Featured Dish: D’Artagnan’s Mangalitsa Ham
GutterGourmet — August 18, 2010
Mangalitsa from Grace’s Marketplace, now imported by D’Artagnan.
Did you celebrate the legal importation of Jamón Ibérico Bellota? Have you too broken the law with smuggled Culatello di Zibello? Well, there’s a new pig in town. As recently noted in The Times, D’Artagnan is now importing and distributing Mangalitsa ham. The wooly, Hungarian Mangalica, or Mangalitsa, is literally a pig in sheep’s clothing. We sampled a preview at last year’s Oktoberfest at Klee Brasserie in Chef Daniel Angerer’s porky strudel, but had to taste the new stuff.
Cured in Spain, Mangalitsa is very similar to the Ibérico. At $80/lb, it might be described as a “poor man’s Ibérico,” as Ibérico sliced a mano can fetch twice that price. The fat of the Mangalitsa is not as redolent of the oil of nuts as the Bellota, which is only used to describe the Iberian hogs nourished on acorns. The Mangalitsa’s diet consists of barley, wheat, corn, soybean, and grass. This doesn’t produce the same meltingly-fatty marbling as the Ibérico Bellota.
We recently sampled a ¼lb of Mangalitsa ($20), and can report that it was good, though not Ibérico good. In fairness, this Mangalitsa was not bone-in, and was machine sliced. Hand-slicing would undoubtedly improve the texture. Still, it’s a welcome addition to New York’s growing charcuterie obsession. The ham is available at Grace’s Marketplace, which by the way is as close to the original Balducci’s as you can get (Grace was Balducci’s daughter).
Location: Grace’s Marketplace
Address: 1237 3rd Avenue (at 71st St)
Contact: (212) 737-0600
Hours: Mon-Fri 7:00AM-8:30PM, Sat & Sun 8:00AM-7:00PM
Featured Restaurant: Traif
Arthur Bovino — June 07, 2010
Pork Belly Confit, Lentils, Artichokes, Tomato Marmalade, and Moroccan Whiskey Cocktail at Traif in Williamsburg.
Just when you thought this let’s-hang-yarn-from-a-window-and-take-photos-of-it-from-the-sidewalk neighborhood couldn’t give you yet another storyline there it is. Unkosher food nonpareil on the edge of Satmar territory from a Jewish chef with experience at Eleven Madison Park and Le Bernardin. The south labeled streets’ most recent newcomer, Traif, makes good on its name— and man, is it good.
AlwaysPartying: LUCKYRICE Party at Fatty ‘Cue
Maryse Chevrière — March 25, 2010
Clockwise from top: Smoked Beef Brisket, The ‘Cue Cocktail, Chef Daniel Boulud and Pit Master Robbie Richter dig into the ‘cue.
When Daniel Boulud tastes your barbecue, then asks where he should go to buy a smoker for his father’s backyard in France, you know you’re doing something right.
Reports were that Fatty ‘Cue, this most eagerly anticipated restaurant, had quietly opened to the public last Friday, though it was insisted at last night’s LUCKYRICE Festival media preview party that the joint had actually only officially opened the day before. Sure, there had been a long wait. Yes, Fatty Crab Upper West Side had their one year anniversary before the opening. And yes, pit master, Robbie Richter noted that after all this time, some of the original dishes they’d come up with had come and gone. That having been said, last night’s tastes were a harbinger good things to come.
Out back, Robbie carved hunks of low-and-slow smoked brisket that was moist, integrated with fat, and sealed with a ring of charred crust. A bowl of hot chili paste materialized and things got even better. A slick, sweet-heat chili oil arrived, and a crowd formed. There were ribs, of course, pork and lamb. The first was sweet and cindery, the second, sticky and tender, with jerky-like skin and a creamy garlic-lemon emulsion.
A thinly sliced pork loin, like a superior deli meat, inspired visions of potentially wonderful sandwiches. Non-meat items made cameos. A ramen-esque Bowl of Noodles, and better yet— bowls of small clams swimming in a heat-packed broth best enjoyed after it soaked into pieces of thick toast.
