flipPork Roasted with Herbs of Philistia
Pork Roasted with Herbs of Philistia
Why this dish? The Philistine lords who bribed Delilah gathered for a great feast at the temple of Dagon to celebrate Samson's capture. Archaeology has shown that the Philistines, unlike their Hebrew neighbors, raised and ate pork — the festive meat par excellence of this people from the Aegean Sea.
A pork shoulder rubbed with oil, salt, and herbs, slow-roasted until the meat falls apart, perfumed with wine and honey. The prestige meat of great Philistine days.
Tonight the lords of the five cities gather, and they need meat worthy of them! Among us, sons of the sea, we do not disdain pork as our mountain neighbors do. I rub the beast with oil and salt, I lay it on the coals, and I baste it with wine until the skin crackles under the tooth. Give thanks to Dagon, eat until your fingers shine — but beware, fine lord, of what you confide to a woman on a full belly.
- •Pork shoulder — one piece (base)
- •Olive oil — generously (fat)
- •Salt — by hand (seasoning)
- •Coriander and cumin — a pinch of each (spices)
- •Wine — a cup (basting)
- •Honey — a drizzle (glaze)
Pork Roasted with Herbs of Philistia
A pork shoulder rubbed with oil, salt, and herbs, slow-roasted until the meat falls apart, perfumed with wine and honey. The prestige meat of great Philistine days.
Why this dish? The Philistine lords who bribed Delilah gathered for a great feast at the temple of Dagon to celebrate Samson's capture. Archaeology has shown that the Philistines, unlike their Hebrew neighbors, raised and ate pork — the festive meat par excellence of this people from the Aegean Sea.
Tonight the lords of the five cities gather, and they need meat worthy of them! Among us, sons of the sea, we do not disdain pork as our mountain neighbors do. I rub the beast with oil and salt, I lay it on the coals, and I baste it with wine until the skin crackles under the tooth. Give thanks to Dagon, eat until your fingers shine — but beware, fine lord, of what you confide to a woman on a full belly.
Ingredients (period version)
- Pork shoulder — one piece (base)
- Olive oil — generously (fat)
- Salt — by hand (seasoning)
- Coriander and cumin — a pinch of each (spices)
- Wine — a cup (basting)
- Honey — a drizzle (glaze)
Ingredients
- Pork shoulder — 1.5 kg (base)
- Olive oil — 4 tbsp (fat)
- Coarse salt — 2 tsp (seasoning)
- Ground coriander seeds + cumin — 1 tsp each (spices)
- Red wine — 200 ml (basting)
- Honey — 2 tbsp (glaze)
Method
- Rub the pork with oil, salt, coriander, and cumin; marinate for 1 hour.
- Sear on all sides in a Dutch oven or very hot oven (220 °C, 20 min).
- Lower to 150 °C, pour in the wine, cover and roast for 3-4 hours, basting regularly.
- Uncover, brush with honey and increase to 200 °C for 15 min to glaze.
- Let rest, then shred the tender meat before serving with barley flatbreads.
How it was made : Excavations at Ekron, Ashkelon, and Gath have yielded a high proportion of pig bones in Philistine levels (ca. 1200-1000 BCE), absent among Hebrews — a culinary identity marker. Roasting was done on coals or in a pit, and wine accompanied feasts, a heritage of Aegean origins.
The contemporary twist : Serve the shredded meat in a rolled barley flatbread, like an ancient 'wrap' — the Dagon banquet revisited as street food.
Sources : Brian Hesse & Paula Wapnish, research on pig consumption in the Levant during the Iron Age · Book of Judges 16:23-30 (feast of Dagon)
Delilah · Charactorium
