My daughter has recently been extolling the virtues of a dish she had at one of Edinburgh’s trendy Michelin starred restaurants: a starter of pig’s head and crispy ear. Her taste buds have changed since she was a child when it was a struggle to get her to eat anything other than spaghetti bolognaise, fish fingers and homemade chicken soup!
Whilst I would be hard pressed to cook up a pig’s head it seems that the pig is one of these animals where nothing need go to waste,  from trotters and hock to collar and neck. If your idea of cooking pork goes no further than getting the Schwartz rub out and barbecuing a few chops then maybe you should try something new.
Shoulder and collar are slightly tougher cuts of meat and are good for casseroling. They are also slightly fatty so don’t dry out when cooked for a long time. You can use stock, water or wine in your casserole and as it is a cheap cut it is excellent for those with a large family to feed. My favourite recipe for this cut is done in the slow cooker and uses root ginger, garlic, soy sauce, orange juice, hoi sin sauce and brown sugar.
I have to confess to never having tackled a trotter personally although we have eaten them in France and enjoyed them. A quick search on the internet does, however, throw up some interesting recipes if you fancy having a go: everything from pig trotter curry inspired by a Vietnamese recipe to pig’s trotter and ham hock terrine which I have to say looks yummy.
There are also lots of unusual recipes for the more well known cuts of pork.  Pork is not commonly served in Indian recipes due to the ban on Muslims eating pork but Pat Chapman’s hot, sour and spicy pork curry which uses coconut, chilli and tamarind definitely looks worth a try.

Pork and apples go together perfectly as we all know but as a change from the usual Sunday roast pork and apple sauce why not try combining them in a different way? Brittany in France produces some marvellous ciders and celebrity chef, James Martin, uses Breton cider and chicken stock in which to cook his loin of pork and caramelised apples. Finished off with a touch of crème fraiche it is a quick and delicious dish to make, straightforward enough to knock up on a weekday evening but special enough for a dinner party too.
Another fruit that does well in combination with pork is prunes. Whether you pan fry your pork with prunes and crème fraiche or casserole it with prunes and port it is a delicious mixture of flavours and a good way of getting one of your five fruit and veg a day.
Pork belly, one of the cheaper cuts of meat, has made a huge comeback in recent years and is particularly tasty when used in Chinese dishes. Pork ribs too are another Chinese favourite.
Pork also makes a great meat for barbecuing.  The summer may have been unreliable so far but, just in case we are in for an Indian summer, don’t put the barbecue away just yet. Schwartz makes some great rubs for marinating meat in preparation for cooking on the barbie or allow the great taste of good organic pork to speak for itself and cook it “naked”.  Pork and apple burgers (that good old combination again) also make a good change from the traditional beef burger.
Pork mince can be used instead of beef mince in a huge range of recipes such as spaghetti bolognaise, moussaka, chilli, burgers and shepherd’s pie, although perhaps we have to think of a better word than shepherd in this case and  swineherd just doesn’t sound righ