Crispy, Crunchy, Chewy Pig Ears

I love the pig. If you’ve seen any of my previous posts I think that fact has become abundantly clear.
A pig part that we have yet to discuss is the ear, which is just as freaking delicious as every other part of this magical beast, they just take a bit of care and preparation. So lets get to it.
First thing you have to do is make sure the ears are cleaned well. Sometimes they still have a little hair on them, so you’ll have to singe that off. I use my little creme brulee torch, which works just fine.
Next place the ears in a sauce pan. Add just a little more salt than your instinct tells you to, and add a few other flavors as well, if the mood strikes you. I’m a fan of Old Bay, long pepper and paprika in this instance. Cover the mixture with water and bring to a boil.
Let it go for about an hour, then remove the ears and pat them dry. To finish the process you’re going to deep fry the ears, but lets talk a little about your options first.
One could deep fry the ears whole, but I don’t think it would work right. By the time they were cooked all the way through the skin would be over cooked. I think the best option is to cut the boiled ears into thin strips (Julienne of Pig Ear) and then fry them.
After you go through the process, you end up with these crunchy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside bits of porky goodness that you can do just about anything with.
Here are some ideas: Dress some beet greens with a mustardy vinaigrette and finish with the crispy ears. Make a cucumber creme fraiche and just dip the ears in there like they’re chips. Dishes that use lardon, like coq au vin; just replace the lardon with the ears.
The flavor and the texture are just amazing. Try it. You’ll see.

Concerning Salad Dressings

This whole thought process started when I was reading Marco Pierre White’s memoir, Devil in the Kitchen. An excellent read, by the by. Definitely pick it up. The guy is a complete mad man, but in a way that foodies should appreciate. Chef White made some good points that are good to keep in the back of your mind while in the kitchen. One of them was to always question your recipes and everything in them. In this vein, he declared that seasoning, for him, just means salt. Pepper has a flavor, and that flavor isn’t always welcome. Now I’ll admit it, when I think about seasoning a dish, I usually use both salt and pepper. But I realized I didn’t always have a reason why. There are, of course, good reasons to use salt. It enhances other flavors in a dish when used appropriately. But pepper certainly has a pronounced flavor all its own. So why always with the pepper? It was just what I learned over the years in school and then in a professional environment. It was a norm, but there wasn’t always a good reason to accept this norm. So, obviously, after I had the Black Pepper Epiphany, I was receptive to any other pearls of wisdom Chef White cared to share with me. And he certainly caught my attention with his discussion of salad dressing later on in the book. Now, before I get in to what I learned from Chef White, let’s get a few things out of the way. First: Sometimes you want a rich, creamy dressing bound with an egg yolk, like with a caesar salad. Second: Sometimes you want a strong, tangy vinaigrette with mustard and lots of spice. Third: Sometimes you want a sweet dressing with honey and maybe some balsamic vinegar. Fourth, and most important for this discussion: Sometimes you don’t want the stupid dressing to be the overbearing centerpiece of a dish. Which brings me back to Chef White. He announced, somewhere near the middle of his narrative, that he did not often use straight vinegar when making light vinaigrette dressings. Often he cut the vinegar with water, and he didn’t even bother to emulsify the dressings at all, preferring the crystal clear pearls of water suspended in the oil as another garnish for his plates. Of course this set me to thinking, “What exactly is it that I’m doing with a dressing in the first place?” I like mache greens. I like them a lot. They have a delicate flavor and texture, a wonderful, soft green color, and a shape to the leaves that makes them particularly receptive to tall, attractive plating. If I’m doing something like pan-searing a piece of rock fish, for example, I’ll often use a little mache salad as my vegetable for the plate. Everything about it, from the texture to the color, offsets the fish. Before I read Chef White’s book, I would have made an emulsified vinaigrette with, maybe, olive oil and sherry vinegar, tossed my mache salad with that dressing, and I would have eaten and enjoyed. But it never was quite right, and I wasn’t sure why. So about a week ago, I prepared something simple for dinner. I braised a couple chicken thighs with pancetta and leeks in beef stock. I made french fries for my starch and the veg was a little mache. But this time, I used Chef White’s method.To whit: A pinch or two of salt in the bowl. A couple carefully considered turns of the pepper grinder (I really wanted that flavor this time, I swear!). A drizzle of olive oil, a splash of sherry vinegar, and a splash of water. Instead of whisking, or even stirring, I just swished it around in the bowl for a second. I put the greens in there and tossed them by hand, then plated and served.Let me tell you something: If the youngest guy to ever win three Michelin Stars tells you how to make something, listen! This method is what has been missing from dressings all along. The flavor was noticeable without being overlly assertive, which is what I think we want from greens when they are used as garnish or side. Also, the little glistening, separated globules of water and vinegar looked pretty on the plate. Now sometimes you need assertive dressings. Sometimess you want creamy textures and strong vinegar aromas. For the other times, when your just trying to make a decent side dish that doesn’t overwhelm everything else, give this little method a try. I was not disappointed. Also, read Devil in the Kitchen. It left me with a lot to think about concerning my kitchen and what I do in there.

Crispy, Crunchy, Chewy Pig Ears

I love the pig. If you’ve seen any of the posts I’ve put up in the last few months, I think that fact has become abundantly clear. A pig part that we have yet to discuss is the ear, which is just as freaking delicious as every other part of this magical beast, they just take a bit of care and preparation. So lets get to it. First thing you have to do is make sure the ears are cleaned well. Sometimes they still have a little hair on them, so you’ll have to singe that off. I use my little creme brulee torch, which works just fine. Next place the ears in a sauce pan. Add just a little more salt than your instinct tells you to, and add a few other flavors as well, if the mood strikes you. I’m a fan of Old Bay, long pepper, and paprika in this instance. Cover the mixture with water and bring to a boil. Let it go for about an hour, then remove the ears and pat them dry. To finish the process you’re going to deep fry the ears, but lets talk a little about your options first. One could deep fry the ears whole, but I don’t think it would work right. By the time they were cooked all the way through the skin would be over cooked. I think the best option is to cut the boiled ears into thin strips (Julienne of Pig Ear) and then fry them. After you go through the process, you end up with these crunchy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside bits of porky goodness that you can do just about anything with. Here are some ideas: Dress some beet greens with a mustardy vinaigrette and finish with the crispy ears. Make a cucumber creme fraiche and just dip the ears in there like they’re chips. Dishes that use lardon, like coq au vin; just replace the lardon with the ears. The flavor and the texture are just amazing. Try it. You’ll see.