[SEA] Need duck legs, pork belly

[little ms foodie]

Good morning!

I'm off of work this week and have decided to participate in the eGullet Cook Together. We are making cassoulet and I want to make my own duck confit. I always see whole duck but does anyone know where I can just get legs? I've never asked so possibly this is not a big deal for Don & Joe, AJ Meats or Whole Paycheck??

Also where can I buy duck or goose fat in the city?

Thanks!!

[vengroff]

Don and Joe usually have duck breasts in their freezer, so I would bet they have legs too. With a couple of days notice they can get just about anything, possibly including a nice big jar of duck fat, so I'd give them a call. Their number is (206) 682-7670.

[Eden]

I've gotten duck legs for cassoulet at Whole Foods, but thier supply is sometimes limited so I'd call, and by all means support Don & Joe's first if possible. Has anyone tried the new butcher who went into Crystal's old space?

Ooh it never occured to me that Don & Joe's could order duck fat for me. I always do my confit in a mix of pork fat with however much duck fat I've saved up over the year...

So who else here in the NW is doing the Bourdain cassoulet Cook Together? I'll be doing my annual cassoulet extravaganza at the end of January, so I wasn't going to join in, but now that I think about it, it would be interesting to see how his recipe compares with the one I use. (from Bruce at Le Gourmand with my own modifications)

Eden

[little ms foodie]

Excellent, thank you I will call them this morning. Also what about pork belly and pork rind??? Are these staples at most butchers?

[Blue Heron]

I have bought goose fat at Chefshop in Seattle.

Pork belly and rind at various grocery stores in the International district.

[MsRamsey]

Wendy -- Right by your house! University Seafood & Poultry sells duck fat for something like $5 a pound. I thought it was a pretty decent price.

[little ms foodie]

ms. ramsey....DUH! I totally spaced on that!

Well I found the duck legs and duck fat at Whole Paycheck. They have quite a few packages of duck legs and breasts fyi.

Will hit the ID on Wed to try to find the pork products. Can anyone recommend a particular grocery?

[Blue Heron]

Uwajimaya carries it. Basically I think all the asian stores carry it, no? I have bought it at a few places. I think they sometimes label it "side of pork", too. You can ask in the meat dept if you don't see it.

[reesek]

wendy,

can you do me a favor and take a picture of that pork belly when you get it? as a recently reformed vegetarian, i have absolutely no idea what different cuts of meat are called or look like raw. thanks...

the best thing i ever made in my whole life was cassoulet. it was years ago and i used the recipe in the Joy of Cooking. i had made a goose for christmas and used the carcass for stock to cook the beans...bought lamb and sausage and i think salt pork?? and used left over goose. it was amazing - enjoy the process! i loved the steps and the smells - it was heavenly.

[Really Nice!]

Ooh it never occured to me that Don & Joe's could order duck fat for me.  I always do my confit in a mix of pork fat with however much duck fat I've saved up over the year... 

Eden

You can buy solid duck fat at Uwajimaya for $1.69 a pound. You'll get about 11 ounces of liquid per pound bringing the cost to about $2.40 a pound. To render it separate the pieces and put it in a pot over low heat for about an hour or so.

Also what about pork belly and pork rind??? Are these staples at most butchers?

You can also buy these at Uwajimaya. I think the pork belly is about $2.25 a pound. I bought a bunch last year to make my own bacon via a cold smoker.

can you do me a favor and take a picture of that pork belly when you get it? as a recently reformed vegetarian, i have absolutely no idea what different cuts of meat are called or look like raw.  thanks...

This site has a diagram of a pig and its primal cuts. They also have cow and deer. Here's one for lamb. You can find more by performing a search on Google for <animal name> "primal cut".

[ScorchedPalate]

can you do me a favor and take a picture of that pork belly when you get it? as a recently reformed vegetarian, i have absolutely no idea what different cuts of meat are called or look like raw.  thanks...

←

It looks like a big hunk of bacon, unsliced.

