La Cuisine

Baked Egg Boats

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

hugeinjapan:

Dinner Tonight: Momofuku Ramen

I’ve been cooking out of David Chang’s Momofuku cookbook for about a year, so it was finally time to break down and try the ramen. I’d held out because it’s a pretty daunting undertaking.

There’s a shredded pork shoulder. Roasted pork belly. A chicken stock made from pounds of chicken necks and backs. A Japanese barbecue sauce called “tare” made from another chicken back and a third of a pound of bacon. A sous vide egg. A thousand possible garnishes and embellishments. And I didn’t even TRY to make my noodles from scratch. 

The end result is fantastic, but holy hell is it a lot of work. Not hard work, certainly, but a multi-day affair that will claim most of the pots in your kitchen at one time or another. I have a definite appreciation for single-focus ramen shops. The work and care that goes into truly exceptional ramen is easily enough to occupy a kitchen. 

Also, one clear reason that everything Chang does tastes so good is that it’s all just bathing in fat. My kitchen is coated in this patina of schmaltz, pork fat and bacon grease.

In no way should you construe that in a pejorative sense. 

Bacon and Egg Cups

(Source: crepesofwrath.net)

Perfect Breakfast Potatoes

(Source: crepesofwrath.net)

hugeinjapan:

Dinner Tonight: Christmas Eve Special

(clockwise)

Oven Fried Pork Belly, Grit Cakes, Pancetta, Kale, Pork Jus

Duck Breast, Celery Puree, Sherry Redux

Classic Wedge — Bleu Cheese, Cherry Tomato, Bacon

(not pictured, but fantastic: Angel Food Cake, Cream, Strawberries)

Merry Christmas, all. Hope your Christmas Eve is but a shadow of your Christmas Day.

xoxo.

hugeinjapan:

Dinner Tonight: Christmas Bacon

That? That’s two slabs of home-cured, house-smoked bacon. One is rind on, one rind off. Due to time constraints, I was only able to give it three days in the cure instead of seven. Also, I’d want to figure out a way to rig a cold smoker to really give it some time in the hickory.

We deep fried some tonight, but I think this may be better suited for the stovetop.

Regardless, I’m not exactly nonplussed about the need for additional testing . 

palmheart:

Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheeze

(via ilurvethislife)

hugeinjapan:

Here’s 2011 in food. If you’ll click the image, they’ll engorge. 

Thanks to everyone who looked at, liked and followed. 

Let’s all eat more and better than we did last year. 

xoxo.

hugeinjapan:

Dinner Tonight: Porchetta

Also pictured are some brussels sprouts and bacon.

It’s my last night in Georgia, and I still had four pounds of pork belly to use. This seemed the obvious choice. Rubbed with garlic, fennel, peppercorn and rosemary and roasted for four hours, it was still juicy with a crisp/shatter skin. 

Good end to a good trip.