Pork & Sons

In Praise of the Pig

Local pork specialist Christophe Dehosse reviews a book celebrating charcuterie.

French cuisine is often thought of as overly grand and sophisticated. But there is another side to French food which is altogether different: rich and hearty rural cooking, the culmination of simple ingredients and methods. Stéphane Reynaud, the grandson of a butcher and the co-owner of a Parisian restaurant, Villa 9 Trois, provides an intimate glimpse into this world.

 

As the title suggests, his Pork & Sons (Phaidon, 2007) focuses on pork. The French say "tout est bon dans le cochon" (everything is good in a pig), and the array of pork-based recipes in this book, ranging from mouthwatering ham sandwiches to stuff ed pigs' ears, bears out this proverb.

There are 150 recipes under categories such as "blood sausage", "for the love of sausages", "hamming it up", "pâtés and terrines", "barbecued pork" and "wild boar".

The recipes cover a wide spectrum catering for simple, sophisticated and adventurous palates. Moreover, the local nature of the recipes and Reynaud's subtle reinvention of classic dishes make Pork & Sons a unique and indispensable cookbook.

Instead of an impersonal selection of provincial recipes, Reynaud provides an affectionate account of the people, pigs and dishes particular to the Ardèche plateau, where he grew up in the small village of Saint-Agrève.

Here the rearing and slaughtering of pigs amount to a lifestyle. The people are down-to-earth and passionate about their livelihoods. A section of Pork & Sons devoted to the seasonal slaughtering of pigs reveals the deep respect the locals have for their work and their animals.

"Pig-killing", as the author fondly calls the ritual of slaughtering pigs, is treated as a festive and ceremonious aff air. Naturally, the preparation of food is aff orded the same reverence. Specialists in pork even have their own title, charcutiers, and the charcutier is more than just a butcher: he is a master in the art of pork butchery.

Although some of the ingredients are not readily available in South Africa, Reynaud indicates alternatives where necessary. He points out that "the standardisation of flavour in today's food industry has not yet reached the Ardèche region, where tradition mounts a good defence".

He therefore encourages getting to know your local butcher and grocer and delving into their expert knowledge, rather than shopping ignorantly at the supermarket all of the time.

The book is also beautifully designed: from the jacket cover resembling charcuterie wrapping to the witty illustrations, Pork & Sons is a testimony to authenticity. It comprises full-page photographs of both the recipes and of the locals at work, with an honesty and integrity that complements Reynaud's narrative.

Pork & Sons is an homage to the artisanal farmers, butchers and cooks who sustain the essence of French cuisine. In fact, the Michelin-starred restaurants of France's glittering cities rest on the firm foundations of France's traditional regional cooking.

The book also shows the important position that pork occupies in French gastronomic heritage. Above all, it inspires you to experience food as we ordinary French people do in our homes. Reynaud extends an invitation to his readers: "[W]hy not visit Saint-Agrève?

It's well worth it, for although you have to negotiate sharp bends in the road, you get to breathe clean air at a height of 3,300 feet. Spend some leisurely time here and you'll be a Saint-Agrève addict." Until then, Pork & Sons will take you there.

Christophe Dehosse established Joostenberg Bistro as a great place to eat everything from snout to tail before recently opening Restaurant Christophe in Stellenbosch.