Anthony Bourdain leaning against railing

The Reason Anthony Bourdain Encouraged Ordering Pork At Restaurants

NEWS

BY ELOISE ROLLINS-FIFE

Pigs in a pen
There has long been a stigma that pork is dirty due to pigs' alleged unsanitary habits, but according to chef Anthony Bourdain, poultry is the real meat to steer clear of.
Bourdain in front of gold backdrop
"Chicken — America's favorite food — goes bad quickly; handled carelessly, it infects other foods with salmonella; and it bores the hell out of chefs," he wrote.
Raw pork on cutting board
In Bourdain's words, "Pork, on the other hand, is cool." Besides supposedly being more sanitary, Bourdain claimed pork was more versatile and exciting to cook.
Stacks of pork on cutting board
The statistics support Bourdain's argument. As of September 2024, the CDC reported there are only about 15 cases of trichinellosis in the United States per year.