The Whole Hog Cookbook: Chops, Loin, Shoulder, Bacon, and All That Good Stuff

by Libbie Summers, Paula Deen (Foreword)

There’s a whole world of pork to love, as demonstrated in this cookbook devoted to every cut of the hog. Plump sausages sputtering on the grill, thick bacon sizzling in a pan, a juicy pork chop from the oven-pork comes in so many wondrous forms. From grilling and frying to braising and pickling, author Libbie Summers has a special way with pork, taking comfortable old-fashioned dishes and updating them with fun and stylish twists.
Summers grew up on a hog farm in Missouri-even wrestling pigs as a kid at the state fair-and grew to become the culinary producer for Paula Deen, who instilled in her a Southerner’s affection for the pig.  Most of her recipes have a down-home accent, but many reflect international influences Sweet Tea Brined Pork Shoulder, Pork Chops and Applesauce, Pork Belly Gyros, Pork Pies, and Jerk Roasted Tenderloin. Chapters are divided according to primal cuts, such as the shoulder, loin, bacon, and ribs. How-to sections show you how to make your own fresh sausage, tie up a crown roast, and cure bacon. In her writing, Summers takes up the cause of the much-maligned pig and reminds us that the best way to honor an animal is to appreciate every part, wasting nothing.   

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking

192 pages, Hardcover

First published September 13, 2011

Reviews

[Nae · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friends Julie and Kathy know, but most other folks don't ... I am a closet (uhmmm, as in, throne, porcelain god)cookbook reader. Give me a choice between a cookbook chock full of pithy stories and recipes and more educational and erudite literature, I am leaning toward the food any old day ... well, who would not want to read about how do cook something billed as "Goat stuffed Pig?" "A goat stuffed inside a pig that even a monkey could prepare." OH MY! I have an overwhelming need to cook this one! Savory mushroom and bacon bread pudding? Bacon Beignets ... move over N'Awlins cause this one is even better than any beignet I ever ate there and I have eaten a lot! Bacon and Cheese Puffers, a tasty take on French pate a choux (something I never really thought could be improved upon until now). The Crispy Thai Pork Belly had me practically drooling, and just when I thought it could not get any better along came the recipe for Dinnertime Donuts with Moon Gate Bacon Jam and darn near took my breath away! Given that I adore my pigs, from the moments the piglets enter the pen until the time I invite them up for dinner in all sorts of delectable ways, I suspect this cookbook is going to become my go-to dinner planner for some time to come!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this cookbook. I'm normally a library cookbook reader; I'll check the book out read it maybe copy a few recipes then return it. I bought this one. Every recipe has flavors that are different and more exotic than the last. The book itself is attractive with glossy pages that allow for some spillage when in a working kitchen. Every recipe I've made out of this book (mostly the ribs and porkchops) has left me with a kitchen table full of people not talking but trying to eat as much as they can. I look forward to any more works that Ms. Summers releases.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Libbie Summers knows what she's doing, knows how to explain it, and does it all with style. There are things in here I would never have dreamed of trying until now. Not to mention everything that comes from Summers' kitchen or camera is a feast for the eyes and taste buds!