Holiday Giveaway: Zingerman's Praise the Lard Gift Box

Pasta with vodka sauce and bacon from Everything Taste Better with Bacon. There's bacon fat in the pasta sauce!

My favorite pork memory happened last year in China when I discovered REAL twice cooked pork. How can you top well cooked pork belly, Chinese pepper and green onion. So simple and so wonderful. Best place was in a little restaurant near the university in Bei Bei. Pork the way it was meant to be.

tulawdog76 at 11:54AM on 12/09/08

It would have to be the best pork I've ever tasted. It was a picnic in the park where my friend's father was the Ranger and they lived in the park. He and some friends made their own pit and roasted an enormous pig. They hired butchers to cut and serve. It was a huge party and everyone brought food to share, but the pork was the star. I had been eating pork for my whole life and I was 19, so I wasn't expecting what melted in my mouth. All the other things on the tables disappeared and I stood in the back of the very long line for seconds, then thirds. One of the friends was my date, whom I married a year later. I thought he could cook. Lasted 30 years and produced 2 beautiful children. He never cooked again. ;-D

PerkyMac at 12:05PM on 12/09/08

Mine may very well be the first time I tried the Mo's Bacon Bar at Vosges in Las Vegas. The woman working there offered me a sample, and I thought it was insane, but figured what the hell. OMG. The combination is incredible.

trillian42 at 12:05PM on 12/09/08

I recently discovered that my local German Butcher, a 100 yr old family business, creates my new 2 favorite foods. The first is a double-smoked maple bacon that is heaven, both by itself and added to any dish needing a bit of bacon (which is pretty much everything that can be eaten). They also cure and smoke a pork tenderloin, which I recently used as a filling for my homemade Kolache. Praised be the pig.

taoistpunk at 12:06PM on 12/09/08

my favorite pork memory has to probably be the most basic... my first true taste of bacon... when i was probably in middle school and went on a trip with the family to virginia and we had breakfast at some diner and i had bacon for the first time... even at that age i knew i wanted to have bacon everyday... and i never understood why my mom wouldn't cook it everyday... but now i do hehe.... oh bacon....

blizzard854 at 12:07PM on 12/09/08

Oh. my. God. This sounds AMAZING!!! Yum.
My fondest pork memory would have to be BLT sandwiches at home with my mom and dad in the middle of summer.

cupcakemuffin at 12:07PM on 12/09/08

The first time I had chorizo. It's been one of my favorite forms of pork ever since.

giantpinkdot at 12:09PM on 12/09/08

waking up to the smell of bacon every sunday as a kid...the waffles or quiche or pancakes, etc that we ate with them were secondary-just there to compliment the bacon. ah, bacon. praise the lard.

gastronomeg at 12:09PM on 12/09/08

The first time I ate brussels sprouts with bacon. Brilliant combo.

LiveToEat at 12:10PM on 12/09/08

The first time I made a pastry crust with lard.

Milly at 12:11PM on 12/09/08

I love Zingerman's and if you ever get to Ann Arbor make sure you get to their restaurant "The Roadhouse", it's really amazing. Niche restaurant in St. Louis takes pork to another level. I recently had "pigs head" which was various meats from the pigs head, succulent and moist, full of the porkiest flavor you've ever had, kind of like the little fatty pieces of carmalized pork between the bones of a crown rack of pork, but better. This meat was served with carmalized peaches and foie gras. It's worth a special trip.

mtsod at 12:13PM on 12/09/08

When I lived in Columbus, Oh, there was a great market called Weiland's and on a whim one day I decided to buy my bacon there instead of the cheap stuff at Krogers. I bought pepper bacon and made scrambled eggs, toast and the bacon. It wasn't a fancy breakfast but sooo much better than usual with the pepper bacon.

earlybirdkate at 12:13PM on 12/09/08

pulled pork shoulder sandwiches and tacos for Family Meal at a restaurant I was working in for a couple of years.
my favorite part was being the first one in for prep, and taking a pork shoulder out of the wood fired pizza oven that had been put in at the end of service the night before with the remaining embers and residual heat of the fire. whoever took the shoulder out got to sneak a few pieces of tasty bits before setting it in the back (covered to protect from the wily waitstaff) to rest.

intheyearofthepig at 12:14PM on 12/09/08

On a visit to California a number of years ago, I had pork for three meals straight, each out of a different tradition, each lip-smacking. Pork belly in San Francisco's Chinatown for breakfast, another pork dish from Phillipe Jeanty when he was still cooking at Domaine Chandon, and that night the pork chop from Cindy Pawlcin's Mustards Grill. Bliss....

lemons at 12:14PM on 12/09/08

My favorite port moment was my first BLT after waking up from a vegetarian-caused seven year coma from meat. Nummy.

mevers at 12:15PM on 12/09/08

Fondest would have to be the time we spent all too much money (that we didn't really have) on a bunch of Jambon Serrano while on vacation and our 5 year old niece raided the fridge and ate it all. I remind her of this every time she refuses to try a new food.

Elmig at 12:17PM on 12/09/08

Pork belly, Korean style, slowly braised with its own juices and fat, eaten with kimchi. Yum.

youngmee at 12:19PM on 12/09/08

Pork burgers with garlic, thyme, onion, and bacon in the patties. Topped with baby spinach and a thick slice of heirloom tomato on a toasted bun with garlic butter. Served with roasted potato wedges tossed in...you guessed it the bacon grease. As a gag, I put prosciutto wrapped melon out with them. You have to have something healthy, too, you know...

thebeef at 12:19PM on 12/09/08

My fondest memory of pork? My family is Cuban, and it's tradition to roast an entire pig in our backyard on Christmas Eve. We do it every year, and every year the entire family descends on the pig the minute it comes out of our specially-made oven to pick their favorite cut of meat and to grab some crispy skin to eat with a fluffy piece of Cuban bread. It's so damn delicious. This scene is my favorite Christmas tradition and my fondest Piggy memory.

bitchincamero at 12:20PM on 12/09/08

i went to irving mill a few weeks ago...that was pretty darn porky.

jaclynmck at 12:21PM on 12/09/08

I still remember polishing off almost a whole to-go box full of roasted pork (extra-crispy skin, tender layer of fat, juicy, flavorful meat) from Chinatown in NY when I was little kid. My mom was mortified, but I couldn't understand how it could be so bad to eat something that tasted so good.

hungryinhouston at 12:21PM on 12/09/08

In the mood for a new recipe, I tried pozole from one of Rick Bayless' cookbooks. It takes a looooong time, dirties a few pots, has a lot of steps, and in the end is just pork and hominy in a pepper sauce. But this was a dish that was more than the sum of its parts, it was absolutely divine. And it was even better the next day.

dbcurrie at 12:23PM on 12/09/08

Enjoying brown sugar and fennel salami sandwiches from Boccalone at the Ferry Building on a perfect weekend afternoon. Mmm, salami.

yogurtsoda at 12:24PM on 12/09/08

My fondest pork memory is of a meal in Dallas at Bijou. I had been wanting to try pork belly for the longest time and was thrilled to see "crispy pork belly" on the menu. I know it was well worth the wait, because the juicy pork, laced with its crispy fattyness, literally brought tears to my eyes in the restaurant.

marlasmi at 12:24PM on 12/09/08

My memory is all of a cold January day in Indiana. We are visiting my grandfather and it is morning before church. The smell of bacon frying in an iron skillet is throughout the house and we all are happy to be in one another's company just sitting around the kitchen table. Good times, happy times!

kevlney at 12:25PM on 12/09/08

Simply fried pieces of homemade guincale, following the recipe from Michael Ruhlman's Charcuterie. Also delicious instead of bacon on a BLT.

