Kent Wang

I'll definitely drop by if you serve the duck tongues.

I consulted with my mom. I got the recipe right for the most part, except she recommends adding 1/2 cup Chinese cooking rice wine to remove any "gamey" aroma of the tongues. You can substitute with sherry but either way, the rice wine is not absolutely necessary. The only spice she uses is one or two star anise though you can just substitute with regular anise as the flavors are very similar.

I've noticed that Western foods are often strictly limited to items that are easier to eat. For example, the prevalence of filets. Growing up eating Chinese foods, I feel that I'm a lot more skilled at eating boned foods, using my mouth to seperate the bones from the meat. I suppose this is the same kind of dexterity one needs to tie a cherry stem, but I unfortunately have yet to master that feat.

"Hong Shao" (red sauce style) is a primarily Beijing style that is modified by Shanghai cooks with the addition of sugar. For 1lb tongues, simmer in 1 cup soy sauce and 2tbsp sugar. The sugar may seem surprising but it will help thicken the sauce and "synergize" with the soy sauce. Here's an explanation of the phenomenon I wrote for Wikipedia. Simmering the tongues will also dissolve a lot of the collagen and thereby thicken the sauce even more. You may also want to add a bit of anise seed into the sauce, but just a tiny bit. In Xi'an, near Beijing, they like to put tons of anise and coriander into everything. This is a very acquired taste, one that I have yet to acquire, so do not overdo the anise, coriander and other spices. After simmering for 15 minutes or more your sauce should be a rich brown with a hint of red, quite thick and a little sticky (from the collagen).

Please keep us updated re: your venture. Is Tru in Chicago New/Progressive American as well? I'm curious as to what extent duck tongues have broken out of Chinese cuisine. I've only seen duck tongues sold with the bone in. Do you debone it or serve it as is? I'm not sure frying would be the best as it's all about the texture. I feel that the texture of the batter would overwhelm the tongue. Your best bet may be a thick sauce of some kind. I'm not a pro, of course, so perhaps your instinct is more keen than mine. I can ask my mother for a her "red sauce" Shanghai/Beijing style recipe if you like. It's very simple, really highlights the tongues and may be a good starting point for experimentation. For those that have never tried it, it's probably one of the most accessible of the "exotic" Chinese ingredients, probably more so than say duck gizzards, tripe, sea cucumber, pig ear, etc. Speaking of which, have you tried duck gizzards? A wonderful gamey taste, not too tough or chewy either. That description doesn't really do it justice, but let me say that I like it more than chicken gizzards. I can give you a good stir fry recipe if you're interested. It's rather home-style and maybe unfit for a restaurant but I'm sure you can figure out how to improve it from there.

I can't remember if Hong Kong Supermarket in Houston sells them frozen or not. I'm 60% sure they're fresh, though they may have been frozen sometime during shipping. Are you making a Chinese dish? I am not aware of any other cuisines that use duck tongues. My mom makes them either steamed (more Cantonese style) or "with a red sauce" (pinyin: hong3 shao1) (more Beijing style). One of my favorite signature Chinese dishes.

Central Market always carries prime ribeye, strip and filet at around $18+/lb. I've seen prime ribeye at Randall's for $14/lb. Some sort of sale I think. Never seen prime sirloin ever before anywhere. If you're going to get anything prime, why bother with just sirloin?

I've been looking at Dream Dinners and Super Suppers in Austin as an event that we can introduce to novice and freshman cooks for the UT cooking club, of which I'm a member. I was introduced to the idea from an article in the Austin Chronicle. Please do keep us posted!

Agreed!

I will probably check out Harrell soon. Two or three years ago I went to a pot luck at Patricia's, owner of Sweetish Hill and founder of Portabla, house and met a Japanese couple who grew Japanese beef and supplied it to Portabla. I can't remember if it was Wagyu or Kobe but they were awaiting organic certification at the time. I hope to enquire after them next time I stop in at Portabla or see Patricia again. I'll be sure to report back here.

My first post on eG! I lived in Galveston from middle school to high school (graduated Ball 2002) and occasionally return. I've dined at the Pelican Club once -- sometime in early 2005 I believe -- with a high school friend whose family is a member of the island's old money. I ordered a half-dozen Gulf oysters on the half shell and the oyster deluxe platter, 18 oysters cooked in 9 different ways. A few of the oyster preparations were very cheesy and perhaps a little too salty, a Pecorino preparation I believe, but the meal overall was excellent. Yes, that was a lot of food and I nearly finished it all! I ended up taking just a handful of oysters home. Unfortunately, my friend's aunt who held the membership is deceased so I'll have to dredge up some other high school contact -- many of whom I've alienated, long story -- in order to go back again. I understand an annual membership is $200. Is membership by invitation only or can anyone with the funds join? I find that the menu is discounted by about 15% so if one went to the restaurant, say 10 times a year, the annual dues would pay for itself.