More Menus Offer Pork

photo of red bean and andouille sausage from Applebee's website

CHICAGO — Restaurants are expanding pork dishes, according to a survey of 2,000 restaurant menus by foodservice researcher Technomic.With a 7 percent increase in menu mentions over the past year, pork is now being showcased in appetizers, entrées and sides. This protein suits the trend of using rustic, natural ingredients, from Chipotle's use of naturally raised pork for its carnitas.

"Restaurants are using pork more often in main dishes and as an accompanying ingredient in menu items for various reasons," says Bernadette Noone, Director of Technomic MenuMonitor. "First, the higher cost of beef has made pork a nice substitute in combo dishes. Where customers were once seeing chicken and beef on the menu, they may now see more affordable chicken and pork dishes. The popularity of bacon is another key factor. For the last few years we've seen bacon-related menu items increase by over 7 percent annually." 
 
A look at recent pork dishes reveals that bacon, sausage and ham are the most common pork ingredients on menus. The data also show that pork is increasingly being used in combination with other proteins. Pork saw a 15 percent increase in shellfish dishes, 13 percent in chicken dishes and 8 percent in both beef dishes and burger dishes during the second quarter of 2011.

The pork trend is across all meals, with many types of pork being featured in new dishes. For example, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue offers the Hawaiian Plate (Lau Lau & pork). And Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar has red beans & rice with Andouille sausage.