One reason why I so thoroughly enjoy Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations is because of his love of pork and the fact that he manages to find it in every corner of the world. He also has such an eloquent way of describing his food adventures that leaves you wishing you could be instantly transported to each of the places he visits – regardless of how exotic the location may (or may not) be.
This week’s No Reservations highlighted South Carolina. One of the places he visited was Sweatman’s Bar-b-que in Holly Hill. Bourdain took this opportunity to reflect on his love of pork:
“That’s a mosaic of flavors. There’s just so much good stuff going on in that animal.”
“Lifting the lid on the pits envelops us in an amazing cloud of savory smoke. There are few things better in this world than pork skin and pork fat.”
“I’m looking at it and I’m thinking I want to go eat a whole hell of a lot of it.”
“By now, Lake and I sound like carnivorous, monomaniacal lunatics, comparing our favorite pork parts like some people talk about sports.”
(Explaining why pork belly is his favorite part of the pig) “It’s what the Chinese call the 5 layers of happiness – skin, lean, fat, lean….ohhh.”
I really need to stop watching food shows on TV at 11 o’clock at night, by the way. There is nothing more frustrating than going to bed with the smell and taste of pork on your brain…