« First World Problems... | Main | Gun Thread: Lack O' Content Week 2 Edition! »

Food Thread: More Pig, And Big Salt Too

[clickable for larger graphic]

I live in a neighborhood filled with food shops of all kinds. From wonderful butchers (there are three of them!) to excellent vegetable stands, three wine stores within 3,093 .45ACPs (100 meters), an olive oil store, a honey store, and even a weird one entirely devoted to canned fish. The quality of the food is uniformly excellent...even in the small supermarket there is some superb meat and vegetables.

It's also pretty upscale (Yeah, they didn't realize who they were renting to), so the prices can be painful. Produce is inexpensive, but meat is quite pricey. Those prices are less painful because of the excellent quality of the stuff. The pork is spectacular, the lamb is the best I have ever had, and the veal is great.

Interestingly, the beef, while quite good, cannot match American corn-finished beef. The French seem to prefer grass-fed, which is fine, but no (or perhaps less) finishing, so marbling is not a part of their evaluation. They do have aged beef readily available, and at various stages. Nothing strange like six-month-aged, and the flavor is good, with a subtle funk. But...give me Midwestern corn-finished beef any day!

The butchers also pack meat into Sous Vide bags, which I found fascinating. My standard technique is to season before I Sous Vide anything, because the cooking process distributes the seasoning quite well throughout the meat. Maybe it is also for storage purposes? Sous Vide bags are great for freezing! But I have seen Rosemary sprigs in Sous-Vide-sealed lamb legs, so clearly it is at least sometimes for dropping straight into the water.

There is also a huge amount of prepared food available, with at least three or four stores dedicated to take out foods. They are of amazingly high quality, and at least at the one I like they are busily making food in the back to replenish the displays. I fancy myself a fairly accomplished Quiche maker, but they are forcing me to up my game! Hell even simple salads are good. One, called carottes râpées is a French favorite, and can be absolutely delicious. How they elevate grated carrots is beyond me, but I do know that the texture is vital. They have special machines to grate the carrots into more a cylindrical shape, rather than the thin ribbon one gets from a food processor. My store swears all they put in is olive oil and mustard, but that is a filthy lie designed to subvert cooking in America by keeping the recipe secret from Americans.

******

That is a chop from some French heritage pork breed. Gorgeously marbled and with thick strips of unctuous fat, it was absolutely fantastic...among the best pork I have ever eaten. It was pretty big too; about 1.5 pounds (that's .68 kilos for you European kickball players).

I'm most impressed by the texture and flavor of the fat. It rendered quickly, and what remained after cooking was delicate and tender. Amazing stuff.

I cooked it by searing the perimeter until browned, then a quick sear on both sides and into a warm oven for about 25 minutes. The damned thing was thick, so it took awhile.

Yeah, I know. I just wrote about pork! But it is so good that I can't resist!

By the way, if you look carefully you might be able to see the monstrous salt crystals I am using on meat. The crystals have to be 2mm in diameter! It's great, although for salting for immediate consumption it doesn't work unless you are partial to crunchy salt in every bite.

******
We are hosting a birthday bash next month, and the guest of honor has requested hot dogs. Not my famous beef short rib recipe, not gorgeous marbled steaks, not a carefully roasted leg of lamb with wonderful new potatoes.

No. Hot Dogs.

So...what are the best sides to serve? I have Cole Slaw, potato salad, and Boston (Go Yankees) Baked Beans on the list, but I would like to add something interesting and a bit different. Any suggestions?

***
I could retain some semblance of self respect and make King Arthur Hot Dog Buns. They are pretty good.
******
Alton Brown's Cod Chowdah is a classic recipe that is easily modified to your particular preferences. Personally? I would replace the 1/2&1/2 with cream so there won't be much risk of curdling. That way you can laugh at his silly suggestion to whip in some leftover mashed potatoes. Sometimes he has good ideas, and sometimes he doesn't!
******

******
I thought France would have good garlic, but the Frogs seem to have the same problem we have in the U.S. At least they don't import filthy garlic from China. Pork is great here, but no game, so send all of your extra antelope to: cbd dot aoshq at gmail dot com.

Who are those poor deluded souls We know who shakes their Manhattans! These are the same people who drink fine bourbon with coke, and probably shake red wine with ice too.

$1,200 for a bottle of bourbon is just stupid, insulting, and a ghastly affront to most people's palates and wallets. I think the sweet spot is $40-$60 for excellent and interesting bottles, and bumping that to $100 gets you an incremental improvement in quality, but nothing mind-blowing. More than that and I think you are paying for hype and rarity, which may look good in your liquor cabinet, but doesn't translate to more quality in the bottle.

The problem...or the solution...is to buy lots of bourbon, take tasting notes, and eventually arrive at your favorites! It should take forty or fifty years, but it is worth it!