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Pig Face

liuzhou

By liuzhou
in China: Cooking & Baking

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haresfur

haresfur

Posted
Posted

The idea of eating a face is a bit disconcerting but so far, the pictures look more like a shoe or a purse than a living face. Doesn't make it more appetizing, but not so disturbing.

I do look forward to learning about its preparation and consumption in future posts.

 

Are you suggesting that he forgo eating the ear and make a silk purse out of it instead?

  • Like 4

It's almost never bad to feed someone.

blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted

Are you suggesting that he forgo eating the ear and make a silk purse out of it instead?

Oh no. During my few trips to China, silk purses were everywhere, pretty much a dime a dozen. But this? No, I did not see whole pig faces in every shop. This is much more interesting!

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
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Posted

If you're not up to tackling a whole face, the supermarkets do offer facebits. You get to choose between more manageable portions of ears, snout, cheeks etc at varying prices.

 

facebits.jpg

  • Like 3

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

  • 2 months later...
liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
5 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

@liuzhou, I noticed that you posted a nice dinner using a special cured pork over in the dinner thread.  That made me wonder how your pig face is faring these days.  Anything new to report?

 

Funnily enough, I was just thinking the same. I haven't touched her yet, but winter has truly arrived now, and it is Chinese New Year at the weekend (Feb 8th), so her time is coming. I will post whatever becomes of her.

  • Like 6

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

Katie Meadow

Katie Meadow

Posted
Posted

I admit that it took me until now to be willing to even look at a thread called Pig Face. Being a big fan of the book "Childhood's End" I made the mistake of watching the recent television version, which was just dreadful. However, Cameron does bear a resemblance to Karellen. I don't know if I would eat her, but I am uncomfortably curious as to how she ends up. 

  • Like 2
liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
2 hours ago, Katie Meadow said:

I admit that it took me until now to be willing to even look at a thread called Pig Face. Being a big fan of the book "Childhood's End" I made the mistake of watching the recent television version, which was just dreadful. However, Cameron does bear a resemblance to Karellen. I don't know if I would eat her, but I am uncomfortably curious as to how she ends up. 

 

Wow. That's a book I haven't thought about for a very long time.

 

Cameron no longer looks like she did.I butchered her for ease of storage. She is in bits in the freezer. Which reminds me to dig out some cheek for. maybe, tomorrow.

  • Like 1

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

caroled

caroled

Posted
Posted
On ‎11‎/‎26‎/‎2015 at 2:56 AM, liuzhou said:

If you're not up to tackling a whole face, the supermarkets do offer facebits. You get to choose between more manageable portions of ears, snout, cheeks etc at varying prices.

 

facebits.jpg

 

What are those yummy looking little strings of sausages on the left  made of / typically used for??? and the belly below... and the duck? legs... so many good looking things here!!!

  • Like 1

And this old porch is like a steaming greasy plate of enchiladas,With lots of cheese and onions and a guacamole salad ...This Old Porch...Lyle Lovett

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)
On 03/02/2016 at 11:17 AM, caroled said:

 

What are those yummy looking little strings of sausages on the left  made of / typically used for??? and the belly below... and the duck? legs... so many good looking things here!!!

 

The sausages are pork belly meat. They are typically used in hot pots or sliced and stir fried with vegetables. The are also often steamed on top of rice, thereby flavouring the rice. Again the steamed sausages are sliced and served with vegetables. The cured belly is cooked in the same way. Finally the duck legs (yes) are often braised then shredded. Often used in soups around here. Winter food.

 

It is always an interesting corner of the supermarket.

Edited by liuzhou
typos (log)
  • Like 3

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

  • 1 month later...
liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)

The unseasonably warm weather has gone and on Wednesday the temperatures dropped dramatically as the wind direction swung to the north. Well the wind is moving south, but coming from the frozen north. So I fancy soups. Hearty soups. Today, I've spent about eight hours making what is maybe the most complex stock I've undertaken in a very long time.

Chicken trimmings (heads, feet, wing tips etc), slightly meaty pork bones and bits of pig's face (The part outlined in the picture below - I call them her earlobes)  have been simmering away for hours with celery, onion and carrot. The whole apartment smells heavenly and I feel warmer already.

 

56e3bea4456d2_pighead6.thumb.jpg.5f02b8a

 

Here they are after giving up their goodness to the stock. They are skin side down, so you can see the layer of fat  underneath then a layer of meat. They will be discarded now.

 

IMG_7645.jpg.2f00e73192839039b07f46240cd

 

And finally, here is the reduced, cheesecloth strained stock ready for the fridge. To be used tomorrow. The yellow tinge is Cameron's doing. The stock smells rich and smoky. I'll be using it with beans and robust vegetables, I think. Will decide in the morning.

 

IMG_7655.jpg.d278bcc28b957fd42d2de2314ae

 

I also have one of her ears soaking overnight. This I was advised to do. Again, I will decide in the morning what to do next.

Edited by liuzhou (log)
  • Like 13

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Pig face project has had to be postponed due to some clot with a huge hydraulic drill having fractured the main water pipe leading to my apartment block. I had three days with no water, so decamped to the countryside without Cameron.

 

I'm back home now, but off again on a short trip tomorrow evening. Pig face will be dealt with at the weekend, all being well.

  • Like 3

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

Deryn

Deryn

Posted
Posted

Poor Cameron, abandoned for three days, alone in a waterless apartment. I hope no one called the Pig Face Police to report you for negligence. But, on the other hand, though forced and not already planned I presume, I hope you had a lovely countryside sojourn! :) p.s. have a good trip.

  • Like 1
  • 3 weeks later...
liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

I finally got around to doing something more constructive with Cameron. Life has been getting in the way.

 

I took one of her ears. The right one (from her point of view) if you are really interested.

 

pig's ear.jpg

 

pig's ear2.jpg

 

At this stage the ear is hard  and rubbery. Shoe leather. Not something you would ever consider to be edible other than in dire emergencies. After you had eaten all the other survivors of whatever disaster you had been through..

 

I simmered poor Cameron's ear for two hours in water with some star anise. Nothing else. Then let her rest and cool down. You'd want a rest too if you had been simmered for two hours.

Then I cut her into slivers, exposing the layers and skin and cartilage.

 

pig's ear3.jpg

 

I might enlarge and frame that picture!

Then I dry fried the slivers with ground cumin, Sichuan peppercorns and chilli flakes. Skin and cartilage never tasted better!

 

And ended up with this plate of beer food. Something to munch on while eGulleting and sampling the local brew. It's a public holiday here today. Qing Ming, the ancestor worship festival, aka Tomb Sweeping Festival. I am mourning Cameron and thanking her for her contribution to my mouth.

 

pig ear chews.jpg

The final product

 

 

 

 

  • Like 15

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

Deryn

Deryn

Posted
Posted (edited)

I love your sense of humour, Liuzhou! I also love how you can see Cameron's dismembered beauty and honour it, treating her gently and with such reverence while converting her nether-parts into sustenance of the highest quality. And yes, I love that 'strip' photo too - very artistic!

Edited by Deryn (log)
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  • 2 weeks later...
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