Saturday, March 28, 2009

Hog Heaven

Aren't they SO cute? Too bad they're also supposed to be freakishly delicious! The furry pig-like creatures pictured actually are pigs. They came to my attention in this story in The New York Times. Mangalitsa pigs from Hungary, a breed once near extinction, are apparently capturing the attention of chefs around the world. Fattier, with meat that is more marbled than the ubiquitous Berkshires that are the staple of the American pork industry, providing pork belly that once only inhabited the fever dreams of pig-o-philes.

Check this out from Herbfarm chef Keith Luce: “One night,” Mr. Luce continued, “it was the neck, sous vide 24 hours stuffed with dried plums and Armagnac and served with tenderloin. Then another we did the loin along with a three-day brined shoulder, cooked 24 hours sous vide, and belly 18 hours sous vide. We were laughing when we tasted it. We couldn’t control ourselves. The taste, the texture was so unbelievable.”
That pretty much defines not just something I WANT to try, but something I NEED to try!

photo from NY Times
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one year ago today @ E.D.T.: Piedmont pleasures at Alba Osteria!

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