I was very honored when Stacy and Matt, also known as Paleo Parents, asked if they could send me an advanced copy of their soon to be released new cookbook Beyond Bacon-Paleo Recipes That Respect The Whole Hog. My first reaction when I opened the package was "Wow, this is beautiful and so well done!!!" After flipping through the pages, I found myself engulfed and honesty wanted to go buy a pig...ok not a whole pig, but close!! The book is full of vibrant gorgeous photos of over 100 recipes.
I have never been a big pork eater (this cookbook will be changing that), probably because main stream media had led me to believe it was dirty. Well, let me tell you that is not true when it is sustainable and humanely raised. To be quite honest with you, I'd pick pork over poultry any day!!! They did a great job including information about the health benefits of pork and saturated fats. They also dedicated an entire chapter to the basics of pork, like making your own sausage, rendering your own lard and so much more! We all know how delicious bacon is and how to fry it and some of us may know a thing or two about cooking pork chops or tenderloin. But, for most of us, this book is a must and will get you so excited to try new recipes using the pig from nose-to-tail as they say! And for those of you that shy away from pork, this book will convince you it's a great source of healthy protein and fat at a reasonable price.
I started marking pages of all the recipes I wanted to try. First on my list was the Baconnaise so I could then make this awesome Faux-Tato Salad recipe that calls for jicama and celery root in place of the potatoes. This was awesome!!!! I can't believe how delicious jicama is cooked...and covered in bacon mayo! I have been cooking jicama so many different ways now and will have some ideas to share with you all soon! But, in the meantime, you need to go pre-order this book so you can make this salad, the bacon mayo and about 100 more recipes that are included! There is also excellent info about pork, how to buy it, cook it and recreate it!!
Next on the must make list: Sweet & Sour Pork, Asian Ginger Tenderloin, Sausage and Mushroom Gravy over Homestyle Biscuits, Dutch Apple Pie (Homemade Crust) and Triple Chocolate Freezer Fudge
You can pre-order Beyond Bacon today before it's released on July 2nd! If you are looking for sustainable humanely raised pork, I'd suggest checking out US Wellness Meats.