This Meaty Seafood Makes An Unexpectedly Good Stand-In For Pork

Pork and seafood seem worlds apart at first. One belongs to slow roasts and smoky grills, the other is often cooked to tender perfection with citrus and herbs. With so few similarities, swapping out pork for a fish is unfathomable, but that's probably because you haven't tried it with swordfish yet. Once you've seen the way this white fish takes on the main role in pork recipes, there's no doubting what a perfect substitute it is.

Duped as "the pork of the sea," swordfish has a substantiality that separates it from other fish's usual delicacy. Swordfish belly, in particular, is the rich cut everyone should try once, all thanks to its high fat content that yields marvelous taste and texture. This meaty richness allows it to emanate a pork-like quality when cooked in the same manner, whether it's seared like you would a typical pork chop, or tossed around on a wok stir-fry style.

Even visually, the difference is subtle: The exterior browns and develops beautiful crusts, while the interior falls apart with every bite that lands somewhere between firm and tender. Still a fish after all, swordfish adorns that mild sweetness and a light brine; the fish scent is ever-so-subtle as it lingers in the undertone. While it may not be a 100% percent match to that of pork, this neutrality is what helps it seamlessly absorb all the glazes, marinades, and sauces in your pork recipes.

Swordfish is one of the best types of fish for grilling, so rest assured, it will fit right into your grilled pork recipes. A swordfish steak, dressed up in flavorful condiments and marred with char marks, instantly brings to mind the decadence of grilled pork. It only gets better when matched with a glaze or a marinade. The ideal marinade that base that won't compete with bold swordfish starts with a citrus like lemon or lime, from which you can incorporate other ingredients to build a complete flavor profile. For glazes and sauces, go with a soy sauce dressing if you want some umami depth, or tap into a good old BBQ sauce for that familiar tangy richness.

A swordfish chop, similar to the well-loved pork chops, is just as toothsome. This dish usually requires a collar cut of the fish, or the loins alternatively. Coming off the searing pan basted in butter, it's tender and rich in a way that reminisces of pork belly. Even though pork is not a traditional ingredient, swordfish is still a decent substitute whenever you want a lighter take on birria. Slow-roasted and sauce-drenched, it's pure heaven as a taco filling. Tonkatsu, however, is indeed a pork staple, and swordfish has no problem imitating it when breaded and deep-fried. You can even serve it with Japanese curry and white rice, much like the original dish. Most unexpectedly, swordfish also makes a fine substitute for pork in sausage recipes. Andouille sausage, originally made by grinding pork intestines with intense spices, turns out to be surprisingly good with swordfish belly. The steps are more or less the same, and the result is no less fantastic.