I have long joked that one would never have to worry about me being in anyway affiliated with left-wing Muslim groups, because there is no way on this sweet earth that I could ever, ever, ever stop eating Pork!  Ok, ok, I jest, but I mean seriously, is there anything more delicious? From crisp and chewy, perfectly marbled bacon, to golden seared and juicy stuffed Pork Loin, to the Holy Grail of them all, succulent braised Pork Belly! How can you resist it?

Mmmmmmm, Pork Belly! Is there anything better? That perfect blend of salt, fat and tender sweet meat blending together oh so perfectly, into one foodgasmic bite. Excuse me while I wipe my tears of JOY! And pork in its leaner forms is actually quite good for you. There are lots of cuts that can be incorporated into a very healthy diet, particularly if you are trying to avoid “red” meat. Pork Belly is a decadent food item for sure, not to be eaten every day, lest you are particularly interested in double bypass heart surgery. However, the occasional indulgence is not only necessary, it should be encouraged.

Why encouraged you might ask? Think about it; is there any animal more versatile than the pig? I mean when it comes to sustainable living it seems that the pig would be right up there at the top of the list.  

Almost all of the pig can be used as food. Beyond the obvious cuts above there are also all the delicious specialty meats such as sausage, bacon, ham, skin into scratching or rinds and feet into trotters. Even the head is used to make a delicious meat jelly called head cheese. The liver, heart, chitterlings and blood are put to good use also, in a number of good ways from pate to blood pudding. And the bones can clearly be roasted for marrow and to make stock. I mean really-- there is nothing left to waste! Even the ears can be eaten and if that sounds disgusting to you I’m sure your dog would seriously beg to differ!

Pigs have inherited this horrible stigma of being filthy animals that are susceptible to disease due to their eating habits. People seem turned off by the fact that pigs eat just about anything including other pigs. But I mean can you blame them— even they know they’re delicious! But the truth is intensive pig farming regulations have made pigs just as safe to consume as just about any livestock that is farmed these days. It is certainly at least as safe as chicken, which face it... everybody eats without so much as a second thought.

Over the years rules and regulations through Food handling programs around the world, such as the FDA have minimized the risk that there is with contaminated meat. The larger issue at hand is the way in which meat is prepared before service. In other words leaving meat out at the wrong temperature, under cooking meat or consuming old meat is where the real risk of food related illness lies. Even beyond that, Pork is still considered one of the safest meat options. In prior times Trichinosis was the disease that most people were concerned about when it came to Pork products. However, over the years through drug programs such as vitamins and antibiotics being administered preemptively, these concerns have been diminished. Contrary to the common belief, hormones and steroids are not used for growth measures in swine facilities. U nless you are talking about home farmed non regulated pig meat, disease risk has become almost nonexistent. In fact, Seafood, Beef and Poultry all have a higher risk of inherent disease/ contamination than Pork, and yet we eat those with far less scorn and judgment.

I say it’s time to erase that stigma from our social society. Remove the scarlet P, which plagues its reputation. Embrace our four legged bristly friends, with open minds and stomachs. I intend to continue to do my part, one delicious strip of bacon at a time, and I encourage you to do the same. So the next time you refer to someone or something as being Filthy as a Pig, take a moment and ponder, perhaps a Chicken or a Cow may be a far more suitable comparison.

About the author: Maurisa Glinton is a Grand Bahamian native. She is an Entrepreneur, Chef and Writer. She has a B.A. in Psychology and Writing, as well as Diplomas in Culinary Arts and Culinary Management. She is a Festival Noel winner and the Head Chef/ Owner of Social Butterfly Catering Services . Evidence of her passion for food and its surrounding culture comes across clearly in her cooking and her writing. Maurisa is also the writer of her own Food Blog, Chez Mo Truth . Maurisa currently resides in Nassau and can be reached at chezmotruth@gmail.com . You can also follow her on Twitter as @ChezMoTruth .