100 BEST ’13: Porker Up! (Numbers 95-91)

For the fourth year in a row, I present the 100 most exciting dishes I’ve consumed during my food adventures around the five boroughs. Look for another five dishes every few days.

Just to show the world I’m not going totally soft with my declarations of love for cucumbers and avocado, here are five fatty, flavorful pork dishes that have made me a very happy man this year. Roasted, fried, minced up into a sausage, they’re full of porky goodness and make me realize why turning vegetarian is clearly not in my future.

SADLY, LANDHAUS IS NOW CLOSED.

NUMBER 95: MAPLE BACON STICK at LANDHAUS

All summer long at Smorgasburg, the meat-obssessed folks at Landhaus have been doling out the goods. Their most famous dish puts a whole new perspective on everybody’s favorite pork product – bacon. Once they receive the thick smoked pork belly from a farm in Pennsylvania, its roasted in herbs and then grilled until crisp, drizzled with maple syrup and sprinkled wih paprika. Eating amazingly tender bacon like this off of a stick makes you wonder why you’ve been wasting your calories with lesser preparations. Price: $3

NUMBER 94: PORK KAKUNI at SHABU TATSU

I often dislike pork belly dishes at restaurants because I find the chewy fattiness a little off-putting. Leave it to a Japanese shabu-shabu restaurant to get it completely right. Here the fat and the meat become one with a sweet, caramelized exterior giving way to the most tender and meaty pork belly I’ve had in years. The meat pops even more when some of the provided hot mustard and sliced scallions find their way into a bite. Price: $7

NUMBER 93: SPICED PORK CHOP at THE HARRISON

SADLY, THE HARRISON IS NOW CLOSED.

This provocative presentation of a juicy, tender pork chop brings up the flavors of Jewish smoked meats. The Harrison’s newest chef Ari Bokovza takes the spiced components of pastrami and encrusts it on the brined meat. It makes for a crunchy texture and a rich intense flavor that tastes kosher but is assuredly not. Creamy cannelini beans and black kale round out the refined plate. Price: $27

NUMBER 92: E-SAN THAI SOUR SAUSAGE at CHAO THAI TOO

While not much to look at, the nuggets of pork sausage served at the well-regarded sequel to Chao Thai are surprising and complex. Loaded with spices, herbs, and plenty of garlic and ginger, the slightly fermented hunks of meat provide a bright explosion of flavors and textures. The raw ginger and cilantro accompanying the sausages lighten up the dish and add even more punch. Price: $8.50

NUMBER 91: CHAR SIU at FLETCHER’S BROOKLYN BARBECUE