FRIDAY, 25 JANUARY 2013
More Pork Belly!
We went on our annual Winterlicious visit to Pangaea and was surprised to see Pork Belly on the lunch menu. How could I resist! I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I didn't try pork belly made at Pangaea atWinterlicious prices!
It turned out to be an excellent choice - superbly done with just the right amount of melt-in-your-mouth fat, and the meat tender. I don't recall trying pork belly done this way - it must have been braised, then sliced, then seared on both sides to reduce the fat and make it crisp. It was done to perfection. The grilled quail appetizer was just right too but clearly overshadowed by the pork belly. (sigh!)
What I love about Pangaea - it's always consistent and never disappoints!
It turned out to be an excellent choice - superbly done with just the right amount of melt-in-your-mouth fat, and the meat tender. I don't recall trying pork belly done this way - it must have been braised, then sliced, then seared on both sides to reduce the fat and make it crisp. It was done to perfection. The grilled quail appetizer was just right too but clearly overshadowed by the pork belly. (sigh!)
What I love about Pangaea - it's always consistent and never disappoints!
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| Pork belly with rapini, wild mushrooms, onions and sweet potatoes - great combination |
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| The quail sitting on a bed of crispy potato salad and wild mushrooms |
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| Pecan tart - the best! |
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| Flourless chocolate cake - I swear I could taste the liquor in it! |
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| Cinnamon Panna Cotta - ginger molasses cake |
FRIDAY, 18 JANUARY 2013
Braised Pork Trotters 紅燒元蹄
With the approach of Chinese New Year, the talk of braised whole pork trotters brought back memories of the festival in the "old country". Typically a winter dish because of the high fat content and the relatively long cooking time, it is also a Chinese New Year dish because of the "wholeness" and the lucky symbolism of the pork trotters (supposed to bring unexpected lucky money). Done properly, pork trotters melt in your mouth and don't taste greasy at all - which could also be a problem as you throw your cholesterol count to the wind and dig in.
My mother made the best braised pork, whether she made it with trotters or with the shoulder. I mentioned in a previous post her recipe called for browning of the whole trotter with skin on all sides in a heavy pot, then adding the red fermented soy bean curd (南乳) with onions, anise and pepper. The braising took a couple of hours. By the time the pork was done, the sauce would be reduced to the right consistency, the skin and the fat would have attained an almost translucent texture that would give you that melt-in-your-mouth sensation.
One of the best braised whole pork trotters I tasted in a restaurant was again made by chef Patrick Chuang at Delicious 好清香 (see my earlier post on Pork belly buns). We made a return visit just to try this special dish which had to be ordered in advance. It was worth the trouble of preordering. While the trotter was done just right, the dried vegetables on which it was served was even better. It was tasty but not salty and it had taken in all the flavours of the braised pork. A whole pork trotter was obviously too much for two but it tasted even better the following day so we took half home and ordered another dish just to save our arteries.
My mother made the best braised pork, whether she made it with trotters or with the shoulder. I mentioned in a previous post her recipe called for browning of the whole trotter with skin on all sides in a heavy pot, then adding the red fermented soy bean curd (南乳) with onions, anise and pepper. The braising took a couple of hours. By the time the pork was done, the sauce would be reduced to the right consistency, the skin and the fat would have attained an almost translucent texture that would give you that melt-in-your-mouth sensation.
One of the best braised whole pork trotters I tasted in a restaurant was again made by chef Patrick Chuang at Delicious 好清香 (see my earlier post on Pork belly buns). We made a return visit just to try this special dish which had to be ordered in advance. It was worth the trouble of preordering. While the trotter was done just right, the dried vegetables on which it was served was even better. It was tasty but not salty and it had taken in all the flavours of the braised pork. A whole pork trotter was obviously too much for two but it tasted even better the following day so we took half home and ordered another dish just to save our arteries.
SATURDAY, 17 NOVEMBER 2012
Pork belly in Richmond Hill 肉夾包
We're on a roll here! After Akujiki took us from 18th century Yangzhou, China via his Le Creuset pork belly in California to noodle shop in a Shanghai alley, I got into a frenzy over the mere talk of pork belly. We had lunch at Delicious 好清香, a Fukien style restaurant in Richmond Hill, just north of Toronto. It is usually my destination for Hainan chicken. But as we were finishing, I noticed the table beside us packing up one of the signature dishes of chef Patrick Chuang - braised pork trotters 红烧元蹄. It was too late to order one to take home for dinner - Patrick said it would take an hour to make another one but he offered me his own 肉夾包 (Pork belly bun) which would only take a few minutes. What a treat it was!
The melt in your mouth pork belly was topped with orange day lily and cilantro in between a mildly sweet bun. What a wonderful contrast in textures and taste! It's authentic Fukienese flavour - and you don't have to go all the way to downtown Toronto to Momofuku (or pay the much steeper price) to taste the now trendy pork belly bun.
After lunch, I found an unbelievably lean piece of pork belly at the butcher's. Guess what's for dinner tonight! I plan to try Akijiki's Le Creuset pork belly without the Le Creuset pot. Sacrilegious, I know, but worth a try...
Addendum
The melt in your mouth pork belly was topped with orange day lily and cilantro in between a mildly sweet bun. What a wonderful contrast in textures and taste! It's authentic Fukienese flavour - and you don't have to go all the way to downtown Toronto to Momofuku (or pay the much steeper price) to taste the now trendy pork belly bun.
After lunch, I found an unbelievably lean piece of pork belly at the butcher's. Guess what's for dinner tonight! I plan to try Akijiki's Le Creuset pork belly without the Le Creuset pot. Sacrilegious, I know, but worth a try...
Addendum
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Pork belly made with Circulon pot - not having tasted the one made in the Le Creuset, can't really compare. But I think next time, I'll make this with the fermented red bean paste my mom used to braise pork with. She would brown the pork (trotter or belly) with chopped onion, add the red fermented bean paste with sugar, then braise it on the stove on low heat. This would result in a naturally reduced sauce at the end of the 2 hour cooking. In the dutch oven, there is very little liquid reduction. So what do you do with the sauce?! I'm sure Akijiki would have a creative response.
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