As one might expect, in a book called Pig: King of the Southern Table there's a lot of talk about barbecue. But for those of us who live outside the realm of real barbecue, and might not even have the luxury of an outdoor space to grill James Villas has kindly shared this recipe for Smoky Oven-Roasted Spareribs. Yes, they are oven roasted, and no, they are not real barbecue but, for coming out of a conventional oven these ribs are pretty spectacular. More

Although these Tarpon Springs Greek Burgers from Pig: King of the Southern Table by James Villas have their roots in Greek flavors and culinary traditions, the evolution of the recipe is truly American in nature. Originally served in diners in Tarpon Springs, a town on the west coast of Florida, the Greek proprietors surely would have preferred to make these patties with lamb. But in the South, pork was plentiful and inexpensive and so the Greek pork burgers were born. More

This Great Smoky Bacon, Country Ham, and Sauerkraut Pie is a savory pie somewhere between a quiche and choucroute. I know the combination doesn't sound all that appealing at first, but in this case it really works. A custardy mix of eggs and cream are mixed with caramelized onions, sauerkraut, and caraway seeds, all poured into a pie crust that's been brushed with Dijon mustard. On top of that goes chopped country ham and a bit of chopped parsley—it does wonders to lend a lightness to what's otherwise a very serious pie. More

Pimento cheese is one of my all-time-favorite desert-island foods, so when I came across this recipe for Bacon-Pimento Cheese Bread I was instantly in love. Incorporating all of the ingredients for pimento cheese into a loaf of white bread along with some crisp bacon seemed almost too good to be true. And of course, there was the even more intriguing possibility of spreading the bread with a little more pimento cheese. More

I'm going to go out on a limb here and declare that this Candied Pecan Bacon from Pig: King of the Southern Table by James Villas might very well be the best cocktail hour snack ever. I realize that this is a bold statement but once you've tried these crisp, sweet and salty strips of pecan-crusted bacon you'll surely be on board. Making this might require a little more effort than, say, putting out a bowl of olives or nuts, but the payoff is worth it. Paired with some bourbon-based cocktails, it doesn't really get any better. More