Many people, when considering vegetarianism, finally balk at having to give up bacon. It’s so deliciously salty, it’s so rich and smoky, and the smell of it sizzling in a pan is enough to turn anyone who’s trying to walk the line. Pork chops, too, are a knee-weakening favourite, and let’s not even start on sausages… the word alone conjures up a mouthful of sweet, juicy meat, packed with intense flavour. For all the pork fans out there, we’ve gathered up a list of recipes making unashamed use of this irresistible meat.

Apple-stuffed pork chops
Pork and apple is a winning old-school combination in this recipe from The Autobiography of the Original Celebrity Chef, by KFC founder Colonel Harland Sanders.

Barbecue pork
Looking for the ultimate barbecue sauce recipe? Including orange peel, star anise and sticky hoisin sauce, Liam Tomlin’s is the real deal. The recipe comes to us from Lessons with Liam, in which the Chefs Warehouse chef shares his secrets to cooking like a pro.

BBQ pork with curry noodles
Weekday dinners need not be boring. Using great cupboard basics, this recipe is a cinch to make.

Braaied pork fillet with braised tomato and chickpea salad
Liven up your braai repertoire with this meaty dish. Sweet pomegranate molasses, tart tomatoes, and a touch of paprika make this pork recipe a little bit special.

Braised chicken with smoked paprika, bacon and white beans
This aromatic chicken dish with a punch of bacon is delicious served with couscous, rice or mashed potatoes.

Broccoli, avo and bacon salad
Pair broccoli and bacon with seasonal avos and tender peas for a mouth-watering dish that’s easier than you think.

Broccoli, avo and bacon salad

Caramelised pork with pomegranate jus on a bed of greens
Pork fillet is a delicious, affordable cut of meat that works well with sweet-and-sour flavours. You can also garnish it with toasted slivered almonds, crushed pistachios or crispy onion sprinkles.

Cheesy celeriac, potato and bacon pie
Layers of nutty gruyere cheese, sweet celeriac and bacon fill this easy but mind-blowing pie. Can’t find celeriac? Turnips make a suitable substitute.

Cheesy celeriac, potato and bacon pie

Gnocchi with Parma ham, butternut and pine nuts
This is a simple but satisfying sauce for ready-made gnocchi.

Gnocchi with Parma ham, butternut and pine nuts

Gordon Ramsay’s stuffed squid with pork
Chef Gordon Ramsay’s calamari recipe is served with nuoc cham, a delicious Vietnamese dipping sauce that’s easy to make at home.

Gordon Ramsay’s stuffed squid with pork

Herb-roasted pork belly with caponata and grilled sourdough toasts
This rich, succulent pork belly is perfect for cooler nights, or cosy Sunday lunches beside the fire.

Japanese-style pork belly with dancing bonito
We tend to think of Japanese food as being elegant and formal, but there is a whole tradition of earthy peasant food, too. You might need to visit to a specialist food shop to get some of the ingredients, but they all keep for ages, so it will be an investment for many dishes to come.

Mini pork pies
This traditional pork pie recipe works hot, with mustard mash and crunchy green beans, as a wintery dinner or cold, as part of a summery picnic.

Mini pork pies

Pea and ham soup
Chef Craig Cormack shares his gourmet take on the hearty original, which is perfect for feeding crowds at a dinner party in the cooler months.

Pea and ham soup

Peri-peri calamari with chorizo sausage
This easy calamari recipe from Jane-Anne Hobbs’s book, Scrumptious Food for Family and Friends, is a real crowd-pleaser. “Peri-peri is one of South Africa’s favourite flavours… Feel free to add more fresh chillies if you appreciate a blisteringly hot sauce,” says Jane-Anne.

Pork and apple burgers
The apple in these burgers is used for its subtle flavour and sweetness. Serve the pork patties on toasted buns with caramelised onions, thinly sliced apples, sliced camembert and fresh rocket.

Pork belly chilli roast with pecan-nut baked apples
Meaty, fruity and deeply delicious, this recipe calls for seasonal apples, marmalade and chilli sauce.

Pork chops with peach-thyme glaze
Sweet, juicy peaches and fragrant thyme pair beautifully with salty pork chops. Serve with mashed potato and cabbage or cauliflower couscous.

Pork chops with peach-thyme glaze

Pulled pork sandwiches
Looking for the perfect pulled pork recipe? With cider, paprika, cinnamon, coriander seeds, ginger and brown sugar, this one comes pretty close. Serve it in a soft roll with coleslaw and hot sauce.

Rosemary, mascarpone and pork sausage pasta
Tomatoes add robust colour to this simple pasta dish of sausages, mascarpone cheese and Italian herbs. Seconds, anyone?

Sausage rolls with spicy ketchup
Serve these deliciously moist and tasty sausage rolls with spicy ketchup at your next cocktail party. They’re also great for sneaking some veggies into your kids’ meals. The recipe is courtesy of Bruce von Pressentin of Longridge Restaurant.

Sirloin with gorgonzola and bacon sauce and avocado salad
This recipe starts with the magic words: “Fry the garlic in the butter and oil, then add the bacon and cook until golden brown. Add the cream and crumbled gorgonzola…”

Slow-cooked chicken and chorizo cassoulet with thyme and gruyère dumplings
This one-pot wonder is a slow-cooked miracle, according to its creator, smitten author Sarah Graham. “You have the spicy robustness of the chorizo, the silkiness of the slow-cooked onions and then the good old dependable chicken sausages. Perfect happy-making weekend food.”

Slow-cooked chicken and chorizo cassoulet with thyme and gruyère dumplings

Soy and honey pork chops
“Pork chops have never been a ‘big thing’ in South Africa,” says Justin Bonello in his cookbook Roads Less Travelled. This recipe comes courtesy of Justin’s director of photography, Sunel, and, says Justin, “it’s pretty darn tasty.”

Venison, Parma ham and mushroom lasagne
Springbok mince, Parma ham and mushrooms: this is one decadent lasagne! Creator Gordon Wright first tasted a similar dish at Osteria del Boccondivino in Italy. This South African interpretation comes to us from Gordon’s cookbook, Veld to Fork.