The other white meat — yes, pork — is making a comeback at gourmet spreads, not that The Rock’s favoured meat ever really went off the radar. Leading the pork renaissance is one of the premium distributors of the meat, CB Foods. The company believes that good food starts from the finest farms and a dedicated team at Copperwood Farms in Lucea, Hanover has for over a decade ensured that their practices are world-class allowing them to produce the best quality, most succulent cuts of fresh pork.

Numerous chefs and caterers across the island have come to know and trust Copperwood pork. Packaged in a branded black tray pack, hand-picked cuts of lean and tender pork are now delivered safely to supermarkets islandwide. Finally, the entire family can access and experience the taste of the most premium Jamaican pork.

We share today the culinary prowess of Mark Cole, executive chef at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, and his sous-chefs Simeon Brown and Patrice Hussey who using Copperwood Pork present Thursday Food readers with four tempting pork recipes you’ll be eager to try your hand at.

Pimento Roasted Pork with Bacon and Sausage

Ingredients:

6 bacon slice

1 to 3 tsps vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small red cabbage (1 3 /4 lb), halve lengthwise and slice 1 /4-inch thick

1 /4 cup red-wine vinegar

3/4 cup water

2 tbs sugar

1 tsp caraway seeds

1 1 /4 tsps salt

3 /4 tsp black pepper

4 (1-inch thickness) bone-in rib loins (2 1/2 to 3lbs total)

Method

Preheat oven to 450º F.

Cook bacon in a pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp and transfer to paper towels to drain and dry.

Measure fat and, if less than 2 tablespoons, add enough vegetable oil to bring total to 2 tablespoons. Heat fat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, add chopped onion for about two minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to turn golden.

Add cabbage, using tongs, until coated with oil and fat mixture. Stir in red-wine vinegar, sugar, water, caraway seeds, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and braise the cabbage over moderately low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender for 25 to 35 minutes.

Roast loin in oven until thermometer (inserted horizontally into centre of meat) registers 145º F for 5 to 8 minutes at two inches. Stir half of the bacon into cabbage and then finely chop remaining bacon for sprinkling.

Allow the loin to stand in the pan loosely covered with foil for 5 minutes. Serve loin over cabbage with any remaining pan juices spooned over the top and sprinkle with bacon.

Pork Wellington

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds Copperwood pork tenderloin, cut into 24 (1-inch) cubes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

10 oz mushrooms, stemmed and finely chopped

1 large shallot, finely chopped

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the pork dry with a paper towel and season all sides with salt and pepper. Quickly sear the pork on both sides only until deep golden brown, about 4 minutes total. Do not overcook.

Transfer to a plate to cool.

Add the mushrooms and cook until beginning to brown and release liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots and continue cooking until mushroom mixture is dry and golden brown, and shallots are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Preheat the oven to 400º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

On a work surface, roll 1 sheet of puff pastry to a 10 by 14-inch rectangle. Put teaspoon-sized mounds of mushroom mixture on the pastry, evenly spacing them in 4 rows of 3. Top the mushroom mound with a piece of pork, seared side up. With a sharp knife, cut the pastry into even squares around the meat and mushrooms. Working 1 at a time, pull 2 opposite sides of pastry up over each pork piece, then fold the ends over the top to make a packet. Invert and arrange the packets seamside down on the baking sheet and press them lightly to seal the pastry. Repeat with the remaining pork, mushrooms, and pastry.

Bake the Wellingtons until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven to a serving platter and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Pork Kebab with Bell Pepper and Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

500 grams Copperwood pork loin

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 tbsps coriander,

8 kebabs skewers soaked in water

Salt and pepper to taste

Oil

Bell peppers (red, green, and yellow)

Method

Cube pork — seasoned to taste with salt and pepper.

Brush with oil.

Alternate colours of bell peppers when placing pork on skewers.

Grill for 3 minutes on each side over medium heat.

Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic

2 tsps natural crunchy peanut butter

1 tsp reduced sodium salt

1 tsp honey

1 small red chilli, finely chopped and deseeded

1 lime, juiced

1 cup water

Method:

Combine all ingredients for sauce in pot, heat and leave to reduce for 10 minutes.

Asian Slaw

Ingredients:

4 oz carrot

4 oz cabbage

2 oz red onion

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste.

Method:

Use mandolin or knife, shred vegetables thinly, toss together with oil and salt and pepper.

Mango BBQ Smoked Pork

Sauce

Ingredients:

2 large onions

1 cup mango juice

2 oz sugar

2 mangoes, finely diced

2 oz butter Salt and pepper to taste

1 oz cornstarch

Method:

Put butter and sugar on medium heat to caramelise.

Add onions, then diced mango, mango juice and cornstarch. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Mark pork on grill, then place into sauce to simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove pork from sauce and serve.