Nicholas H at 12:25PM on 12/09/08

@bitchincamero gotta agree with you! The first time I had the pleasure of enjoying a pig roast was for our oldest son's 2nd birthday. My husband's Cuban relatives all came up from Miami and took charge of the pig. They dug a pit in the backyard. It was an all day affair. They brought Miami Cuban bread (not the stuff passed off here as Cuban bread) and while the men tended to the pig and drank beer the women made rice, black beans and plantains. They also brought a Miami birthday cake as I like to call it, cause it's good! We still talk about it almost 20 years later.

finsbigfan at 12:29PM on 12/09/08

After a night of excess, there is nothing better than a couple crispy, delicious pieces of bacon to cure a poor-choices headache.

Lscherer at 12:30PM on 12/09/08

The bolognese sauce that resulted when I added some pancetta and country ribs to the pot. Yum.

Kerosena at 12:30PM on 12/09/08

I grew up with my Chinese ma cooking the best pork belly. I didn't realize it was the best until I moved away from home 17 years ago and always request it when I go back to visit. The best port experience happend to me when Momofuku's started serving those pork buns and the pork just tasted like Ma's!

lisenz at 12:31PM on 12/09/08

fondest pork memory = homemade cuban sandwiches

jlbrach at 12:32PM on 12/09/08

A friend I was living with ended up with an enormous block of bacon that we spent about a week killing. 2-3 meals every day would involve bacon. It was pretty fantastic

ChappedSky at 12:33PM on 12/09/08

We've roasted whole hogs on several occasions but the one time we did in a pit was probably the most memorable. It was at a friend's house and he and my husband brought the hog, wrapped in an old bedspread, and put it on ice in his bathtub. They dug the pit, got everything ready and about 3:00 a.m. put the pig on to cook. A neighbor called the police. She thought they had carried in a body and were burying it. I can't remember how the pork tasted, but with good friends and cold beer to go along with it, I'm sure it was great!

dutchgal at 12:34PM on 12/09/08

The bacon at Peter Luger in Brooklyn.

mhgatti at 12:36PM on 12/09/08

Recounting my fondest memory of pork is like asking a mother to choose her favorite child. I love bacon. I love pulled pork, NC style. I love ribs. I wish pigs had wings.

daemon at 12:37PM on 12/09/08

hands down, chinese la rou, aka chinese preserved pork. mmmmm~ it's amazing.

yummyj at 12:37PM on 12/09/08

My favorite pork memory is eating cochinillo, roast suckling pig in Segovia while travelling through Spain.... Crispy outside, so tender and delicious inside.... mmmmmm

hmneilson at 12:37PM on 12/09/08

The first time I made my own bacon.

arbeck at 12:38PM on 12/09/08

Every memory I have of eating any part of a pig has been fond. I even recall the first time I tried pork. I am Jewish so I had it while visiting a friend's house. I was a very picky eater and the old Italian grandma called my mom to ask if it was ok that I tried pork. She told my mom that I had seconds and thirds and my mom started serving me pork on the sly. Second to that was discovering that I loved Pigs Feet in Spain. It was a traditional Christmas treat with the family I was visiting.

lotswife at 12:38PM on 12/09/08

Thick, thick, thick peppered bacon on a cast iron griddle hanging over a wood fire while camping.

Now I'm hungry....damn.

rovingfork at 12:39PM on 12/09/08

It would have to be when we had a roast suckling pig for Thanksgiving. Oh, the crispy skin...okay, now I'm hungry!

cochon at 12:40PM on 12/09/08

Roasting a whole pig in the Berkshires. Smelling like smoke for the following 2 weeks.

foodscience at 12:41PM on 12/09/08

Ah, I must say that my fondest pork memory is (after years of not eating pork) finally having a slice of bacon I actually liked. This was maybe 2 years ago and my boyfriend at the time (same current boyfriend) grilled bacon on an indoor electric grill with just a touch of garlic powder. Wow, it was good. He still cooks my bacon every weekend...

devlyn at 12:43PM on 12/09/08

wood tavern. oakland, ca. Crispy Pork Belly.

melodylio at 12:44PM on 12/09/08

Yum! Mine would be tasting serrano ham in Spain. Wickedly good stuff!

akoney at 12:44PM on 12/09/08

The stewed pork neck or pork shoulder in Korean soups that my mother makes.

bluebird at 12:46PM on 12/09/08

My fondest pork memory has to be when I broke my toe on our anniversary! My then boyfriend (now husband) was making me the first fancy meal he ever cooked for me- Orange Pork Medallions with couscous done in white wine and vegetables. Back in '01, and being a teenager, it was a very exotic meal for me. Right before I sat down to dinner, I jumped up to turn off the radio, and walking back broke my toe on the leg of the couch. However, his pork was so amazing, that I hardly noticed that my little toe was stuck out a 90 degree angle from my foot!

csbrown at 12:46PM on 12/09/08

real southern style green beans fried in bacon fat
or
Chinese sausage in any form.

aebgiven at 12:48PM on 12/09/08

I was in Ohio, wishing for some good barbecue, and I stumbled into Columbus' City Barbeque following a trip to the zoo. The pulled pork sandwich was a wonderful, wonderful treat.

Yrmencyn at 12:50PM on 12/09/08

There was a Quebecoise tourtiere recipe in Gourmet magazine when I was in graduate school which I made one autumn day. I have not been the same since.

Freddie at 12:51PM on 12/09/08

My fondest pork memory: a bacon-tasting friends and I held a few years ago. We did a double-blind taste test of 8 bacons. Niman Ranch won (but we didn't get to taste Nueske's or any of the small-batch artisan bacons).

winnekat at 12:53PM on 12/09/08

One of my favorite chefs in town used to host a pig roast for staff and friends of the restaurant at his country house each October. He would purchase two prize-winning pigs at the State Fair in August and have a friend of his finish the pigs on apples and chestnuts for a month prior to the roast.

