Pigs' Ears

[culinary bear]

We've been using braised, pressed, sliced and breaded pigs' ears in the restaurant as an accompaniment to braised cheek and confited belly, and they work well, if needing heavily seasoned.

Elizabeth David once deplored the british habit of disposing of thousands of pigs' ears from the bacon factories by using them as food for mink farms, a practice she compared to "feeding caviar to canaries". She gave a good recipe for pigs' ears Sainte Meinehould, which isn't too far removed from the method we use.

Has anyone had any experiences with different methods of cooking what can be an exquisitely tasty part of the pig?

[Busboy]

I had a pigs ear as part of a tete du couchon at Clos des Gourmands in Paris. It, and the accompanying cheek (removed from the bone), appeared to have been roasted, and roasted in such a way as to combine an exquisite fatty "crunch" with a rich meat flavor. Truly, a silk purse had been created.

I also had a pigs head in Greece where appeared they had spit-roasted the whole pig and just served up the head split open but otherwise unadorned. Again, another siumple and excellent preparation.

Tell me, CB, is eating the cartilage inside the ear mandatory, or are we allowed just to strip off the flesh? I find the texture off-putting (as I do with soft-shell crabs and other cartaliginous delicacies).

Edited September 14, 2004 by Busboy (log)

[culinary bear]

Unless the cartilage has been braised to death, I'm not a fan of it either; I tend to strip the meat off.

In the past I've managed to remove both sides of the ear away from the cartilage in one piece, then crisped them until crunchy, golden and crackling. Lots of salt, some sauce gribiche... oh my.

Edited September 14, 2004 by culinary bear (log)

[MobyP]

They serve a similar dish to the one you describe at Aikens - and very nice it was too.

What do you do with the cheek?

Edited September 14, 2004 by MobyP (log)

[culinary bear]

It's lightly brine-cured and braised overnight, usually 12-14 hours. Wrapped in caul in a cylinder, cut into pucks, pan-fried on the outside and heated through in the oven.

[MobyP]

I do something similar (though I've been following the FL recipe stuffing them with sweetbreads and tongue). They make for lovely eating. At what temps are you braising for that long? And how far do you trim off the fat? I find that it gelatinizes from the braising, which is delicious, but can be a bit overwhelming if you don't trim it right back.

[culinary bear]

The low oven's set to about 120C, and the fat is trimmed back completely - the caul provides all the lubrication when the meat's reheated...

[Dignan]

Here's a pig ear sandwich.

[Hest88]

I've never made them, but twice I had julienned pig's ears at a local restaurant. Nice and crunchy, like jellyfish.

[jetsie]

I've never made them, but twice I had julienned pig's ears at a local restaurant. Nice and crunchy, like jellyfish.

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Same here. They were a component of a Vietnamese salad. That crunch is an important part of their allure.

[torakris]

I have had them a couple of times too, just sliced up thinly and drizzled with soy sauce, they are often served as a snack to go with drinks.

I think they are pretty popular in most Asian countries.

[zaelic]

I had some pigs ears yesterday for lunch at a chinese lunch counter here in Budapest. Boiled in soy, sliced, stir fried with greens, on top of a heap of rice. Delicious.

In Hungary the meat from the pig's head - along with bits of boiled snout and ears - is available at the lunch counters at butchers' shops, but the ears usually go into head cheese.

[Daddy-A]

Elizabeth David once deplored the british habit of disposing of thousands of pigs' ears from the bacon factories by using them as food for mink farms, a practice she compared to "feeding caviar to canaries".

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So I guess I have very lucky terriers? They LOVE pig's ears!

Arne

[culinary bear]

are those the dried crispy smoked ones they sell for dogs?

they're rather tasty - I've tried them :)

[Hest88]

are those the dried crispy smoked ones they sell for dogs?

they're rather tasty - I've tried them :)

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Oh great, CB, now you're going to have eGulleters buy out the supply at their local PetSmart.

[Daddy-A]

they're rather tasty - I've tried them :)

Allan Brown

current chef / former mad scientist

Manchester, UK

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FORMER Mad Scientist?

I find them a tad salty.

Arne

[Ruth]

Years ago we used to take our kids to a Hunan restaurant on Mott Street (NY Chinatown). Once they discovered the pigs' ears (boiled for an hour or so, sliced into thin strips and marinated in soy, chile, lots of chopped raw garlic, sesame and cilantro) they ordered them every week and were totally devastated when they were taken off the menu. The owner told us that, apart from themselves, we were the only people who ordered them. Cooked this way they are a real delicacy. My boys still ask me to prepare them when the come home. My older son now lives in Shanghai and scours the city for the best ears!

[ludja]

In Austrain farm cooking they make a jellied meat dish from parts of the pig--ears, snout, trotters (feet)-- called "sulz". Vinegar, s+p and onions added in too. The gelling action results from stuff cooked out of the bones.

I think it is called "souse" in Britain; probably variations in other rural places too. More refined versions become head cheese...

My dad always eats this with gusto. I wouldn't try it as a kid but would do it now!