Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, brain, raw

Pork brain is a soft, custard-like organ meat with a mild, creamy flavor and a texture unlike any muscle cut. It's typically pan-fried and scrambled with eggs, simmered into rice porridge or congee, breaded and deep-fried, or used in regional specialties like Mexican tacos de sesos or Filipino dishes. Its delicate structure means it's usually cooked gently and briefly rather than roasted or grilled, since prolonged high heat breaks it down too much, and it's often poached first to firm it up before a final quick pan-fry.

Buy pork brain fresh and well chilled from a butcher, and plan to cook it the same day or freeze it promptly, since organ meats spoil faster than muscle cuts; rinsing gently before cooking removes any surface membrane. At 127 calories per 100 g with 10.3 g protein (21% DV) and 9.21 g fat, it's a compact protein source among organ meats compared with denser cuts of meat, and it's notable for carrying measurable vitamin C, at 15% DV, a nutrient rarely found in significant amounts in animal foods; it has no carbohydrate and no fiber, so it fits into a meal the way other lean, quick-cooking proteins do, rather than as a source of fiber or complex carbohydrate.