The chef, some brave staff, and certain friends (those with little need for sleep and good knife skills) would truck out to the country house after service at the restaurant on a Saturday night and go shopping for ingredients after midnight at the 24-hour Sam's (it usually involved commandiering a phlanx of shopping carts in an almost military operation). The wee hours of the morning would be spent prepping the pig and making pans of mac and cheese, greens with bacon, peppered corn muffins, cole slaw, potato salad, baked beans and baked apples. The pig went into the roaster near dawn and the drinking began around noon. Guests would arrive mid-afternoon for hayrides and beverages.

The gala unveiling of the pigs would take place around 3:00 p.m. Chef and a couple sous with very large knives would start hacking and pulling the pork and the rest of the food would be brought out to sawhorse tables by the barns. After that, peace reigned while everyone stuffed themselves into oblivion.

Unfortunately, chef closed the restaurant. However, we all are hopeful that he will be starting a new place soon and that the pig roast will return . . .

Mizbee at 12:53PM on 12/09/08

I was 5 years old when I witnessed for the first time the ritualistic killing of the pig for Christmas. It happened on December 20th, as custom requires, in the villages of rural Romania - where my grandparents lived at the time.
I remember the swift kill, the bleeding and butchering - all took place in less than 2 hours, the meat quickly piled up in cuts for sausages, roasts, ham and bacon, or for preserving in rendered fat to last over the winter.
The best moment though was when all the helping neighbors left and my grandfather pulled me by his side, just him and I, and showed me how to roast bits of pork in a big round cast iron pot. He snuggled the pieces of meat in the pot that was placed on the hearth fire and we waited patiently until the meat rendered it's fat and became golden and crispy, while I was gnawing on tender pork skin that was still warm from the fire used to clean the hairs.
And then we had a feast. What I remember even more vividly is when gran' showed me how to dunk pieces of bread in the rendered fat. I can still taste the melted goodness, unlike anything I've tasted before, better than any butter I've ever had.

lolam at 12:53PM on 12/09/08

A couple of winters ago, I didn't want to get out of bed. The bed was warm and cozy; the house was cold - 'nuff said. My boyfriend was up already, puttering around the house, doing computer stuff, balancing his checkbook, who really knows? Every now and then he'd poke his head into the bedroom to see if I was up. And every time my head would be buried further and further into the blankets. He went into the kitchen and I heard the coffee grinder; I stayed in bed. I heard the coffee percolating; I stayed put. Then I heard a funny sizzle. Later, some smoky bacony smells wafted into the room. I began to contemplate sitting up. A few minutes later, my sweet boyfriend walked in with a cup of hot coffee and 2 strips of perfectly cooked bacon on a plate. He knew coffee alone would be motivation enough, so he upped the anty. What can I say? The boy knows me well!

threedogkitchen at 12:54PM on 12/09/08

My grandmother's pork roast. Delicious and comforting.

nita at 12:55PM on 12/09/08

Opening up an unexpected package to discover that friends had sent me three pounds of Neuske's bacon. Not only did I enjoy the bacon (naturally), but it meant that I knew my friends understood me.

cjstephens at 12:57PM on 12/09/08

Hmm, I have a couple, since I recently discovered pork is my favorite meat (it was a shock to me, honestly). My first bite of pulled pork; that fatty succulence melting in my mouth, my eyes rolling back in my head, the involuntary "Mmm" that slipped out, and the near orgasmic taste.
Or the first moment I put some spaghetti carbonara in my mouth made with guanciale. That was pretty damn good too.
http://feistyfoodie.blogspot.com/2008/11/recipe-fridays-carbonara-again-but.html

feistyfoodie at 1:02PM on 12/09/08

I formed a new fondest memory just last weekend - I had the pork Shashlik at Pomegranate restaurant in San Diego. Wow. Who knew Georgian food could be so good?

rockstop at 1:04PM on 12/09/08

first time i ate chorizo at a tapas restaurant

sharlynn at 1:06PM on 12/09/08

Pork is how i picked up my wife 10 years ago. We were at a party, and were grabbing a plate in front of a ham and i started talking about my love for ham. She liked ham as well and then I started talking about pork chops, bacon, ribs, sausage and how i carry fatback around in my pocket (it was 98 when emeril was still cool, ok) and she thought i was rather disturbed but it kept the conversation going and we ended up talking throughout the night. We closed with the best kiss ever and have been inseparable since. Pork has given me a wonderful wife of 9 years and whenever i'm in trouble i always start cooking bacon...

finnadat at 1:07PM on 12/09/08

My fondest pork memories are in Louisville, Kentucky. I used to fly out there 3 or 4 times a year for business. I used to plan meals in advance and ensure my colleagues there were free for pork-inspired outings - we'd go to Goose Creek for breakfast, then Jucy's for lunch, then maybe Mark's Feed Store for dinner, for example. Louisville abounds with great BBQ joints. The ribs, pulled-pork and slew of other offerings were always an inspiration for when I got back to San Francisco where I frequently smoke ribs in my trusty Weber bullet.

vinayd at 1:08PM on 12/09/08

Ham and cheese sandwiches from diners while on high school band trips; these were the only opportunities for a Jewish kid!

omnivore at 1:13PM on 12/09/08

Tokyo, during my honeymoon. We went to a ramen shop that was all chrome playing John Coltrane. The sign outside had a large pink pig holding a bowl of ramen and licking his chops that said "Pork Bone Nourishment."

So good we ate there 3 times despite all the offerings of the city.

tastyvittles at 1:14PM on 12/09/08

When we were little, Mum would occasionally render salt pork and pan-fry potatoes in it. Those little pieces of fried salt pork? Pure heaven!

And yes, the potatoes were quite lovely, too.

brooke29 at 1:14PM on 12/09/08

My best pork moment - when I first made my favorite sandwich evahhh. I share it here with you because - well - it is just that good...

Bacon, Apple and Brie on 7 Grain Toast

I kid you not - eye's roll back into head good.

bodaciousgirl at 1:14PM on 12/09/08

My fondest memory might be the first time I made I pork loin roast. I was a graduate student but I splurged on a nice cut of meat at the butcher shop in the centre of Oxford (and ended up developing a wonderful relationship with the butchers there). Marinated it, wrapped it in bacon, and roasted it for a lovely supper with friends. Echoes of a simpler time.

shoneyjoe at 1:15PM on 12/09/08

chinese dumpling with ground pork and celery that a friend of mine once made from scratch

piehole at 1:16PM on 12/09/08

Biscuits with sausage gravy - my favorite breakfast!

bmcbrides at 1:19PM on 12/09/08

My fondest memory happened just last year at my boyfriend's cousins' (they decided to hold all the birthdays of that month on one day) birthday party. He's Filipino and if you know Filipinos they love having any excuse to throw parties centered around food. And birthdays are always an excellent opportunity to have an entire roasted pig. I can't begin to tell you how drool inducing that pig was. The skin was so crispy, it beats chips any day. Yeah, we made fine work of the poor fellow by the end of the evening.

veGieSatan at 1:21PM on 12/09/08

i love pork of all kinds, but one of my fondest memories was when i lived in hawaii and the Samoan boys who lived in the same housing complex had a lu'au. man did they know how to roast a pig!!!

katalia at 1:22PM on 12/09/08

My favorite pork memory is the peanut butter and BACON sandwiches my mom used to make when I was little. The hot crispy bacon would melt the peanut butter and just make the most incredible taste combination. It had to be Jiff peanut butter--it wasn't as sweet as other brands. MmmmmmmBACON!!

