Hawk that pork

Pork products are rising in popularity among diners and provide ideal, cost-effective dishes for pub menus.

Research from the British Pig Executive (BPEX) shows that customers want more pork on the menu and its foodservice development manager Richard Fagan says pork is cost-effective, and produces excellent profit margins.

Richard says: "We are seeing more dry-cured, breed-specified pork and ham on menus and our own research shows that consumers are enthusiastic about "real" ham sliced off the bone."

And more chefs are becoming adventurous. "Gastropubs have led the way in making the most of pork and other chefs are following suit, creating more innovative dishes," says Richard. "Pork is being used frequently as an indulgent protein alongside staples such as sausages and ribs."

Richard says belly pork - once considered a "Cinderella cut" - has gained popularity over the last five years. Recently, pork cheeks, collar and pork osso buccos - cut from the leg/foreshank of pork - have come to the fore.

One cut sure to be a money-spinner is the ham hock, readily available from butchers and offering great value. To inspire chefs, BPEX has devised a new ham hock terrine recipe, which costs about 90p per portion but can sell for between £3 and £5.

Richard says: "Slow-cooked ham hock is full of flavour and incredibly tender, and a terrine is an ideal starter."

BPEX foodservice trade manager Tony Goodger says air-dried ham attracts plenty of attention - it's "the new smoked salmon". Tony says the "luxury" tag often attached to salmon has dwindled over the last decade as more people buy it for in-home consumption, and with its demise, dry-cure ham has come into its own.

"Air-dried ham has re-emerged on many menus," says Tony. "It can be served simply with melon or asparagus as a starter, or used to add interest and depth of flavour to a main course - wrapped around monkfish or roast pork fillet, for example."

The UK is Europe's biggest importer of air-dried cured ham - BPEX says many chefs rely on imported meats, although many producers in their own country offer excellent-quality air-dried hams.

Tony says Cumbria, Dorset, Suffolk and other counties produce fantastic air-dried hams with taste and classic style equal to any Continental version and meeting British minimum legal standards for pig welfare.

More information about pork, including the BPEX ham hock terrine recipe is available at www.mlcfoodservice.com class="bold">Specialist suppliers​

Denhay, Dorset

Denhay's meat is sourced from British outdoor-reared herds carrying the RSPCA's Freedom Foods certification. Denhay Air Dried Ham won a bronze award in the Best Food category at the Taste of Britain Food Awards, run by the Daily Telegraph and Food from Britain. To obtain a prosciutto-style product, pork legs are cured on the bone in a mixture of apple juice, honey, salts and herbs, smoked over beech and air-dried for about a year.

www.denhay.co.uk

Richard Woodall, Cumbria

Established since 1828, Richard Woodall hams, bacon and sausages remain "unchanged", but the firm has invested in new premises. It claims to be the first business to produce prosciutto-style ham on a commercial scale in the UK. The firm says the 12 months of patience devoted to producing the mellow-flavoured ham are a worthwhile investment.

www.richardwoodall.com

Sillfield Farm, South Cumbria

Peter Gott keeps free-range wild boar and rare-breed pigs, recently adding Herdwick sheep and pedigree poultry. Traditional

home-rearing of pigs and dry-salting of pork have been in the Gott family for generations. He supplies Cumberland air-dried ham and wild boar air-dried salami, dry-cured back, middle and flitch bacon and dry-cured

honey-roasted ham.

www.sillfield.co.uk