The Edible Kingdom: 4-Legged Edibles

My cousin and I were talking about foods we like to eat and eventually got to ranking foods based on categories. We focused on animals, and eventually got to making categories like “best 4-legged animal”. “Best” meaning tastiest, of course. this is the start of a multi-part blog post involving the Edible (animal) Kingdom.

We start with a basic one: 4-legged animals.

Honorary Mentions – they’re tasty, they’re good, but they’re not the best.
- deer (venison)
- buffalo/bison
- alligator

# 3. Lamb
Favorites: gyros, crown rack of lamb

This is one of my favorites because rack of lamb is one of my top experiences with meat. Not only the unique presentation with a round “crown” of frenched lamb ribs, but also the meat was absolutely amazing. I can’t even remember where I had my rack of lamb, I just remember eating the perfectly cooked medium rare medallion.

# 2. Cow (beef)
Favorites: Strip Steak, Hangar Steak, BGR Burger, Pot Roast

The only reason beef isn’t #1 on the list is because although it is a tasty animal, the amount of really “good” beef out there is somewhat slim because of the ubiquitous nature of the meat. There are so many not tasty burgers, steaks, and hot dogs out there, that it almost becomes expected that a fast food burger isn’t going to be a palate pleaser.

And the #1 favorite 4-Legged animal. you may have guessed it already, considering I have blogged about this tasty edible a few times before, but my favorite and yours:

# 1. Pig (pork)
Favorites: bacon, shoulder (boston butt), honey baked ham, baby back ribs, pork chops

Come on. there’s no surprise here. I’ve already posted about my Bacon Explosion, my Bacon sundae, and my chili extravaganza that are loaded with the fatty goodness. But it doesn’t stop there, pigs keep on giving. The pork shoulder is a delicious piece of inexpensive meat that is making its way onto haute-cuisine menus. The pork rib is a staple at barbecues nationwide. the sweet, meaty, fall-off-the-bone texture makes pork ribs delicious and desirable. Sausages, honey baked ham, prosciutto, iberico/serrano jamon, andouille, pork rinds, pork belly, bacon-wrapped-anything – are all just examples of how this pig is diverse in terms of usefulness and range of flavors.

Some of my favorite pork dishes include (but are definitely not limited to):
- prosciutto and melon
- pulled pork sandwiches
- baby back ribs
- andouille sausage gumbo
- honey baked ham
- collard greens cooked with ham hocks