Everything tastes better with pig!!

Donnamarie at 1:24PM on 12/09/08

I really got deep in touch with porkyness when, at a friend's house, I took the tongue from a roasted suckling pig and wolfed it...

poodle at 1:24PM on 12/09/08

I'm not one to rhapsodize about my mom's cooking, but I do love her pan-fried pork chops with onions and pan gravy. I spent years trying to re-create it, but I could never get the spices right. I finally asked her what she used and she said "just salt and pepper." Guess that's why I got it wrong - I assumed there had to be more.

marzipanda at 1:26PM on 12/09/08

mine would be when I lived in Madrid, Spain for four months. I went from being disgusted to having pig legs hanging in all the tapas bars to absolutely loving the jamon that came off of them!

airland at 1:27PM on 12/09/08

Cochinillo (flattened, roasted suckling pig) in Segovia, Spain. The award-winning chef (seriously - he had medals) cut it with a plate, to demonstrate how tender it was.

Either that, or the first time the Future Husband cooked me bacon. Mostly because he cooked it for me, mind you.

maryofdoom at 1:28PM on 12/09/08

Standing in front of La Boqueria in Barcelona (took a cab there directly from the airport) while on my honeymoon, getting my first taste of Iberico ham at 8 in the morning. Sweet, nutty, porky heaven breakfast.

Mike5534 at 1:28PM on 12/09/08

i think its safe to say, winning this contest would be my favorite pork memory. a close second would be waking up to the awesome smell of some thick cut country bacon cooking over a campfire on a camping trip with my dad and bro...

hookrilla at 1:29PM on 12/09/08

Staying up late last 4th of July with my boyfriend, his best friend, and a bunch of our other friends, making pulled pork in the boyfriend's smoker. It was soft, and pulled easily, and the bark had this amazing burst of flavor! It was fun hanging around, smelling the pork smoke, and digging in afterward. I didn't even need any sauce!

nightowl at 1:29PM on 12/09/08

The first time I ever ate roasted pig off a barbecue spit at a North Carolina native friend's house. Carved still warm off the bone and doused with vinegar-y Carolina BBQ sauce...no pig memories, not even ones involving bacon are better.

sarahnorris at 1:31PM on 12/09/08

first time that i had a BLT... it was lovely

foodinmouth at 1:32PM on 12/09/08

At the Farmer's Market in Raleigh, NC, there's a pork store called Nahunta. They sell bags of fresh pork "cracklings"? I think that's what they're called... not pork rinds, these are soft lardy bites of lovely goodness.

I've never eaten anything so gross and lovely at the same time.

Southern_bella at 1:33PM on 12/09/08

Making this http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/03/serious-sandwiches-brooklyn-butchers-red-cooked-pork-sandwich-recipe.html with my boyfriend, drooling all the while. Best part? That it tasted even better than it smelled....

nwbywayofla at 1:33PM on 12/09/08

First time eating really good green chile stew - it's just not the same without pork. Green chile stew, a flour tortilla, and a margarita make a cheap but very memorable meal.

jessie at 1:34PM on 12/09/08

My favorite pork memory: We're at a buffet dinner in our synagogue. My 3-year-old son watches other people come back to the tables with their plates and inquires hopefully, "Mama, mama, what is that pink stuff on their plates? Do you think it is BACON??"

Fiksu at 1:35PM on 12/09/08

Ditto the Luger bacon.

bessfour at 1:38PM on 12/09/08

That's an easy one: the first time I made a pie crust with lard. I prodeec to make biscuits, cookies, and french fries - I never turned back.

sakuraa at 1:38PM on 12/09/08

this summer adventure with my new Orion cooker\smooker. The best pork tenderloin and por shoulder I have ever made. The taste was amazing and quick. Then the pork ribs i made for my friend 40th birthday were amazing and people could not get enough.

cjsorel at 1:40PM on 12/09/08

favorite pork memory: my first experience with the thick smoky cut of hickory bacon heaven at the Original Pancake House here in northern san diego, ca.
least favorite pork memory: "bacon" in london. worst bacon ever.

morrisseyandchai at 1:42PM on 12/09/08

My fondest memory of pork was having the true jamon iberico de bellota paleta. The intense nutty sweet pork flavor was like nothing I had in the past. The fat was like liquid that melt in your mouth. I always needed a minute to recoup myself to reality.

kobetobiko at 1:42PM on 12/09/08

I spent a summer in San Francisco and ate so much cheap yet delicious pork shu mai, more than I probably had in the past year. Good times were abound :).

runnereater at 1:43PM on 12/09/08

The first time I tried Proscuitto with fresh figs!

artychoke at 1:45PM on 12/09/08

The first time I had pork belly. WOW.

tkln at 1:46PM on 12/09/08

My very first BLT...with Avocado. I had it at a NY deli and it was the most amazing use of bacon EVER.

Sarajahii at 1:47PM on 12/09/08

My favorite pork memory was when I was a child. Some family friends were having a pig roast and invited the whole family over for the day. They asked my father to come early to help with the pig. I went with him and wondered why they wanted his help -- he had never cooked a whole pig before -- at least not that I knew of. Well, he was a surgeon and they wanted his help in stuffing the pig with hot dogs and sauerkraut. They needed his surgical skills to suture the pig closed so It would withstand the long slow cooking on the spit. I was disgusted and fascinated by the whole thing. I do remember it was unbelievably delicious.

lakeloverhh at 1:52PM on 12/09/08

Clearly the first time my mom put bacon with vanilla ice cream. Seemed soooo wrong, but was actually very right!
I have spent years shocking people (who just don't understand) with my love of bacon and ice cream (or bacon with peanut butter, or cataloupe...)
Bacon bits need not apply, only the real thing.
Good memory. :)

sadiepix at 1:53PM on 12/09/08

Mine would be just last Saturday. I made bacon wrapped dates stuffed with peanut butter for a wine party and they were the hit of the evening. They got more attention than the 20+ year old Barolos and Pinots. It felt good to know that for all the attention wine gets, people still love bacon more.

Here is the procedure if you want to recreate my success. http://tr.im/bacnpb

caleb at 1:58PM on 12/09/08

My fondest pork memory is yet to happen, should I receive this delicious gift box and all of it's beautiful porkiness.

aungeinphx at 2:01PM on 12/09/08

My fondest port memory was when I went to the farmers market and bought what I thought was going to be bacon I could cut myself...turned out to be canadian bacon or something...basically just a slab ham...but I cut and fried it up like bacon and it was delicious. I still want to at least cut my own bacon...if not brine and cut the pork belly myself!!

