Discover some of the essential tips and recipes behind the best pork dishes in the south with Chris Chamberlain, author of the popular The Southern Foodie Cookbook.

Arguably the most democratic of all proteins, pork is welcome across the country from a gourmet pork belly dish on the menu of the toniest Charleston bistro to a whole hog roasting in a hole dug in the sand of a beach in LA (Lower Alabama).

Pork is also uniquely democratic in that it is a meat that is welcome at every meal. The old saying goes that when considering a breakfast of bacon and eggs, "the chicken is involved but the pig is committed." While you may occasionally see a breakfast steak on the menu, the pig is the star of the morning meal.

A geographic tour of the Southern states will showcase restaurants in the region that have special talents when it comes to pork. The chefs and pitmasters have shared some of their most sacred secrets, the actual recipes for the best pork, barbecue and bacon dishes that emerge from their kitchens.

Finally, since man cannot live by pig alone, there is also a selection of recipes that are great accompaniments to the pork dishes contributed by the fifty Southern restaurants that are featured.

The Southern Foodie's Guide to the Pig introduces readers to all the parts of this versatile animal and teaches procedures to prepare all sorts of wonderful dishes.

So feel free to keep a copy of this book in your glovebox to help you find the best place for an elegant meal in Atlanta or that hidden gem of a barbecue joint in Kentucky or get this book dirty in the kitchen as you take your own tour of the South's best pork dishes while you plan your meals for the week. Either way you use it, it's a journey well worth taking.