Around the world, different cultures commemorate the arrival of the new year with a variety of traditional foods, celebrations and activities; In the south, pork jowls are symbolically eaten on New Year’s Day to represent health, prosperity, and progress in the coming year.
A pork dewlap is a cut of pork that could be considered the “cheek” of the pig; It tastes and cooks similar to thick cut bacon and is a tough cut that is usually smoked and cured. Pork dewlap is generally used in the South on New Years Day to season beans and peas, but it can also be fried and eaten as bacon year-round.
If you’re traveling to Little Rock, Arkansas this year for your New Years Eve celebrations, there are fortunately a few places where you can try this traditional southern dish, but you can also make it yourself at home if you know how to make it and what to use it for.
Health, prosperity and progress
The south is not the only place that eats pork on New Years Day as a sign of health, prosperity and progress. All over the world, people are using marzipan pigs to decorate their tables or partaking in pig feet, pork sausage, roast suckling pig or pork meatballs in hopes of bringing a little extra wealth and health in the year ahead.
As such, hogs and hogs have long been a symbol of prosperity and gluttony; That is why we say that someone is “being a pig” when they take more than their share. Also, some cultures believe that the bigger the pig you eat on New Year’s Day, the bigger your wallet will be next year.
However, the south is one of the few places that uses pork dewlap in place of other cuts of pork for its holiday meal. In Little Rock and other poor rural areas, pigs were considered a symbol of health and wealth because families could eat the fatty meat that a pig produced throughout the season. As a result, having pork could mean the difference between life and death in a really cold winter.
Winter food shortages and cured meats
Little Rock residents eat hearty soul foods in the winter because harsh conditions make protein-rich food sources in short supply, even as residents need more nutrients to survive the colder weather. Fortunately, cured meats like pork jowls can be stored for long periods and can be removed and prepared throughout the season to provide a nutrient-rich addition to any meal.
While most other meats are harder to find in the winter, cured pork can be used most of the season to flavor a variety of dishes, including black-eyed pea and kale. . Alternatively, it can be fried and cooked similar to bacon, but it will be a bit tougher and take a bit longer to prepare.
Jowl usually comes in a package, sliced like thick bacon or uncut into the “crust.” It may leave the crust, but it is difficult to cut and almost impossible to chew. Most people remove the crust, slice it, and fry the slices in a skillet, like bacon, until golden brown on both sides before draining on a paper towel and serving to family and friends.
Since it’s a cured food, pork dewlap generally doesn’t need extra salt, but some like to serve it with pepper or hot sauce. If you’re a true Southerner, you can drizzle the bread drops over a salad or Brussels sprouts, and you can even make some really good cornbread with pork fat.
Dining out on New Years in Little Rock
While nothing beats a traditional southern-style home-cooked meal, this year you may not get a chance to cook pork jowls and black-eyed peas. Fortunately, there are several restaurants in Little Rock that will be open on New Years Eve and Day this year, many of which feature double chin on their menus:
- Heritage Grille Steak & Fin – Located inside the Little Rock Marriott, it will serve prix fixe meals on both New Years Eve and the day.
- Cache Restaurant: This fine-dining restaurant will have two seats for your festive meal on New Years Eve, and tickets include access to the upstairs party after dinner.
- Ya Ya’s Euro Bistro: This southern-inspired European restaurant will serve its full menu on New Years Day and Eve, and its NYE meal includes entry to a themed after-party.
Many other restaurants will be open on New Years Eve and New Years Day this year, but they don’t have accompanying parties to attend as well. However, wherever you go, you should be sure to call ahead to make a reservation, especially if you are specifically looking for pork dewlap. While many southern-style restaurants and venues may have this traditional ingredient in their pea and cabbage dishes, you should ask the host or waiter to make sure.