Patwcampbell at 2:01PM on 12/09/08

my favorite pork memory was the time i made homemade pasta carbonara with bacon. i must have ate like three bowls. so good.

bobmcsmith at 2:01PM on 12/09/08

My twenty-fifth birthday. My first tasting menu experience ever. The suckling pig confit at Eleven Madison Park. I never knew food could taste so amazing! It literally brought tears to my eyes. (Although the wine pairings might have had something to do with my free-flowing emotions, too.)

eatingme at 2:02PM on 12/09/08

My grandfather was a sausage maker in my hometown. My parents didn't want us eating it every day, but we ate a good amount!!

suthungirl at 2:02PM on 12/09/08

Roast kalua pig in Hawai'i is a fond memory....

greyrussian at 2:05PM on 12/09/08

My fondest pork memory would probably be the bacon my grandma used to fix for breakfast when I spent the night at her house. But my most revelatory pork moment? That would have to be sampling Candido Lopez's roast suckling pig. His family's been raising and rendering delicious their own baby piggies in Segovia, Spain for over 100 years. It was the most succulent, tender, crackling, seriously delicious pig I've ever had.

zoverman at 2:13PM on 12/09/08

Oh, ha! My freshman year at college, my mom sent me a care package from Singapore that included a packet of pork floss (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rousong) and every. single. one. of my friends thought it was the most insane thing they'd ever heard of. I remember it fondly because it was one of the first times I realized that a lot of the food I grew up with seems really fucking weird to a lot of Americans.

meeralee at 2:14PM on 12/09/08

I have two -- I am thrilled to hear a food reviewer on Studio 360 admit that one of his favorite meals is Macaroni and Cheese with chopped up hot dogs. Delicious! I also recently tried battered bacon with maple dipping sauce at the Commonwealth Gastropub in D.C. Awesome, but I couldn't eat more than 1 piece. Bring on the pork!

verbafacio at 2:14PM on 12/09/08

It's so hard to rank things like pork memories or even favorite pork dishes. It doesn't suffice to say that the pig is my favorite animal of all.

Here's an experience I love: going to a Pilsen, Chicago carnicería on Saturday afternoon for some carnitas, fresh chorizo, and lard. They never know how much to charge for the lard (it's often free), which comes either directly from moving the carnitas around and ladling up the deliciousness, or from the crock back in the kitchen where it's alread (partly) solidified). Along with a few pounds of masa and some spicy chips, I bike home and cook for the rest of the afternoon, usually from a Diana Kennedy book, though Bayless is great too. Often, the next Sunday will involve more pork (sopes con chicharron; anything al pastor) at the Maxwell St. Market.

malecki at 2:14PM on 12/09/08

Shortly after I started dating my husband, we went for a somewhat-hungover, somewhat-lovestruck brunch at a coffee shop in the Mission.

On the menu? "Bacon, $11.00". Under main dishes.

He ordered it and out it came: a big blue plate piled high with bacon and half a lemon for garnish. I knew he was a keeper, though, when he finished the whole thing.

atomic_violin at 2:19PM on 12/09/08

pig roasts in the backyard with family, neighbors and friends!

Jeane at 2:20PM on 12/09/08

My boyfriend and I had been dating less than a month when my birthday came around. He invited me to his apartment, poured some wine, served me cheese and fruit to snack on, and cooked the most delicious pork roast with apple and sage stuffing. Not only was it a sweet gesture, but the roast was incredible!

CandyBean at 2:20PM on 12/09/08

I made pulled pork from a roasted pig that my husband's friend made - YUM!

tsegada at 2:22PM on 12/09/08

My first "grown up" pet was a cat who could be described as a Serious Eater. Sometime during her first year, I was reheating leftover ham and side dishes and left my plate on the counter. I went to the fridge to put the food containers back inside and when I turned back around, kitty was up on the counter, the ham slice firmly clinched between her teeth. Noooo!!!! After a brief, wide-eyed, deer-in-the-headlights moment (I'm talking about both of us!), she sprang from the counter and took off across the kitchen and into the dining room, dragging the slice of ham. After I eventually grabbed her and pried the ham from her jaws, I had a great laugh. Kitty, however, wasn't amused by the ham deprivation. Although she did learn not to jump on the counters, she never gave up trying to sneak food whenever she saw an opportunity.

holdthemayo at 2:23PM on 12/09/08

Oh. My. God. I HAVE TO WIN THIS. Most of my fondest pork memories come from a trip to Spain many years ago, where they have entire stores that sell nothing but pork products.

wisekaren at 2:23PM on 12/09/08

Meeting my wife's family in Spain for our honeymoon-- we did a lot of picnicking. Every day held several new cured pork delights, each more delightful than the last!

Mandevu at 2:25PM on 12/09/08

the first time I had serrano ham (from Zingermans)

oishi at 2:30PM on 12/09/08

Back in Wisconsin, the Optimist Club hosted a yearly fundraiser, the Pancake and Porky breakfast.

I didn't care much for the pancakes, each year I saved room for the porkies. It was the only time of the year I could eat all the sausage I wanted.

When I was eight, I ate 23 porkies.
Twenty-three links in one sitting.
And I was neither sick nor tired of porkies.

I simply had a calm sense of well-being.
Om, indeed.

helenjane at 2:32PM on 12/09/08

One of the best pork experiences I had (and shared) came in Germany when I was studying abroad. My ever resourceful mother managed to smuggle over a few packages of country ham so I could cook my international hallmates a true southern breakfast. They were particularly impressed with the salty deliciousness of country ham! Nothing beats it.

posephus at 2:33PM on 12/09/08

bucatini amatriciana

lavenhouse at 2:36PM on 12/09/08

Roasted suckling baby pig from a chinese restaurant. The meat was still warm and the skin was crispy. I would dipped the skin with honey. It was delicious!

mchow at 2:36PM on 12/09/08

My favorite pork memory is watching my parents make "lap yook", the Chinese style air-cured bacon. I loved watching my parents prepare this tasty, oh-so-healthy treat. :) The best part was EATING IT over perfectly cooked white rice. Oh so good! I can see those pork pieces in my rice bowl now...

Nothing like home cooking!

Gastro888 at 2:37PM on 12/09/08

I have several fondest pork memories--first is when my daughter was a little girl and I would take her out to eat I knew that she would be happy if I could order her bacon. She loved bacon. Her favorite dish is one with pasta, cream sauce and pork sausages from Marcella Hazan. Another fond memory is from earlier this year when I ordered the pork chop at The Little Owl for my birthday.

