EPIC SWINE!
we’re in a good mood around the house here tonight. KC was baking cupcakes over the weekend at a bakery, while i’ve gotten even more work here in the past couple of days. so clearly, triumphant food is in order.
you never know what youre gonna get over at Duc Loi. such is the whimsical nature of the place. it makes shopping there fun. theyve been a bit thin in the fish and the lamb here of late, but they’re making it up with stuff like this:
EPIC SWINE!
those skin-on pork chops are 2” thick. with the skin off, one of these would run you $26 at a Chop House. at Duc loi, they were $1.99/lb. Kismet! and they’re better to cook with when you have the skins on, anyway, since that extra layer protects the meat when you cook at high temperatures.
i went with a bit of a Mediterranean flair here. the spice mix consists of 1T of the Berbere, 1T of curry powder, 1T of ground cumin, ½T of coriander, and ½T of ground garlic. the Berbere really is the star - the toasted cayenne is dark and smoky, but it also brings out the natural sweetness of the spice. it makes for a complex and satisfying taste.
so i douse the chops in lemon juice and pat on the spice mix, let them sit in the fridge for an hour. then these are going to broil for 9 minutes a side. i usually go 5 a side with normal chops, but these are monsters. still, its best if we not overcook these. since i scored the skins and used the broiler, i can afford to go short on the cooking time since its basically gonna continue to cook on the plate.
we eat a lot of spinage around here. i am a fan of fresh veggies, but i think lettuce is the lamest vegetable on the planet. the side salad is a standard mix of two of my favourite leafy greens - spinage and fresh basil - with many lovely and colourful plants and a nice vinaigrette, a mix of 3 vinegars with olive oil, crushed red pepper, and ground garlic.
we also have a baguette and a bottle of the Il Sigillo Aglianico that nagekinoki gave to us, which is one of the wackiest wines i have ever had. it comes from south central Italy and tastes like no wine i have ever known. it is DARK and intense. it pretty much smacks you in the mouth when you first drink it. but its absolutely terrific. (dont worry James, we’re saving the 3rd bottle for you.)
gimme eat! this is a great dinner.
this song came on KCRW while i was cooking. it should be turned up to 11:
you never know what youre gonna get over at Duc Loi. such is the whimsical nature of the place. it makes shopping there fun. theyve been a bit thin in the fish and the lamb here of late, but they’re making it up with stuff like this:
EPIC SWINE!
those skin-on pork chops are 2” thick. with the skin off, one of these would run you $26 at a Chop House. at Duc loi, they were $1.99/lb. Kismet! and they’re better to cook with when you have the skins on, anyway, since that extra layer protects the meat when you cook at high temperatures.
i went with a bit of a Mediterranean flair here. the spice mix consists of 1T of the Berbere, 1T of curry powder, 1T of ground cumin, ½T of coriander, and ½T of ground garlic. the Berbere really is the star - the toasted cayenne is dark and smoky, but it also brings out the natural sweetness of the spice. it makes for a complex and satisfying taste.
so i douse the chops in lemon juice and pat on the spice mix, let them sit in the fridge for an hour. then these are going to broil for 9 minutes a side. i usually go 5 a side with normal chops, but these are monsters. still, its best if we not overcook these. since i scored the skins and used the broiler, i can afford to go short on the cooking time since its basically gonna continue to cook on the plate.
we eat a lot of spinage around here. i am a fan of fresh veggies, but i think lettuce is the lamest vegetable on the planet. the side salad is a standard mix of two of my favourite leafy greens - spinage and fresh basil - with many lovely and colourful plants and a nice vinaigrette, a mix of 3 vinegars with olive oil, crushed red pepper, and ground garlic.
we also have a baguette and a bottle of the Il Sigillo Aglianico that nagekinoki gave to us, which is one of the wackiest wines i have ever had. it comes from south central Italy and tastes like no wine i have ever known. it is DARK and intense. it pretty much smacks you in the mouth when you first drink it. but its absolutely terrific. (dont worry James, we’re saving the 3rd bottle for you.)
gimme eat! this is a great dinner.
this song came on KCRW while i was cooking. it should be turned up to 11:
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