Beyond Bacon, Paleo Recipes that Respect the Whole Hog, Book Review

It’s not often that I get a cookbook and read cover to cover and truly enjoy every bit. It’s only happened twice before with “Mad About Macarons” and “Macarons” by Pierre Herme, both of which fueled my passion for macaron creation even more than it already was.

With Beyond Bacon, Paleo Recipes That Respect the Whole Hog, I stayed late into the night reading every single page from front to back! And I’m not kidding.

It is so much more than just a cookbook!

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By the end of my reading, I had learned a few new things I ignored about this beautiful animal, the hog, was thoroughly impressed by Stacy and Matt’s eloquent style, was salivating from all the mouth-watering photography, and had selected  something like 10 recipes to try immediately… I know eventually I will be trying almost all of them, if not all….granted I may not be making my own sausages until I find the time, but I can make patties out of the same recipes. And I’m totally intrigued about making head cheese at home…

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Reading Beyond Bacon has brought me back to my Spanish roots, when I lived in Spain and where we eat everything of the pork, from the snout and brains to the tail. In fact, we have a saying, which goes: “del cerdo, hasta los andares son bonitos,” meaning “of the pork, even the way it walks is nice”.

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Stacy and Matt, the authors of the Paleo Parents blog and Eat Like a Dinosaur (A Recipe and Guidebook for Gluten-free Kids), dedicate this book to the entire animal, from understanding how important it is that the hogs live and grow in a humane environment and  how that affects the quality of their lives and their meat, to rendering your own lard, making your own cracklings (something I’ve eaten so much of as a child when my great-uncle Benitez used to go to the market to buy them as something very special and sort of “forbidden” – back then everyone thought that eating animal fat was unhealthy and bad for our cholesterol levels; if only my dear uncle would be alive today, he would be so happy to know he doesn’t have to sneak around to eat these anymore. And even better yet, we can make them at home!), to explaining the health benefits of eating pork, dispelling the myths around the “risks” of consuming pork products, clarifying how to purchase the whole hog and recommending how to communicate with your butcher to get the right cuts for your needs, to beautifully presented, photographed and easy-to-follow recipes that include savoury dishes and sweet “thangs” that will intrigue and inspire you.

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The book is more than a book with recipes; it’s a well-written, well-researched, respectful praise to this animal, this omnivore, which has been domesticated since Neolithic times and is perfectly in balance (when raised humanely) with its environment both for us, its predators, and for the plants and animals lower than it on the food chain.

I was thoroughly captivated by the history and health lessons, which capture all of the important facts, yet are short and concise and do not bore or overwhelm.

And yes… drum roll…the recipe section is brilliant! Stacy and Matt cover everything from the basics, breakfast, mains, sides to of course desserts.

The first recipe that captured my eye was Schweinehaxe, a dish that we’ve had many times in Germany and with which I hadn’t thought of experimenting at home… now I will!  And then there’s Piggy Pot Pies made with Homestyle Biscuits, Savory Bacon Jam, Salted Caramel Bacon Sauce, Lard Pie Crust, Dutch Apple Pie, Salted Mocha Biscotti… just to name a few that look and sound so decadent that you cannot believe they are actually Paleo and healthy for you!

And oh, there are even two recipes for ice cream, one with bacon and another with prosciutto…the thought of that is just insanely tempting…

The book is simply a work of art, beautiful from the front cover to the back. Its rustic look is elegant and inviting for the foodie in all of us. In fact, I was showing the book to my niece and mom over Facetime and both praised how artistic it is, yet easy to follow. It’s definitely something to rave about and show off to visitors of my kitchen. 😉

I  know it’s going to be one of my favourite go-to Paleo books from now on…

*Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Beyond Bacon, Paleo Recipes that Respect the Whole Hog, however I was under no obligation to do a review. All of the comments above are my personal opinion and I have not been influenced by anyone or anything. I would, nonetheless, like to thank both Stacy and Matt for depositing their confidence in my opinion as a fellow Paleo blogger and partake in this review. Additionally, if you use the links above to purchase a copy of this book, I will receive a small commission from Amazon, at no additional cost to you.

All photos are from Beyond Bacon and used with permission from Paleo Parents.

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2 Comments

  1. 6.27.13
    Ffion said:

    This book has been swiftly added to my Wish List!