Pork is the world’s most widely loved meat, providing a nutritional punch, exceptional flavour and cost-effectiveness for a huge variety of dishes. From the breakfast table to the Christmas table, around the braai to the late-night junk-food stop, certain pork cuts and products are somewhat iconic around SA, representing the top sellers at LYNCA MEATS year after year!
If you’ve had any of these favourites lately – a gammon at Christmas time, bacon at your favourite breakfast spot or Russians from your local supermarket, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced LYNCA quality already. As one of South Africa’s largest pork producers, our products have been loved by consumers and trusted by our retail partners since our beginnings in 1988.
Russian Sausages
Thought to have been introduced to early Johannesburg’s gold fields by Russian and Polish grocers in the area, the humble Russian sausage is juicy and meaty with a kick of smokiness that South Africans love. This method of preservation originated in turn-of-the-century Russia, and includes curing and smoking the meat in a protective casing, with or without spices to add flavour.
Just as at home in a paper box of deliciously vinegary slap-chips as they are in some of our most famous street foods – the Kota and the Gatsby – LYNCA MEATS’ Russians are made with only the finest pork cuts for exceptional flavour, and have become some of the country’s favourites from coast to coast.
Bacon
Salt-curing as a method of preserving meat when refrigeration isn’t an option it is a culinary art that goes back millennia, and is a big part of the preparation of another South African meaty classic – biltong. Bacon itself is thought to have originated in Ancient China, when salt-cured pork belly (the cut where bacon comes from to this day) was a popular and long-lasting staple food.
Today, bacon shines brightest on the breakfast table, and despite some questionable PR about its high fat content, it is more popular than ever worldwide. It adds a meaty, smoky, salty element to other meals, too – from gourmet burgers and BLTs to sophisticated salads – most notably the world famous Caesar Salad.
LYNCA bacon is among the country’s most widely consumed, and is made with top-quality belly cuts, cured to perfection for that crispy bite we know Mzansi loves!
Ribs
Nothing excites attendees of a braai quite like some sweet and sticky pork ribs sizzling on the grill – not just in South Africa but around the world. Pork ribs are particularly popular in Western and Eastern cuisines, from the famous Tex-Mex smokehouses of the Southern United States to the street food vendors of China, Vietnam and beyond.
Though it’s most common to find ribs partly cooked, pre-marinated and ready packaged, the food purists among us will insist on preparing ribs from scratch – and it’s much easier than you’d think! Just par-boil and slather your ribs in your favourite marinade for a few hours to save money and elevate your flavour experience with home-made goodness.
LYNCA MEATS produces some of Mzansi’s meatiest pork ribs, and chances are you’ve tasted them before either at your favourite restaurant or in your own home after a little prep from your local butcher or supermarket.
Gammon
Though this delicious product usually comes out to play around Christmas time (usually festooned with a shiny glaze, skin scored and dotted with cloves, and perhaps a couple of pineapple rings), it’s a super-versatile cut that belongs in your home all-year round!
Gammon comes from the hind legs of the pig and is prepared by brining, smoking, salting, or a combination of these age-old techniques.
Though seen by many as a seasonal cut, gammon is a high-demand item at LYNCA MEATS all-year-round, making a delicious roast dinner or Sunday lunch, and lending itself beautifully to dishes like pulled pork or grilled gammon steaks.
The bottom line
Expand your culinary horizons and learn to play with pork! LYNCA MEATS’ mission is to inspire South Africans to delicious new heights by providing the best ingredients to work with. Though Mzansi does of course have its favourites, pork cuts from snout-to-tail and everything in between are available from LYNCA MEATS to help take you on a voyage of discovery. With decades of quality and safety attached to our name, we remain committed to absolute satisfaction in every product we make.