[Eden]

In addition to Uwajimaya (land of unusual animal parts ) you can also find pork belly at the Central Market. (I didn't check but I think it might cost a bit more.) And of course D&J can order it for you.

Where are you getting your tarbais beans?

Looking forward to reading about your cassoulet!

Eden

[little ms foodie]

I'm going to use white beans for this first experiment (great northern) but Chefshop has the tarbais if your interested.

[ScorchedPalate]

Chefshop's retail store is closed for the whole week, FYI.

~A

[mamster]

We get duck legs at USP also. Last time I was in, they gave me a choice of two different varieties: pekin and I missed the other one. Probably Muscovy. Usually they've just had the pekin, but they're great. I try to keep them in my freezer at all times.

You will be hearing more from me on this topic in a local publication in February.

[little ms foodie]

Hi Mamster, I don't know what USP is??

Found the pork products at Uwajimaya, how fun is shopping there?? Totally cool.

Anyway I am well on my way to cassoulet. Hope to see some of you cooking along!

[tsquare]

Hi Mamster, I don't know what USP is??

Found the pork products at Uwajimaya, how fun is shopping there?? Totally cool.

Anyway I am well on my way to cassoulet. Hope to see some of you cooking along!

←

Not mamster, but I'm guessing "University Seafood and Poultry"?

[little ms foodie]

Hi Mamster, I don't know what USP is??

Found the pork products at Uwajimaya, how fun is shopping there?? Totally cool.

Anyway I am well on my way to cassoulet. Hope to see some of you cooking along!

←

Not mamster, but I'm guessing "University Seafood and Poultry"?

←

DUH! smaking self on forehead!

[Really Nice!]

Thanks for asking!

<I was clueless too!>

[little ms foodie]

Pictures for Reese:

pork belly

finished cassoulet, thanks for your help guys!

[reesek]

lmf -

just saw this - thanks for posting the pictures. just as anita said...it looks like a big unsliced hunk of bacon.

but fresh, right - not cured in any way? it's a lovely looking piece of meat. where is it from? i'm wondering if any one who's also had the pork belly at lark (or made it as a star dish rather than an accompaniment) can help me out with the preparation.

i remember not liking the abundant fat, but loooving the tender meat. is belly usually braised? wendy's looks much leaner than what i was served at lark...did mine need sit ups or is er...plumpness encouraged in pork belly?

[little ms foodie]

Reese I got the pork belly at Uwajimaya. It's the first time I ever had it so I can't comment all the differences. But it was uncured and the layer of fat was quite thick. I've never had it in a restaurant, are you suppose to eat the fat? (sorry if that is a dumb question!)

[ScorchedPalate]

Yup, it's totally uncured unless otherwise mentioned. It's also sold salted but not smoked. Salted (cured) and smoked belly = slab bacon.

Yes, you eat the fat. Although it mostly melts away into unctuousness.

For recipes of all sorts, search on “Pork Belly” in the eG ‘site search’ window. (I bought twice as much as I needed for my New Year's day choucroute garnie, and wanted ideas on how to use up the rest.)

~Anita

[Eden]

Can you get tarbais beans anywhere around Seattle besides ChefShop? (They're out)

Turns out I just used up the last of my haricots de soisson for the first batch of cassoulet & have another batch to make on Monday, so while I could just use great white northerns, if anyone in town had Tarbais I would love to experiment...

Time to go back to Paris & buy more soissons!

[miulang]

Yup, it's totally uncured unless otherwise mentioned. It's also sold salted but not smoked. Salted (cured) and smoked belly = slab bacon.

Yes, you eat the fat.  Although it mostly melts away into unctuousness.

For recipes of all sorts, search on “Pork Belly” in the eG ‘site search’ window. (I bought twice as much as I needed for my New Year's day choucroute garnie, and wanted ideas on how to use up the rest.)

~Anita

←

Oh yeah, kau yuk (steamed red pork with taro) is delicious stuff indeed! Haven't seen that on any menus at any Chinese restaurants in this town, though? Anybody know of someplace that might serve this? Don't want to have to wait until I go back to Hawai'i to eat some!

Thanks.

Miulang