Pork substitute

Having just returned from Vietnam, I now drool over Charles Phan's Vietnamese Home Cooking. The problem is I don't eat pork and there are a lot of pork recipes in there (and in Vietnamese cuisine in general). What would be a good substitute for pork in all its forms? I have sometimes substituted minced chicken when a recipe calls for minced pork. But other than that I'm pretty much clueless. What kind of meat should I use instead of pork ribs? Or pork shoulders, pork neck, pork belly, and even bacon, texture-wise and flavour-wise? Thanks!

sel et poivre
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6 Comments

sel E.
sel E. February 28, 2013
Thanks everyone for your answers. I will look out for those meaty goodies whenever I have a pork recipe on my mind!
 
pierino
pierino February 28, 2013
Fatty short ribs would be another possibility.
 
creamtea
creamtea February 28, 2013
I have substituted ground veal for ground pork in Chinese recipes, for example, Ants on a Tree. Grow and Behold offer kosher organic beef bacon (not exactly the same though; it's not smokey and is seasoned with celery salt).
 
Maedl
Maedl February 28, 2013
Smoked duck and duck fat were used as kosher alternatives to bacon in northern Italy.
 
ChefJune
ChefJune February 28, 2013
D'Artagnan is making some incredible duck bacon. Now that's far from the oxymoron that "turkey bacon" is...
 
Elizabeth R.
Elizabeth R. February 28, 2013
How about veal? While I don't know if there's an exact substitute for bacon (turkey bacon is just not the same!), a couple of months ago, we braised some veal breast at work, then pressed while it chilled. After slicing it and giving it a sear, it had a similar meat-to-fat ratio that pork belly does, and just as delicious. I haven't had much veal other than that (and ground), but I imagine veal would be the way to go if you want to something akin to pork's mild and sweet flavor.
 
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