Pork does not keep as well as lamb or beef, and requires more care when buying, preparing and cooking.

When buying pork, look for meat that has fat which is firm and has a clear milky white colour. Avoid cuts with soft, grey and oily fat, which will lead to excessive weight loss during the cooking and will hamper carving. Freshly cut meat surfaces should look moist and be pale pink in colour. All pork joints can be roasted, except the loin.

Bacon and ham come from pigs specially reared to produce certain proportions of lean meat to fat. Bacon comes from the body of the pig and gammon/ ham from the hind legs. The meat is cured in brine before being left to mature for at least a week. The result is 'green bacon', it can then be smoked or left unsmoked. Smoking helps preserve the meat for longer, as well as making a stronger tasting meat.