SEFB9118 at 2:38PM on 12/09/08

Favorite pork memory is from last night's bowl of kimchee jijae with pork spare ribs over rice. homemade with love.

gsd96rk1 at 2:39PM on 12/09/08

my favorite memory os from six weeks ago when I discovered Ma Wilson's sausage shop just up Highway 23 from my home.

peregrinatio at 2:39PM on 12/09/08

When I was about 10 years old, we went to visit some relatives in Michigan and they had a pork roast where they cooked the entire pig buried in the ground all day. I was fascinated.

mmiller at 2:39PM on 12/09/08

I did the whole "i don't eat pork" thing in college. It was trendy. So I guess my favorite moment was when I got back to eating bacon from the cafe. Not only did I get it every morning, but the ladies gave me a small container full of bacon rather than the 3-piece serving. Raise your fork, praise the pork!

_greenbean at 2:43PM on 12/09/08

Like any good Jew, I have a ton of pork memories. Most recently, though were the ridiculous pan-fried soup dumplings I had in Shanghai.

Shelby at 2:45PM on 12/09/08

is when my dad brings home a few lbs of fresh roasted pork from chinatown and us kids would fight to pick a piece or two of the crunchy pork skin before sitting down for dinner.

maomau at 2:47PM on 12/09/08

Well, I have a few. The first would be visiting my grandfather's pig farm when I was a kid. We never saw them do any slaughtering but I do remember I loved seeing all the baby pigs. For a pork-eating memory, I'd have to go with traveling through Spain in 2001 and tasting jamon iberico for the first time, and seeing all the hams hanging from the ceilings of tapas bars - complete with a little cup to catch any drippings as they aged.

Catherine at 2:47PM on 12/09/08

Best pork memory? Probably a perfectly done schweinebraten in Munich with a few liters of dunkel.

kaszeta at 2:51PM on 12/09/08

My best memory is best described by this comic from XKCD: http://xkcd.com/418/

jlweber at 3:10PM on 12/09/08

My favorite pork memory is when the s/o and I went to a B&B in Pennsylvania. We only made it to breakfast one day (too early in the morning), but there was a great sausage patty with apples that my s/o still talks about.

plantainsandkimchi at 3:10PM on 12/09/08

my favorite pork memory is when I cured my very own bacon. The hardest part was finding a pork belly. Other than that it was easy, and it was the best bacon ever. Okay, well the second try was the best bacon ever. the first try i went a little crazy with the salt cure.

ironstef at 3:17PM on 12/09/08

The first time I had a Big Bob Gibson pulled pork sandwich.

hamkracker at 3:19PM on 12/09/08

A dish that we always have with family friends at a Chinese restaurant in Queens is a huge cut of pork shoulder, braised to juicy, disintegrate-on-the-tongue perfection. I still remember the first time I had my first bite. It was pure heaven.

looloopoopie at 3:23PM on 12/09/08

My favorite pork memory: the first time I made carnitas was also the time I chose to make Six Pounds of carnitas for a two-person meal. (I still have no concept of proper portions.) I was still new to the kitchen, and I think it took 8 hours to get through all the steps. But I succeeded, and was rewarded by the softest, crispiest, most flavorful pork I've ever met. We ate burritos and other pork-filled meals for two weeks because we were afraid that freezing it would kill the magic. Praise the Lard, indeed.

squidlette at 3:24PM on 12/09/08

Tlacenka--a kind of headcheese/pate--in Prague. It took me a few days to get up the nerve to try it, but once I did, I couldn't get enough.

cathjf at 3:29PM on 12/09/08

my fondest porcine memory is my first tasting of jamón ibérico de bellota at a tapas bar in Granada...oh la la...nothing compares...

jinx35 at 3:29PM on 12/09/08

My favorite pork memory happened this year after I read about the double bacon fatty melt on your website. I went home and made the amazing concoction with extra bacon. I'm pretty sure I could feel the cholesterol in my veins... but I'd do it again.

hungryone at 3:30PM on 12/09/08

the first time I tasted Fette Sau's pork belly and tears came to my eyes.

adamw at 3:31PM on 12/09/08

As a kid, every Sunday morning was pancake and bacon day.....Dad would stand at the stove and fry bacon (and pancake after pancake) and the whole family would sit down to eat....the bacon was delicious.....he would cut it himself and always do something creative.....one week it would be hand-peppered and the next week it would be coated with maple or brown sugar and it was such a wonderful combination of sweet and savory....

elderberry44 at 3:39PM on 12/09/08

recently i had the most fantastic pork belly i've ever tried at a japanese place, bozu, in brooklyn. good god. they even do this thing where they serve it with a hard boiled egg that somehow has pork fat inside. i don't know how it's done, but it's magical.

sarahlucy at 3:40PM on 12/09/08

Pig Candy at Detroit's TasteFest this past summer. Take the thickest slab of belly bacon and fry in a slightly salty brown sugar glaze.....the angels wept.

sheldel at 3:48PM on 12/09/08

pork belly with a fried quail egg on top - just one perfect glorious bite

Dolcezza at 3:53PM on 12/09/08

Barstow chicharrones, from the meat market on the road out of town toward Ft. Irwin. They were more like freshly fried carnitas than pork rinds, but they were available on Saturdays, hot, by the pound in brown paper sacks, right out the fryer full of melted smokey lard. 1.5 inch cubes of pure hog heaven, they were. Geez, I'm starting to cry remembering them. All we have here in San Antonio on Saturdays that doesn't even come close, is barbacoa.

dksbook at 4:02PM on 12/09/08

those big pork tenderloins you get in the midwest--the ones that look like flying saucers on buns.

carusoc at 4:30PM on 12/09/08

The carnitas I made a couple of months ago and shared with a great friend.

azured00 at 4:36PM on 12/09/08

My husband makes the best smoked pork around, so my favorite pork memory is the last time he got out the smoker!

dudgeonk at 4:41PM on 12/09/08

@finsbigfan - amen! That sounds just like my Christmas Eve :)

bitchincamero at 4:44PM on 12/09/08

My mom makes the best braised pork belly traditional Taiwanese way.

eileen216 at 4:45PM on 12/09/08

My fondest memory is slow braising a shoulder of pork in the oven for 10+ hours. The flavor was so intense that it was melting in my mouth.

Natalie at 4:57PM on 12/09/08

when my wife and I started dating, she was a vegetarian. When she gave up the ghost for the love of food, pork quickly became her favorite meat. We've enjoyed many of our best dinner dates over pork belly, carnitas, and roast. But I really fondly remember one unseasonably warm New Year's Eve where we spent an hour in a Soho playground park, eating subs from Parisi's in our shirtsleeves.

mickeymets at 5:10PM on 12/09/08

My favorite pork memory is giving myself (and my parents too!) a gift last xmas of Zingerman's Bacon club...woohoo. That was good and sooooo tasty. I lived on bacon for months.

aburke at 5:15PM on 12/09/08

my favorite pork memory has to be the first time i experienced the pure goodness that is carnitas.

Eddie at 5:18PM on 12/09/08

My first taste of Carnitas at our local hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant was fantastic. It was served with fresh made corn tortillas, chopped onion, chopped cilantro and a little lime juice. The meat was juicy and crispy and wonderful!