The cocktail situation was on-point too. A classic Dark & Stormy, the suggestive Foreplay cocktail, and most notably, the namesake ‘Cue, which was as hot as the restaurant is bound to be.
More Photographs from Fatty 'Cue >>
AlwaysPartying: National Pig Day
Maryse Chevrière — March 01, 2010
Whole Roast Pig from the Second Annual Pig Roast and Dance Party.
What better way to kickoff a month than to celebrate the almighty pig? Today, March 1st is National Pig Day, and in its honor we have compiled pictures of some of our favorite dishes celebrating this glorious animal in all of its delicious forms. Feast your eyes of the Pig-apalooza.
AlwaysPartying: Pacquiao Filipino Feast
November 20, 2009
Top, full plate of traditional Filipino food. Bottom left, Lumpia Shanghai: Pork and Shrimp Egg Rolls. Right, Bicol Express: Pork with Jalapeños.
In honor of Manny Pacquiao’s fight last Saturday against Miguel Cotto, the AlwyasHungryNY.com Crew tapped former Filipino Cuisine chef-owner Nancy Cordova to prepare a traditional Filipino feast. The spread included Hand-Rolled Pork and Shrimp Egg Rolls (Lumpia Shanghai), Oxtail and Tripe Stew in a peanut sauce (Kare-kare), and Chicken and Pork Adobo.
One of the night’s standouts was Beef Tapa, rump steak slow-dried for several hours then sliced and deep-fried, sort of a Filipino-style beef jerky. It was a close second to the Bicol Express, a stew featuring chunks of pork cooked with more jalapeños than you would think possible. The intensely flavored dish set taste buds aflame, but a helping of the excellent garlic fried rice helped tone down the heat. Coincidentally, with the opening of Purple Yam and Umi Nom, you need only travel to Brooklyn to enjoy some of these Filipino delicacies.
AlwaysHungry: This is How We Bo Ssäm
Arthur Bovino — October 29, 2009
Bo Ssäm: Whole Pork Butt.
If anyone doubted our claim to being AlwaysHungry allow these pictures from Tuesday night’s Bo Ssäm feast at Momofuku Ssäm Bar (view) to serve as a visual aid. Joining Jeff, The Hungry Goat and myself to kick the pork butt were internet guru, Matthew Weinberg, contributors GutterGourmet and Michelle Kiefer, and assistant video editor, Ryan ‘Big Dumplings’ Lee, who regaled us with chicken bone marrow eating tips while finishing the pork butt marrow.
AlwaysInvestigating: Sick of Tuna? Try Nicky’s Sardines
The Gluttoness — October 29, 2009
Nicky’s Sardine Banh Mi, $5.
The “Classic Vietnamese Sandwich” is the obvious order on any visit to Nicky’s Vietnamese Restaurant (view). It features pâté, Vietnamese ham and roasted ground pork beneath the customary banh mi garniture of slightly pickled carrot, cucumbers and cilantro. But recently, I was tempted by a Sardine Banh Mi, which I was surprised to see as one of the menu’s few alternatives. The proliferation of Asian fish sandwiches is evident at even the simplest establishments.
When I was young, my Grandfather made sardine sandwiches for me all the time. Considering my earlier days were marred by pain-in-the-ass eating habits (including three years of vegetarianism), I’m surprised now that I always accepted these canned fish sandwiches. Nicky’s rendition doesn’t include the tomato, onion and vinegar accoutrements of my childhood, but it still made for a nostalgic lunch.
Both sandwiches begin with toasted bread. But Nicky’s warm baguettes are far superior to my Grandfather’s sliced rye. They’re a worthy base for any great sandwich. The slathering of mayo instantly melts into the toasted roll’s soft underbelly. The oven-roasted sardines lose some of their natural oil, but the creamy bed of spicy mayonnaise moistens them. The combined flavors taste much like your typical, albeit spiced, tuna sandwich, although the hefty handful of cilantro and hearty vegetable crunch creates a distinctly Vietnamese profile. With a squirt of sriracha, the sardines’ mild fishiness disappears.
The Sardine Banh Mi is definitely different, and satisfying on its own, but ultimately, if you’re into heat and not averse to swine, then when it comes to grabbing banh mi at Nicky’s, nothing beats the classic.
