Category — Websites

What’s better than bacon? Well, arguably, pork belly is. Afterall, bacon is pork belly, and, at that, it’s just one specific method of cooking this fantastic meat. You can cook pork belly all sorts of way, and with any flavor you want!

This pork belly happens to be braised with plenty of stout and ginger. Garlic, molasses,cinnamon, anise, and orange are also added to the braising liquid, which, after the pork belly is fall-apart tender, is reduced to a thick, syrupy glaze. The liquid is reduced so far, in fact, that the stout adds a significant malt flavor to the final dish.

The other elements of this dish include braised mustard greens, potato and mustard puree, fresh whole grain mustard, caramelized garlic chips, and friend potato strands.

A close up of the layers of meat and fatty goodness in the braised pork belly.

This dish owes its conception to internet collaboration, and specifically Google Wave. Google Wave is a new form of internet communication. Instead of receiving hundreds of emails with CCs, hard to decode responses, and reading through and ever-growing list of replies, Google Wave is a hosted conversation. This means that one person can create a “wave” about a specific subject, in this case pork belly. Whoever is included in that wave can respond to any and every addition to the wave. The additions, responses, and corrections are displayed in a manner that makes it easy to follow the chronology and evolution of the conversation.

This pork belly dish was created in a collaborative conversation on Google Wave. It started with the simple request of “Let’s create a new dish.” Myself and a few other chef friends decided pork belly would be nice and we exchanged ideas on what flavors to use. It was eventually decided that mustard, potatoes (in some form), and braised greens would pair nicely with the fatty belly. I especially admire mustard with any pork product and wanted to feature it as a significant element in the final dish. One we knew the flavors, we could easily communicate what form each of them would take. I decided to add the garlic chips and fried potato strings for some crunchy bits of flavor and dramatic visuals.

Braised Pork Belly: Another example of how the internet can be one of the most powerful tools in the kitchen.

Suggested Wine Pairing: Alsatian gewürtztraminer

This stunning photograph was taken by Mike Boehmer.

Mike is a Chicago-based photographer and a regular contributor to The Windy Pixel. Please visit www.mikeboehmer.com for more fantastic photography!

Share on Facebook

I recently stumbled upon the fantastic food blog Fancy Fast Food. In each entry the author Erik, and occasionally guest authors, showcase their stunning fine-dining creations that are made from nothing but fast food. The picture above is “Seared Pollock Cake with Southwest Ramalan Sauce” made from one McDonald’s filet ‘o fish sandwich and one premium southwest salad.

“Honey Apple Glazed Christmas Holiday Ham” made from Burger King Quad Stackers and breakfast Croissanwiches

“Chick-sat-A:” Chicken satay made from various Chick Fil-A items

Share on Facebook

Urban Bellyis a noodle and dumpling restaurant in the Chicago neighborhood of Avondale. Chef Bill Kim, of fine dining fame at Le Lan, Charlie Trotter’s, and Trio, among others, opened this counter-service gem tucked inside of a small strip-mall near Belmont and California Ave (3053 N. California Ave.). The restaurant offers a well-balanced menu of noodles and dumplings of Korean inspiration. Each day, Urban Belly offers seasonal kimchi and a dumpling special. The dumplings are well worth the visit and feature all sorts of flavors and ingredients, from lamb and brandy to foie gras. The noodles are spectacular as well. I suggest the rice noodles with hominy, kimchi, and spicy pork broth. The noodles have a delightfully glutinous texture and are perfect with the spicy broth.

Urban Belly is a counter service restaurant. After ordering you can sit at one of four long tables in the small and minimalist dining room. Instead of chairs Urban Belly has short stools made of old Chinese Elmwood. Eating at Urban Belly on a busy night is a surprisingly enjoyable communal experience, as complete strangers interact around the long dining tables. Urban Belly is B.Y.O.B. Although the menu is pricier than most other counter service restaurants, the quality of food and atmosphere at Urban Belly justifies the price tag. If you live in Chicago, or are planning to visit soon, put Urban Belly on your list of places to eat!

Bill Kim also recently opened Belly Shack in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood, another counter service restaurant offering his unique takes on a myriad of street foods of Asian and Latin-American inspiration.

Shrimp Udon at Urban Belly in Chicago

Share on Facebook

I’d like to introduce you to a fantastic website, foodpairing.be. Food Pairing is an ever-growing site featuring food pairing “trees” of popular ingredients. The goal is to find new and exciting flavor combinations and understand classic flavor combinations. The food pairing trees are a visual feast and feature a handy synopsis of the major food categories, such as dairy or sweets, that a particular ingredient pairs well with. Here’s a pairing chart for apples:

Click for larger image

Some pairings on this tree are obvious, like pecan and butter. Some are intriguing, like mustard and black tea. These flavor pairing charts are a great starting point to create exciting dishes based on unusual but validated flavor pairings. Stop by Food Pairings and spend a few minutes browsing the flavor trees.

Share on Facebook