Louisa at 5:21PM on 12/09/08

On Sesame Street (I think), when I was growing up, there was a song about all the things you could smell with your nose. The end line of each verse was "I can smell the bacon frying, I'm so glad I've got a nose", and to this day any time my mom makes bacon she sings that song. I love it.

brandi at 5:28PM on 12/09/08

I remember when I was younger that my uncle would butcher an entire roasted pig for any big family gathering. It was quite the sight for my childhood eyes, watching him with a apron and a huge cleaver chopping up that pig into tasty bite-sized pieces of piggy goodness.

mozart23 at 5:32PM on 12/09/08

Growing up in Hong Kong, having whole roasted pig on special occasions. The crunchy skin is amazing.

winkyj at 5:43PM on 12/09/08

My Nana slaughters her own pigs on her property on Long Island. No bacon I have had since will ever come close.

eat_a_cookies at 5:45PM on 12/09/08

I didn't eat pork for years, and then I spotted some prosciutto-wrapped asparagus at an opening night party for a play I was pissed I wasn't in. In my moment of weakness, the doors to pork swung open wide, inviting me back into the fold. Yum.

mscherryclafouti at 6:16PM on 12/09/08

Around Labor Day, my grandfather used to buy 2 whole pigs and take them by our house in the back of his truck while my sister and I waited for the bus. All the neighborhood kids wondered what was up. "That's for the pig roast," we'd say. I was only about 7, but my mouth would water seeing those pigs.

scaevola at 6:18PM on 12/09/08

Driving around rural Vermont looking for a smokehouse because they supposedly had the BEST bacon ever. After much debate and driving, we found it. And it was good. Four of us ate close to two pounds. Ouch and mmmmmm.

iahawk89 at 6:21PM on 12/09/08

frying bacon was the first thing I really noticed hearing -- such a distinct sound! -- after having my ear-drum repaired

bibliothecaire at 6:29PM on 12/09/08

As a Seattleite, nearly anything from the elder Mr. Batali's Salumi shop-- his mouthwatering mole sausage or his peerless pancetta to name just two of the delights that can be found there-- would qualify.

ChristineW at 6:40PM on 12/09/08

just this weekend i was pulling a nice 6 lb pork loin roast out of the freezer to defrost for monday's dinner. as i was trying to maneuver a few things around to get the roast out, it came flying out and crashed into my knee before landing on my foot. i ended up with an immediate welt on my knee which turned into a nice black raised bruise about 3 inches in diameter. i got my revenge monday night by roasting and eating the offending piece of pork. ironically, it ended up being the best pork roast i've eaten in my entire life.

lexophile at 6:47PM on 12/09/08

Visiting Munich last Summer, I had the opportunity to indulge in an entire schweinshaxe at the Augustiner beer garden. I am now addicted to crackling which horrifies my vegetarian friends.

rockfish42 at 6:58PM on 12/09/08

favorite pork memory: As a kid going over to my mexican friends house and having homemade chorizo from his mom! DELICIOUS!

hoff_83 at 7:21PM on 12/09/08

I just had some yummy pork ribs at the Hickory House in Parker, CO yesterday, yum!

rockymountainmarta at 7:48PM on 12/09/08

I took my dad to brunch at a restaurant in Atlanta and I ordered a side of bacon - smoky, rich deliciousness. I spent three days after hounding the restaurant buyer, the meat supplier, and then the one retail counter in town that sold Nueske's bacon. Now I can mail order my fix.

renoles at 7:52PM on 12/09/08

Carnitas. Chorizo. Bacon. It is so hard to pick a favorite, but I love waking up to my Mom's chorizo and eggs. Yummy.

mrsglowtone at 8:13PM on 12/09/08

Witnessing my husband take what he thought was a big spoonful of corn beef hash at a Pennsylvania Dutch buffet-- and then spitting it out, forcefully, when it became apparent that it was pudding! (In Western Maryland, this is very greasy hog offal).

shalomblack at 8:15PM on 12/09/08

OMG, I love bacon fried very crisp for awesome BLT's.
For the memory part would be helping with the fall dressings of hogs.
Everything was used nose to tail.

pamelakrest at 8:19PM on 12/09/08

I rent a room from someone whose religion won't allow me to cook pork or shellfish in the house. When my mom sent me Portuguese sausages from Hawaii, I called up a friend and a new tradition was born - I go to her house, cook breakfast (all the pork I care to cook!) and we relax over breakfast and coffee. Mmmm. That's a true friend.

disbelief11 at 8:32PM on 12/09/08

The excitement of my nephews over the pork at the luau on Maui. They were truly in hog heaven.

karen r at 8:45PM on 12/09/08

Smelling freshly rendered lard for the first time. Yummy.

laurachoc at 9:06PM on 12/09/08

having been a "non-red-meat-atarian" for about 15 years, my fondest pork memory occured about 6 months ago. my first taste of pork in 15 years. it was succulent, tender, divinely delivious. tossed in herbs and flour and baked with sweet potatoes, onions, hot peppers and pineapple.

redhead at 9:08PM on 12/09/08

Hanging out with the elder Cubanos as they debated the proper way of cooking lechon asado (Cuban Roast Pig). Caja China, in ground, etc. All while they were smoking those big cigars.

darango at 9:21PM on 12/09/08

every october, i get to thinking about the new york times' bacon-wrapped meatloaf that will be served as new year's eve dinner in my house.
it's that good.

andshewas at 9:39PM on 12/09/08

Mom was cooking breakfast one morning when the curtains on the window next to the stove caught on fire. She grabbed the nearest thing - some bacon slices - and used those to beat the flames. Fortunately, Dad came to the rescue with the fire extinguisher. That is my fondest pork memory!

Spicy at 9:48PM on 12/09/08

About 9 years ago on a visit to my grandparents in the Philippines. The celebratory lechon (roast whole pig) roasted in the backyard, was the best I've ever eaten. Maybe it's the taste of memory but I have never tasted a better lechon since.

lourdes at 9:52PM on 12/09/08

Candied bacon salted caramel ice cream.

madball911 at 9:55PM on 12/09/08

the day prosciutto brought my vegetarian sister back to the side of carnivores.

grubgirl at 10:00PM on 12/09/08

My finest moment in relation to pork is the day I discovered chocolate covered bacon at the local confectionarie.

It was a little taste of heaven.

Recently, I have also been converted to lard and other animal fats as well...

Crossing my fingers :)

jazzinx at 10:01PM on 12/09/08

I think my fondest pork memory is one from about three years ago: My wife shared our first kiss over bacon and Hostess ding-dongs. How could anything ever top that? :)

SredniV at 10:48PM on 12/09/08

My first taste of water chestnuts wrapped in bacon, I coul eat thouse until I die.

