Whole Hog. And I Mean It

A few months ago I wrote about hash and rice in a City Paper article on Lowcountry barbecue, in which I noted, "You don't need to ask too closely what goes into the pot to make hash, but suffice it to say it's an economical way to help use up most of a hog."  But thanks to mandatory food ingredient labeling, if you're really curious you can find out.

Here's a short list of the goodies from a variety from just up the road in Orangeburg:

pork head meat
pork hearts
pork (not exactly sure how the rest of this list isn't pork)
pork tongues
pork livers
pork ears
pork snouts
pork skins

I think that about runs the gamut.  On the non-pork ingredients, there's catsup, potatoes, onions, water, mustard, Worchestershire sauce, Molasses, soy sauce, and black pepper.

Now, just knowing the ingredients list isn't exactly the same as a recipe, but I pretty much bet the cooking instructions would read: "put all ingredients in a pot and boil for hours on end until everything is reduced to a smooth, consistent mush."

I just had hash and rice yesterday out at the Palmetto Chef in Summerville, and every time I have it I'm taken by how rich and smooth the slow-simmered pork concoction can be.  And you can't really even taste the pork snouts.