AlwaysInvestigating: Hangover Cures
The Hungry Goat — October 16, 2009
Left, Resto’s Belgian Hangover Pasta. Right, Chef Sebastiaan’s Hangover Cure from Bar Blanc Bistro.
Unless you’re an 18-year-old college frat boy, chances are you don’t go out drinking with the intention of getting a massive hangover the next morning. However, in honor of Fergus Henderson’s hangover brunch at The Breslin tomorrow (part of FergusStock ’09), we thought it appropriate to do exactly that. The goal? To see whether Resto’s Belgian Hangover Pasta and Chef Sebastiaan’s Hangover Cure at Bar Blanc Bistro could actually deliver on curing a hangover. A friend’s birthday dinner on a recent Saturday night was the perfect set-up for putting these dishes to the test.
AlwaysPartying: Klee Brasserie’s Oktoberfest
GutterGourmet — September 30, 2009
Left to right, Frankfurter, Kase, Bockwurst, Knackwurst, Wiener, and Andalusian sausages.
Munich’s official Oktoberfest started weeks ago and ends this Sunday, but Klee Brasserie (view) kicked off its month-long celebration last night with an Oktoberfest Sausage and Beer Tasting. Chef Daniel Angerer said he’s horrified that the bacon wrapped hot dog covered with avocados and sour cream (the Chihuahua) Crif Dogs is New York City’s representative of American sausage. Making the ‘wurst’ of a bad situation, he found a sausage maker (a fellow Austrian ex-pat whose identity and upstate location he’s keeping secret) who shares his desire to bring Austrian “wurst kultur” to the city. Through the rest of the month, Angerer is rotating six wursts on Klee’s Oktoberfest menu (all available at the party) as well as several other notable dishes like a Jager Meatloaf, House-made Mangalitsa Strudel and an Oktoberfest Pizza.
AlwaysInvestigating: Duck, Duck, Gyro
The Gluttoness — September 22, 2009
For all intensive purposes, gyros and shawarmas are one in the same. When you’re starving on Lexington, eating the damn thing is more important than dissecting the distinctions, but they are worth noting.
Gyros are from Greece. The name refers to the sandwich itself, which is typically made of garlic and oregano-spiced ground pork (although it can be combined with lamb, chicken or beef), which is compressed into forcemeat before being spit-roasted. In Arabic speaking countries, shawarma refers to the meat itself, usually sliced lamb, seasoned with allspice and assembled in layers on a spit before being roasted. Ultimately, both preparations are sliced off the spit and served in a pita. While gyros are usually dressed with Greek yogurt or tzaziki, and shawarma typically takes tahini or tarator (tahini with garlic), neither is customarily stuffed with duck, yet some New York chefs are opting to put a gourmet spin on these street food favorites.
ilili’s Duck Shawarma with Fig, Green Onion and Garlic Whip.
ilili’s Duck Shawarma ($14.00) has the appearance of your typical Middle Eastern shawarma, except the fancy holder allows the wrapped pita cone duo to be delivered upright. Thin pita is grilled for a smoky exterior and the delicate crispness of the wrapping gives way to a generous portion of sliced duck. While some bits are plagued by fat and gristle, most of the medium meat had a gamey richness. In typical fashion, the shawarma’s sauce was characterized by garlic. The intensely seasoned garlic whip had the caramelized hue of roasted cloves. The creamy sauce controlled the flavor profile, its heaviness given relief by a plentitude of pungent green onions and a sweet speckling of figs.
AlwaysTraveling: L.A. Tacos (Los Angeles)
The Gluttoness — September 21, 2009
Los Angeles may be the land of glitz and glamour, but when it comes to food, we all know that the City of Angels is Taqueria Town. There are tons of authentic options, from free-standing originals to chains like King Taco, but newcomers are also shaking up the scene with international alternatives. Their prevalence even led one man to embark on The Great Taco Hunt, a lofty mission to taste and rate L.A. tacos in a quest to find the perfect one. During a recent trip, I conducted my own AlwaysHungry taco expedition, following a visit to the famed Tito’s Tacos with a stop at the nearest Kogi Truck (view site).
