PORK

Pork is the real squeal at barbecue joints and fine-dining restaurants alike. It gets the Cajun treatment at Zydecue Cajun Barbeque in the French Quarter, showing up as tender cochon de lait in a sandwich or on a platter. Pulled pork is also the big player at Abita Bar-B-Q on the Northshore, where it is served with two sides and bread. Cochon's chef Donald Link brings a specialty from his native Lake Charles to the Warehouse District with the boudin balls made in-house from rice and pork sausage that are breaded, fried and served with pickled peppers and mustard. At another new Warehouse District hotspot, 7 on Fulton, chef David English grills a Niman Ranch pork chop and pairs it with green beans, Louisiana crawfish tails, tasso and Creole mustard. Ralph Brennan's Red Fish Grill takes a jaunt onto dry land with its pork medallions stuffed with brie cheese and applewood-smoked bacon over creamy mushroom fettuccine. For those who live for pork, Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse broils its 14-ounce center-cut pork porterhouse. Café Atchafalaya puts a root beer glaze on its andouille and cornbread stuffed double porkchop. The double cut pork chop at Jackson is complemented by both a roasted red pepper aioli and a port cranberry coulis.

Cuban-style roasted pork is served at Churros Café, where it is teamed with the traditional Cuban rice and beans dish congri as well as yucca. Another Cuban-style specialty, carnitas, is on the eclectic menu at the Blue Tomato, served with rice and beans. Serrano's Salsa Company also cooks up its own carnitas dish, marinating the pork in orange and lime juices and roasting it with garlic, spices and grilled onions. At the gourmet-to-go Sortez Café in Algiers Point, the pulled pork sandwich is prepared Columbian-style with garlic aioli and Swiss cheese before being pressed and served hot. Lafitte's BBQ takes both pulled pork and pork ribs from the pig and serves it with their own barbecue sauce. Café Amelie offers a cochon de lait sandwich on its lunch menu. Papanini's offers a barbecue pork wrap with pork, bacon, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and onion. The lechon (roasted pork) from Azul's features slow-roasted pork marinated overnight with bitter oranges, garlic and a "mojo" sauce served with Cuban-style black beans and jasmine rice.

The mushu pork at Jung's Golden Dragon lets diners wrap shredded pork and vegetables in mushu pancakes. Chinese roasted pork is joined by chicken and shrimp as the three features in Fong's Triple Treats, a chef's special combined with Asian-style vegetables at Fong's Chinese Restaurant in Kenner. The sweet and sour pork special at Trey Yuen on the Northshore is a popular lunchtime choice, served as a combo with an egg roll and fried rice. For a starter, La Thai Cuisine offers spring rolls of shrimp and pork.