash for a firmer texture and a lighter flavor.