Pizza Today - October 2020 - 44

KITCHEN

Making the Cut
Find ways to use versatile pork
By Audrey Kelly
Photo Josh Keown

T

he pandemic has forced
so many of us to alter our
habits. It has caused people
to become wary of others. It has
sparked some into action to help
those in need and others to withdraw into themselves. But mostly, it
has turned Americans into hoarders.
Yes, you heard right, people are
hoarding. It started with people
buying massive amounts of food
they will never be able to consume
and towers of toilet paper. Then it
was sanitizer and Clorox wipes. And
of course, alcohol. I wanted to think
that I was above the hoarding, but
then I looked at the former dining
room of my pizzeria. Let me tell
you, I have joined the hoarders. I
will say it was out of necessity, as
we were unable to get some of our
staple ingredients at the beginning
of the shutdown. Now, you will find
a pallet of tomatoes and another of
flour laying in the spot that used to
be crowded with diners. The latest
item of my hoarding is pork. I have
an extra leg of prosciutto and six
extra cases of pepperoni at all times.
We are beginning to see the effects
of so many slaughter houses shutting down. The supply is low and the
demand higher than ever. While you
can definitely argue that the dough,
sauce and cheese are the most
important components of a pizza,
pork is a very, very close fourth.
Pork is actually a major ingredient
to any pizzeria. At least in my shop,
pork accounts for almost
80 percent of my meat products.
There is, of course, pepperoni,
prosciutto, salumi, sausage, meatballs, pancetta, bacon and porchetta.

The list can go on and on. Truly
the beauty of pork is that it can be
transformed not only by the spices
you add to it, but by the method in
which you prepare it. It is a protein
that lends itself well to almost all
forms of curing, smoking, slowroasting, dry-aging, grilled and
cooking. Pork and pizza are one of
the great duos.
In my mind, pork is the far
superior version of chicken. It
is still a white meat, making it a
blank canvas to paint as you want,
but with so much more flavor. And
fat - don't forget the fat. How
you cook and process your pork all
depends on the cut of meat you get.
Let's explore the different parts of
the animal a little more to gain a
better understanding of when to use
what.
The pork shoulder, also called a
pork butt, is great for slow roasting
as well as grinding for sausage. The
pork loin encompasses the tenderloin, fatback and baby back ribs. You
can choose to roast the entire loin
or you can cut it into pork chops or
cutlets. These cuts are meant for pan
searing or grilling. The leg is where
the ham cuts are, which is then
turned into prosciutto when cured.
On the side of the pig you'll find
the spare ribs, bacon and pork belly.
Then there is the picnic shoulder
or picnic roast. This cut is great
smoked, cured or ground up.
One of the most versatile parts
of the pig, in my mind, is the
pork shoulder. A lot of pizzerias
automatically revert to grinding the
meat for sausage or meatballs, but it

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