Pork

Meat from domesticated pig (*Sus scrofa domesticus*), the world's most widely consumed meat by tonnage. Ranges from delicate, clean-flavored loin chops through forgiving, collagen-rich shoulder (ideal for braises and pulled pork) to the transformative fat-and-muscle combinations of belly. Heritage breeds (Berkshire, Mangalitsa, Iberico) produce fat with a higher melting point and deeper flavor than modern commodity pigs bred for leanness. Nearly every culture has a preserved-pork tradition: prosciutto, jamón, chorizo, bacon, guanciale, lardo.