This pig in my photo is the biggest porcine animal I have ever seen, in Mallorca or anywhere else.

Tradition and circumstance had it that pigs and pork played a prominent role in the Mallorcan cuisine and still do. Before the event of tourism, the island relied on agriculture as the main source of income, and pigs, especially the indigenous Porc Negre, provided an important part of the food intake. Meat could not be afforded on a daily basis, because times were hard and the average Mallorcan citizen lived a rather impoverished life for centuries.

Lomo con col was served on rare occasions such as on special Sundays or at festive family gatherings. Here’s a recipe for six persons in case you would want to treat yourself and your loved ones:

12 thickish slices of pork loin and 12 large cabbage leaves are used for Lomo con col; two of each would provide each person with one portion. The pork loin is fried in a little olive oil until sealed and golden brown. Place each pork loin on a cabbage leaf with a small amount of Sobrassada and some Botifarró, fold carefully into neat parcels, place the folded parcels in a baking dish or better still a Greixonera (one of the brown Mallorcan clay dishes, also known as a Cazuela). Add some more ingredients, such as chopped and peeled tomatoes, a chopped onion, some pine kernels, a few cloves of garlic, some Sultanas, some chopped parsley, some dry white wine plus salt and pepper, cover with a foil and bake for about 25 minutes in a moderate oven heat (180° C).

¡Bon profit!

The photo was taken near Felanitx, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: March 3rd, 2009. The time was 14:00:11.