Clockwise from top left: Tito’s exterior, Tito’s Taco, Chili con Carne, Tostada.
Tito’s Tacos in Culver City is an inexpensive Mexican institution that has been preparing their top-secret recipes since 1959. Despite eight fast-moving windows for takeout and eat-in orders, long lines for this standard fare never let up. There are no frills and limited options. Tacos come with beef—don’t even think about substitutions.
While the name is Tito’s Tacos, the best thing on the menu is the Chili con Carne, which is slow-cooked for a decadent, heavily-spiced beefiness. Although the same beef fills the hard-shelled tacos, the proportion is overwhelmed by a flavorless helping of shredded lettuce. Refried Beans are topped with melted cheese and the Been & Cheese Tostadas are best eaten fast, before the crisp, underlying shell goes inconveniently soggy and becomes impossible to eat without utensils. The fresh Tomato Salsa is somewhat watery, needing both salt and pepper. Nothing at Titos’ is the best, and some of the stuff is barely average—it’s obvious that lifelong patrons have grown accustomed to the authentic, if underseasoned flavors.
AlwaysPartying: Il Buco’s Roast Pig Festival
GutterGourmet — September 21, 2009
Roast Pork, Panini, Pig & Apple Sausage, Panzanella, Apple Ricotta Fritters and Arugula Salad.
Forget about the leaves changing colors, autumn to me always brings to mind apples and pigs, specifically the Sagra del Maiale (Roast Pig Festival) held annually for the last six years by one of the most romantic restaurants in the city: Il Buco (restaurant page). I’ve been going to Il Buco since it opened and have attended five of the six festivals. As beautifully described in Peter Kaminsky’s wonderful book, “Pig Perfect,” II Buco brings up a whole heritage pig from Ossabaw Island in Georgia.
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Crossabaw Hertiage Pig on the grill; Slicing the pork.
Forget the National Dog Show, rather than wasting time with dogs (they’re far less intelligent and tasty than pigs), there should be a National Pig Show—then everyone would know of the Ossabaw’s superior breeding, its heritage traceable directly to the conquistadors’ arrival 400 years ago. The crowd at Il Buco grows every year. To appease everyone, Executive Chef Ignacio Mattos had two 150-plus pound beauties (although these were “Crossabaws”). Supposedly, the overly-amorous Spanish Ossabaw boar had his way with the equally sexy and delicious Berkshire, producing a crossbreed, hence the name. The offspring certainly inherited the parents’ combined deliciousness genes. As in past years, the hogs were splayed and roasted on the cobblestones of Bond Street from pre-dawn. I got a beautiful sampling of meat, fat, rib and crackling.
AlwaysInformed: What’s Joe Difference?
The Gluttoness — September 17, 2009
Joe’s Shanghai and Joe’s Ginger, photos courtesy forgotten-ny.com and Joe’s Shanghai Restaurants.
We walked by a crowd of people waiting outside Joe Shangai (restaurant page) for soup dumplings in Chinatown the other day and it reminded us of something that most New Yorkers are aware of but that some newbies may not have caught onto yet: Joe’s Shanghai and the nearby eatery, Joe’s Ginger, are one in the same. And with similar menus and prices, you can get the popular Xiao Long Bao (“Little Basket of Dumplings”) at the relatively dormant Joe’s Ginger without having to wait or subject yourself to the deafening ambient chatter of Joe’s Shanghai.
Joe Ginger’s Crab Meat with Pork Meat “Steamed Bun,” $6.25/8.
After years of success following the 1995 creation of his first Joe’s Shanghai in Flushing, owner Joe Si opened Joe’s Ginger in late 2004 as an expansion of his business model. This isn’t one of those instances where a longer wait delivers more satisfaction with the food when it finally arrives. Whether you order the piping hot dumplings with just pork or pork with crabmeat, they taste even better when the hour wait becomes an instant feast.
AlwaysTraveling: Feast (Houston, Texas)
The Hungry Goat — September 16, 2009
Stuffed Lamb’s Heart, Garlic Rutabega, and Green Beans.
