It’s less than a month to Father’s Day. If you’re looking for something special and Dad is a pork lover, we love this idea:

Consider a gourmet combination plate—a pork version of a pu pu platter*.

This idea was inspired by steakhouse Rare Steak and Seafood in Washington, D.C. (photo #1).

Executive Chef Marc Hennessy serves a Pork Tasting charcuterie board that highlights nose-to-tail cuisine. He turns heritage pork from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia into a pork-four-ways plate, celebrating some of the different textures and flavors of pork cuisine:

  • Chicharrón (pork rinds), the skin with dried yellow chile.
  • Lardo, pork fat with salt.
  • Pork belly with black peppercorns and mustard.
  • Pork pâté with nutmeg and brandy (pâté campagnola in Italian, pâté campagne in French).
  •  
    The combination provides four different texture and flavor experiences.
     
     
    CREATE YOUR OWN PORK EXPERIENCE

    You can serve a pork variety plate as a first or second course, depending on the size of the portions. You can also purchase some of the ingredients, such as bacon jam, dumplings, fried pork rinds, meatballs pork sausage and pulled pork, among others, can be purchased.

    While there are many, many pork dishes, select four or five that can easily be served in neat portions on a combination plate. Pulled pork sliders work, pork stew doesn’t, unless you serve it in a ramekin to hold in the juices.

    Here are some ideas for your combination plate.

  • Apricot-prosciutto bites (recipe)
  • Artisan slab bacon
  • Bacon jam (recipe)
  • Bacon quiche or strata (recipe)
  • Bacon-wrapped link
  • BBQ deviled eggs (recipe)
  • BBQ pork butt (pulled pork—recipe)
  • Carnitas
  • Chinese egg roll (recipe)
  • Chinese pork bun (bao)
  • Chinese-style pork dumpling (recipe)
  • Choucroute garnie
  • Cracklings
  • Pork belly (photo #4) (lettuce wraps (recipe)
  • European air-cured hams: Bayonne, prosciutto, serrano (plain or wrapped around melon or asparagus)
  • Ham croquettes or fritters (photo #6)
  • Ham/ham skewers
  • Homemade pork rinds (recipe)
  • Pork chops (smaller chops from a crown roast of pork)
  • Pork fried rice
  • Pork liver mousse
  • Pork loin
  • Pork meatball (photo #3)
  • Pork pie
  • Pork rillettes
  • Pork rinds (recipe)
  • Pork sausage/bratwurst
  • Pork skewers
  • Pork spring rolls (recipe)
  • Pork taco (recipe)
  • Prosciutto-wrapped figs
  • Potato skins (photo #5)
  • Pulled pork slider (recipe)
  • Ribs
  • Suckling pig
  • Wild boar slider
  •  
     
    PORK RECIPES

  • Apricot Jam-Glazed Pork Tenderloin Roast
  • Baked Ham With Mojo Sauce
  • Bánh Mì Sandwich
  • Barbecue Pork Butt
  • Cayenne-Cinnamon Ribs With Maple Glaze
  • Cocoa Chile Baby Back Ribs
  • Frizzled Ham & Brussels Sprouts
  • Glazed Ham With Dried Cherries & Caramelized Onions
  • Grilled Mango Pork Loin
  • Grilled Pineapple Baby Back Ribs
  • Honey Rosemary Stuffed Pork Chops
  • Pork & Pear Pasta
  • Pork & Potato Stew
  • Pork Chops With Orange-Cherry Sauce
  • Pork Loin With Fontina, Prosciutto & Sundried Tomato Sauce
  • Pork Ramen Soup
  • Pork Tenderloin With Honey-Pomegranate Marinade
  • Pork Tenderloin With Rosemary-Plum Coulis
  • Pulled Pork
  • Spicy Pulled Pork In Tart Cherry Sauce
  • Spinach-Stuffed Pork Roast
  • Tofu gnocchi with minced pork
  • Vietnamese Pork & Shrimp Pancakes
  •  
     
    CHECK OUT OUR PORK CUTS GLOSSARY.
     
     

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    *A pu pu platter is an assortment of Chinese restaurant appetizers, is fun—and sounds so much more interesting than “assorted appetizers.” Here’s more about it.

    †Pork loin and pork tenderloin are not cut from the same part of the animal, and in fact, look really different — pork tenderloin is thin and small, while a pork loin is wide enough that you can cut steak-like pieces from it.

     

    Pork Combination Plate
    [1] Gourmet pork combination plate from Rare Steak and Seafood in D.C.: pork pâté, slow-cooked pork belly, chicharrón and lardo.

    Pork Kebabs
    [2] Pork skewers (photo courtesy National Pork Board).

    Pulled Pork Sliders
    [3] BBQ Pork Sliders (photo courtesy Pig Of The Month).

    Pork Meatballs
    [4] Pork meatballs (photo courtesy Frontier Fiesta).

    Pork Belly Appetizer
    [4] Pork belly on spicy tomatillo salad (photo courtesy Chef Eric B. LeVine).

    Pork Belly Potato Skins
    [5] Bacon or pork belly potato skins (here’s the recipe from Idaho Potato Commission)

    Ham Croquettes
    [6] Ham croquettes (photo courtesy Kyle Books).

     

      


    THE NIBBLE Blog – Adventures In The World Of Fine Food

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