Pork has long suffered from a seriously bad rap. It's banned by several religions, has a negative connotation in political and financial circles, and the best the National Pork Producers Council could do to promote it was to dub their product "the other white meat."

Pork has also been considered a lowbrow foodstuff—and with some reason. Since the 1970s, mass-produced pork has dominated the American market. To produce such meat, titanic numbers of pigs are crammed into tight quarters and given high doses of antibiotics. They are crossbred to produce a lean product that also happens to be relatively flavorless. Until recently, pork was generally the cheapest, dullest meat a restaurant could get.

But as Donald Link, chef at Cochon in New Orleans, says: "Not all pigs are created equal." A widening group of American farmers, artisans, and chefs are conducting a porcine renaissance. They're delving into charcuterie production, importing special products from the Old World, and boasting about pig provenance on menus.

On the consumption side, people are opting for pork more than ever before. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly 105 million pigs were consumed in the U.S. in 2006, up from 97 million in 2001. That's 1.6 billion more pounds of meat down the hatch. Still, that pales in comparison to China's consumption; in 2006, the country accounted for half of the world's pork consumption.

Why the big resurgence? It's simple, says Armandino Batali, owner of Salumi Artisan Cured Meats in Seattle and father of pig-pushing chef Mario: "Pork tastes so good."

With our tips, you can indulge without looking like a…well, you know.

Better Than Butter?
Many Americans believe pork is an unhealthy food choice. In fact, fat from pigs that roam free and eat well has olive-oil-like components, like minerals and acids that promote HDL cholesterol (the good kind). "People stuff butter down their gullet like it's nothing, but won't eat pork because they think it's bad for them," scoffs chef Chris Cosentino, of San Francisco's Incanto. While eating a hunk of fatback certainly isn't heart friendly, pork tenderloin has less fat and cholesterol than skinless chicken breasts, according to the U.S.D.A.

Best in Breed
In high-end restaurants, you're just as likely to see a pig's breed on the menu as you are the specialties it's served with. The decoder key: Berkshire is the favored and most accessible high-end breed, revered by chefs for its fat content, overall flavor, and palatable cost. The exceptionally high prices for breeds like Wooly (or Mangalitsa) and recently revived Ossabaw swine aren't due to markup; their rarity means they cost around $25 per pound commercially.

They Are What They Eat
Is porcine lifestyle just a marketing ploy? Pork-loving chefs say the methods used to raise the snorters are key. Boutique pork breeds are generally raised in the organic manner, hormone- and antibiotic-free, living on grass instead of concrete, fed a strict corn-based diet, and allowed to, well, be pigs. The theory is the happier the pigs are, the better they'll taste, as stress results in tougher meat.