Pork & Sons

This delightful, affectionate homage to the pig is a blend of cookbook and travel guide, celebrating the pig and the bounty it provides. Reynaud, the owner and chef of restaurant Ville 9 Trois, just outside of Paris, learned about pigs through his butcher grandfather, attending his first pig killing at the age of seven. Now, more than 30 years later, he shares his reverence for tradition and all that the pig offers in this exceptional book. Taking the reader on the journey from slaughter to table, he reveals a rich and rustic world largely unknown to most Americans. Readers meet Aimé, who can butcher a 400-pound pig in just a few hours; Blachou and his faithful dog, Florette, who help out during the slaughter; and the pâté team of Pompom, Kiki and Jacquy. Hearty, mouth-watering recipes—150 in all—range from the more common (Pork Tenderloins with Porcini Stuffing and Super Maxi Royale Choucroute) to the unusual (Pig's Tongue with Sorrel and Stuffed Pig's Ears). Sections on blood sausage, ham, sausage making and wild boar will fascinate as well as tantalize. Reynaud offers alternatives for hard-to-find ingredients and provides a list of mail-order butchers in the U.S. and France. Originally published in France in 2005, this collection is a must-have for cooks and food lovers everywhere. 240 color photos and 100 line drawings. (May)