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Cochon; or how to make the most of a pig’s bounty

Length: 3 mins

How can you not love a restaurant named after the pig? This is Cochon, which I talked about before in a piece on women in butchery, only 5 minutes walk from where we used to work, located in the Warehouse District in NOLA, on Tchoupitoulas (shortened to the easier “Chop”) Street.

This is chef Stephen Stryjewski (co-owner, along with Donald Link of Herbsaint fame amongst others) looking idyllically happy amongst his meat stash.

PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER/Chefs For Farmers

A past winner of the 2011 James Beard Foundation “Best Chef South,” he’s also the owner of Cochon Butcher, Pêche Seafood Grill, and Calcasieu. Winner of the “Best New Chef” award by New Orleans Magazine and called the “Chef to Watch” by The Times-Picayune. He loves his pigs — so you won’t be at all surprised to know that he’s the prime Crescent City devotee of the nose to tail movement.

We ate there more than once; I could have stayed just for this place. That and Root, located close by, around the corner. And about a hundred others by now I’m sure. So, without further ado, on to a great recipe he donated to the “Tremé: Stories and Recipes from the Heart of New Orleans” book.

BRAISED PIG WITH STEWED TURNIPS AND CABBAGE

Ingredients:

One 8- to 10-pound bone-in, skin-on pork butt
12 cloves garlic
4 fresh thyme sprigs
4 fresh sage sprigs
4 fresh rosemary sprigs
8 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup canola oil
8 ounces bacon lardons
4 turnips, peeled and cut into small triangles
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small head green cabbage (3 to 4 pounds), cored and diced
2 cups chicken stock
Splash of apple cider vinegar
Dash of hot sauce
Pinch or 2 of sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Preparation:

Put the pork butt in a roasting pan and add the garlic, herb sprigs, and bay leaves, distributing them evenly around the pan. Season with salt and black pepper. Add water to cover the meat and place in the oven. Braise until the meat is falling-off-the-bone tender between 8 and 12 hours. Remove meat from the pan, saving the braising liquid.

Place the roasting pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop and reduce the braising liquid until there are small bubbles on the surface and the liquid becomes lightly syrupy. As the liquid reduces, pull the meat and fat off the bone. Discard the skin and bone.

Mix reduced braising liquid with pulled pork to keep it moist. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Once the meat has cooled, form the pork into thick patties (each about 5.5 ounces). Lightly dust them with flour. Place a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and when hot, sear 2 to 3 patties at a time until lightly crisp on both sides. Repeat until all the patties have been seared.

Render the bacon lardons over medium heat. Add the turnips and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until soft. Add the cabbage. Then add chicken stock to cover the vegetables about halfway, add a splash of apple cider vinegar, a dash of hot sauce, the sugar, and season with salt and pepper.

Simmer the stew until the cabbage is soft, then taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

To serve, spoon about one cup of hot cabbage stew per person into bowls and top each with a pork patty.

© Tabélog

 

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