Sigilum at 11:08PM on 12/09/08

Oooo. This Chinese dish, have no idea of its name--involves very fatty cuts of pork (loin maybe) stewed with these sour-salty preserved vegetables. Slightly bitter, a hint of green medicinal goodness, and all delicious :)

Pammeh at 11:19PM on 12/09/08

All of them. My first taste of Petit Jean Pepper Bacon as a kid on camping a camping trip. The first bacon after being a vegetarian for 7 years. When my wife and I decided to determine if Bacon really did make everything better and tried many many things with bacon (and bacon + chocolate really is that good). Selling bacon + chocolate chip cookies at a church bazaar to rave reviews. Making Cochinita Pibil. Which might be my favorite pork preparation now.

allenb at 11:53PM on 12/09/08

Slow roasted suckling pig on the beach in the Philippines. Best food memory ever.

lawman at 11:54PM on 12/09/08

Cooking a whole pig in the imu or the smokehouse for a luau when growing up. Mmmmmm....

mochihead at 11:57PM on 12/09/08

Every time I open my fridge and look in the bottom drawer, 2 kilos of Colonnata lardo over 3 years aged now - slowly being shaved down into moments of ecstasy.

lardarium at 12:01AM on 12/10/08

raising, butchering and then curing my first pork belly

tenpointfarmer at 12:01AM on 12/10/08

there are too many to count. one would be my wake 'n bacon party where people came over in their pajamas and we had over 15 pounds of bacon (more than anyone could eat). this included bacon infused vodka bloody marys along with many bacon dishes.

iamtheresa at 12:17AM on 12/10/08

Eating Szechuan twice cooked pork belly for the first time and then eating the leftovers with mantou. Equally as good is my Dad's soy sauce shallow fried pork belly.

maportofu at 1:00AM on 12/10/08

Definately making a perfect pork shoulder and over the course of the week eating it in everything i could get my hands on.
Mac n' Cheese
Ramen
Sandwiches
Dumplings
Soup
EVERYTHING!

bobfole at 1:01AM on 12/10/08

I really have a thing for sausage, any kind, so being in Berlin and eating a real German bratwurst with spicy mustard is just about the best thing that ever happened to me in terms of pork products. The brat was about a foot long and 1/4 inch around and was served in a crusty roll about the size of a hamburger bun. So hard to eat, but oh so good.

Of course, that was the same trip that I walked into a charcuterie in Belgium and was so depressed that I couldn't buy any sausages because I had no way to keep them fresh or cook them. So many beautiful pieces of meat, too!

Cadence at 7:11AM on 12/10/08

Confession...I gave up bacon for about 15 years. It was the highly irrational decision of a three year old. Thankfully I rediscovered the crispy stuff in college as it was one of the more palatable breakfast offerings at the dining hall. Oh, if I could turn back time... I need to make up for those lost years.

BrooklynBrownie at 8:36AM on 12/10/08

My favorite pork memory is of the pork roasts that my mom would make for Sunday dinner. She stuffed little slivers of garlic inside the meat, roasted it until it was falling apart and then served it up with big piles of sauerkraut and mashed potatoes.

Rottenmom at 8:47AM on 12/10/08

As much as I love bacon and all things bacon, my favorite bacon memory is actually a negative experience. We had a bunch of friends at Zingerman's Roadhouse and, after a truly wonderful meal, I ordered the bacon apple pie. And normally while bacon goes with everything (mostly), this one just...didn't...work. Maybe it was the large chunks of bacon that didn't fit texturally, maybe it was the abrupt clash of sweet and savory with no bridging elements. Even so, we had a lot of fun passing around the plate and getting everyone's reactions, and had a lively discussion on how the dish could be improved. I think this was just one small bump in what was otherwise an excellent dining experience, and the entertainment value if nothing else made it quite worth it!

DuncanHusky at 8:54AM on 12/10/08

My favorite bacon memory ... one Christmas, I spent with close friends. One of them cooked breakfast for us and used SOY bacon ..... it was so wrong but very funny that she tried to "trick" us!

mrsbao at 10:25AM on 12/10/08

When I realized the difference between standard supermarket pork shoulder and organic, free range pork. Amy from Amy's Meats (KCMO area) was giving out samples at Whole Foods. Really, I bought it just because it felt awkward to eat her food and not buy some. Truthfully, I was a little afraid when I saw how much I had bought (quantity and price). But, when I cooked it, it was AMAZING! Rich and sweet and oh-so tender. It is all I buy now.

twosavoie at 10:38AM on 12/10/08

Last year I visited a friend in Vegas and she took me to a little dive bar named the Double Down. The Double Down has two signature drinks; one is obscenely titled & I shall not name it though I believe Anthony Bourdain had it (saw that ep after the trip), the other is a bacon martini. Well, I do love the bacon so I got one. The bartender grabbed a bottle of vodka with bacon floating in it. Seriously.

Conclusion? Straight alcohol not consumed in shot form is not really my thing but it was interesting. The smell was absolutely putrid, but the taste wasn't bad. Like vodka with a smack of bacon.

A much more delicious story involves hippies & a Wilbur roasted underground luau style, but the bacon martini is definitely my favorite pork story.

graciecat at 10:40AM on 12/10/08

Last year I visited a friend in Vegas and she took me to a little dive bar named the Double Down. The Double Down has two signature drinks; one is obscenely titled & I shall not name it though I believe Anthony Bourdain had it (saw that ep after the trip), the other is a bacon martini. Well, I do love the bacon so I got one. The bartender grabbed a bottle of vodka with bacon floating in it. Seriously.

Conclusion? Straight alcohol not consumed in shot form is not really my thing but it was interesting. The smell was absolutely putrid, but the taste wasn't bad. Like vodka with a smack of bacon.

A much more delicious story involves hippies & a Wilbur roasted underground luau style, but the bacon martini is definitely my favorite pork story.

graciecat at 10:40AM on 12/10/08

Chorizo and egg breakfast tacos on my first trip to Austin. Amazing.

anninva at 10:58AM on 12/10/08

My favorite pork memory is back when I was a sous chef at a restaurant and I dared a waiter to drink a quart of pork fat......and he did. It was a good day.

Soigne at 2:19PM on 12/10/08

There are so many! Well, a few months ago one of our local pig farmers had quarter suckling pigs for sale at the farmers' market. His pork is old breed, free-range raised: the real thing. I scored the skin and rubbed w/ salt and pepper and a little Aleppo. Placed it on a pile of sage and thyme from the garden, with some orange zest and a head of garlic cut in half and roasted about 2 hours. While the pork rested, I deglazed the pan with a little white wine and chicken stock...just to make a little bit of liquid. The skin was crisp; the meat was soft, moist and seemingly fat free; all was fraqrant with the herbs. And my two best friends who love to cook and eat were there to share it. Perfect! Thanks, Emile! (The pig farmer)

tmdonahue at 3:08PM on 12/10/08

Thank you for participating, and congratulations to our winners: hamkracker

Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page.

Adam Kuban at 3:08PM on 12/10/08