As Joel Salatin eloquently stated in the foreword to Beyond Bacon by Matthew McCarry and Stacy Toth, “a pig is more than bacon.” While bacon is typically considered to be the gateway meat that is able to convert even the staunchest vegetarian into an omnivore, there is so much more nutrition and culinary delight to be gained from the rest of the animal.
I believe pork is underrated in the Paleo world, with most consuming bacon as a garnish or side dish without a second thought to the rest of the animal. This is why I was excited to receive my copy of Beyond Bacon – I love cooking with pastured pork, lard, ribs, jowls, and even the trotters.
Beyond Bacon: A delicious ode to pork that respects the whole hog.
Beyond Bacon is not only a beautifully designed cookbook with loads of delicious recipes such as Asian Short Ribs, Apple and Bacon Stuffed Pork Chops, and even desserts like Yellow Lard Cake and Apple Fritters, but it also contains an incredibly informative foreword explaining how to find affordable pastured pork, the history of pig cultivation, the nutritional science of pork, and the best tools to use in the kitchen when cooking with the whole hog. You’ll even learn how to create your own pork stock and render your own lard.
McCarry and Toth also share their family’s story, which was first described on their website, Paleo Parents. They explain how eating a Paleo lifestyle has helped their family lose weight, gain energy, and eliminate countless health problems that were significantly reducing their overall quality of life for many years. Further, they share the overall goal of Beyond Bacon: to remove readers’ fear of organ meats, bone broth, and healthy fats, and to provide delicious ways of incorporating nourishing pastured pork products into the diet. They even explain how followers of the Paleo, Primal, and Weston A. Price-approved diets can rest assured that eating pork will not negatively affect their health, and can even improve it.
The photography is stunning, and showcases the local farms that McCarry and Toth source their pastured pork products from. They explain the importance of finding a reputable source of pastured pork, describing the environmental, health, and even flavor benefits of choosing properly-raised hogs over their CAFO counterparts. Not to mention, it’s easy to see how happy these pigs are when flipping through this book – there are even photos where you’d swear the pig was smiling! While some may take this as an excuse not to eat pork, I see these images as confirming my dedication to finding properly-raised animals for moral, environmental, and personal health reasons.
For more information and even some recipe samples from Beyond Bacon, you can check out Stacy and Matt’s blog here, where they reveal a few of their recipes and special features, and share other reviews of the cookbook. If you’re ready to buy the book, you can click here to order it from Amazon. You won’t be disappointed in this remarkable addition to your Paleo bookshelf, and you just might discover a newfound love for headcheese, chitterlings, and organ-rich scrapple! This truly is a cookbook that respects the whole hog.
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It’s a HUGE myth that bacon has something like 6 to 10 grams of protein per ounce.
It has very little protein. Maybe one gram on an ounce.
Bacon is mostly fat, and there is no protein in fat.
But, boy, do I looooove bacon! 🙂
There is a local ethnic store which does its own butchery. I can get just about any pig part from this store. I assume they are CAFO animals though.My certified organic farmers breed their own pigs and grow their own corn to make sure they are healthy. They tell me that they can’t get organs and feet from the slaughterhouse. It is really disappointing. I’ll bet the slaughterhouse is selling them to China.
I agree bacon is tasty, but why is american bacon more fatty and less tasty than english or irish bacon?
Have you considered the typically diet and fed consumed by most pigs/hogs? They eat almost anything including garbage. A pigs diet makes the concern over corn fed chicken and beef seem silly (when we have learned and gained so much from realizing the benefits of grass feed animals) . Additionally the way their digestive system and stomach works what good or bad things they eat are in their products we consume. If you want to take care of your body you must also be concerned about the fed of the animal products you consume. Pork products are not included in my diet even if pasturized.
I have yet to find pastured pork. I am curious about it because I haven’t eaten pork in about 12 years now. I did however have wild boar for the first time a few weeks ago and fell completely in love with the delicious red meat. I am officially a huge fan! 😉
Hi Chris,
This is a nice review. I’m now interested with this book. BTW, I just recently converted to paleo. Anyway, I will definitely order this online. Thanks for sharing! 🙂