Restaurant: Feast (view site)
Address: 219 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas, 77006 (view map)
AlwaysHungry Grade: A
AlwaysHungry Recommends: Rabbit Offal on Toast, Welsh Rarebit, Black Pudding, Pork Cheek and Dandelion Greens Salad, Lamb’s Heart, Sticky Toffee Pudding
Feast was put on the radar of the gastronomically informed when it ended up on The Times’ Dining cover this past April with Frank Bruni marveling at the homey British restaurant’s “full-on, extended ode to offal.”
If there’s ever an occasion to be an adventurous eater, a meal at Feast is it. “How big are the lamb’s hearts?” I asked James Silk, one of the restaurant’s co-owners who was doubling as a waiter and didn’t miss a beat, “About the size of a child’s fist.”
What makes this unassuming restaurant unique, as Bruni was quick to note, is that its rustic European fare includes items that are a rarity among even the most offal-centric New York City restaurants. Then again, Mr. Silk did work with nose-to-tail chef Fergus Henderson at his acclaimed St. John’s Restaurant in Central London. But most importantly, he explained, liver, neck and heart aren’t on the menu for shock value, the folks at Feast are simply “cooking the food we like, food we grew up with.”
The dishes that come out of Feast’s kitchen certainly taste like a labor of love, one which results in food that is more approachable than the names suggest. Rabbit Offal on Toast set the tone for an impressive meal characterized by robust flavors and interesting textures. The rich, syrupy sauce hit the right savory notes while the tender meat contrasted with the thick toast. Another toast, the Welsh Rarebit looked strikingly different from one AlwaysHungryNY.com recently sampled at The ChipShop. Cooked with beer and mustard, the cheese topping had a thick, paste-like texture that coats your palate with its spicy tang. Bitter dandelion greens were featured in a salad with pork cheek that had been cooked on top of toast to make a delectably crunchy, porky crouton.
Black Pudding was another pleasant surprise. Instead of serving it in sausage form it was a light, spiced loaf that was enhanced by the creaminess of a fried egg’s runny yolk and the freshness of minted peas. Onion-stuffed Lamb’s Heart and Lamb’s Neck dishes proved that there is a lot to be gained from riskier orders. The three hearts were served in a sauce reminiscent of a classic boeuf bourguignon, and the neck (presented on the bone) boasted an intense, gamey lamb flavor.
And for those who find offal less appealing and aren’t inclined to risky ordering, there’s atmospheric solution. “I think there’s a reason why it’s so dark in here,” my dinner companion commented, looking at the Rabbit Offal on Toast that had just been placed before us, “it forces you to eat with your senses so you don’t think about what part of the animal you’re eating.”
AlwaysInvestigating: Plaza Mexico Doña Zita’s Cemita Poblana
Josh Kaplan — September 01, 2009
Plaza Mexico Doña Zita’s Chorizo Cemita Poblana, $8.
Tucked away on an inconspicuous corner of what used to be Astroland in Coney Island (on Bowery Street at Henderson Walk, view map), a half block from Stillwell Avenue, is a humble stand called Plaza Mexico Doña Zita. Besides two show-stealing condiments (their Salsa Fresca and an intense Tomatillo Cilantro Sauce), there’s nothing out of the ordinary as far as the competent Chicken, BBQ Pork and Chorizo tacos go. But the real reason to skip Nathan’s Famous Frankfurters is a sandwich, Doña Zita’s Cemita Poblana.
The Cemita is said to originate from Puebla. It traditionally includes sliced avocados, meat, cheese, onions and salsa roja on a sesame-seed egg roll. The incarnation offered by Plaza Mexico (advertised as a torta) is spectacular— a teetering tower of beautifully-balanced flavors and textures.
The bun is slathered with pinto bean paste and fried on the griddle. Next, Doña Zita’s greasy chorizo is laid as a foundation for thin slices of avocado, tomatoes, and jalapeño wedges. It’s all topped off with a fat, stringy nest of milky white quesillo, a popular Mexican string cheese (also known as Queso Oaxaca) that has the texture of mozzarella, and shredded lettuce. When you bite into the sandwich, the cheese acts as a cold, juicy, chewy element that melds with the grilled chorizo to form a melted, integrated bite— it’s a vision of Mexican street food.
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