House o' Pork

Pork is my absolute favorite meat, no contest. Lamb is very, very good, duck breast does not suck, but pork? Fugheddiboudit. Pancetta is the basis for so many great dishes, nothing beats braised pork shoulder... pork belly, pork loin, pork ears and feet and even liver. I even dig ground pork, where ground beef always makes me a little queasy.

When I met R., he wasn't much for the pork, it being über-treif and all. But I would not be swayed. This is a man who loves shrimp, scallops, crab. So dammit, he'll eat the pork. And I cook the pork.

So I do not speak lightly when I say that if you make one thing out of a magazine this month, make it the glazed pork chops out of the Cook's Illustrated April issue. So easy. So good. Serve it with braised red cabbage and you'll think you're in Munich.