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Philadelphia: Snout to Tail
Breaking it down swine-style.
Fifty inches of snow will do bad things to you. The white stuff makes us hallucinate, and when we go to our happy place, it’s May, and we’re sitting on the curb of the Second Street sidewalk just south of Lombard, balancing an hourglass of Mexican Coke on uneven cobblestones, knees in our necks, hunched over a takeout container of Los Taquitos de Puebla’s succulent cilantro-flecked tacos al pastor, trying to keep pineapple and pork juices from sliding down our forearms and hoping only that inquisitive shih tzus see when exactly that happens and we use an unattended stroller blanket to clean them off.
Los Taquitos de Puebla, 1149 S. Ninth St. 215.334.0664
Pork Belly
According to Christian doctrine, on the day of Resurrection a trumpet will blow and the world will become a bizarre zombie battle ground where we’ll all be sorted out to spend eternity in either heaven or hellfire. While everyone’s waiting for that to happen, we’ll be getting all sinful on a sour beer and pork belly with pumpkin puree and prunes at Resurrection Ale House. The salted, crispy skin and pulled pork consistency of the tender meat of the belly is rounded out by the sweet, creamy pumpkin puree and caramely prunes. It’s like heaven on earth and made us fall right off the Lenten wagon.
Resurrection Ale House, 2425 Grays Ferry Ave. 215.735.2202. resurrectionalehouse.com
Ears
Like tightly wound rubber bands folded into a hammy country-style pate, the cartilage in the Gio Thu popped as it yielded to the will of our chomping teeth. The crack and crunch echoed through our head after each bite like tiny offal fireworks. It was at once repulsive and a lot of fun. This black pepper pig ear loaf at Ba Le Bakery is comprised of bacony pork bits, black fungus mushroom also called cloud ears, sugar, fish sauce and garlic then tightly bound cylindrically in a banana leaf. It’s kind of like cold sliced pork pho, if that were a thing.
Ba Le Bakery, 606 Washington Ave. 215.389.4350
Jowl
Truth be told, we had no idea what guanciale was—or its proper pronunciation (gwan-che-ah-lay)—until very recently. It’s jaw bacon, people, and it’s awesome, especially when it’s tossed in an herby pecorino cheese sauce with peas, a poached egg and fusilli pasta at yet another Jose Garces home run.
Garces Trading Company, 1111 Locust St. 215.574.1099. garcestradingcompany.com
Fatback
A classic combination deconstructed is the best way we can describe the house-made mortadella pizza with mozz and Sicilian pistachio at Osteria. Traditional mortadella is made with nutmeg, black pepper, chunks of pistachio and 15 percent fat from the neck and the back folded throughout the fine forcemeat mixture. But the minds at Osteria pulled the pistachio out of the meat and put it into a pesto sauce. The result is a lunchmeat-like bologna’s older, more successful European cousin, and the pizza is amazing.
Osteria, 640 N. Broad St. 215.763.0920. osteriaphilly.com
Loin
The Berkshire pork loin roast at Cochon has a hammy quality thanks to a relaxing bath in moisture-ensuring brine and the addition of pancetta (cured rolled pork belly) in its accompanying red pepper sauce. The Berkshire pork heritage pig is like the heirloom tomato of the pig world harkening back to a day where quality and not mass production was at the front of everyone’s mind. Quality is present throughout the menu at this ode to the pig in restaurant form in Bella Vista.
Cochon, 801 E. Passyunk Ave. 215.923.7675. cochonbyob.com
Back Leg
Like little ham and cream napalm grenades, the Serrano ham croquettes at the Spaniard style BYOB Apamate are bite-size explosions of flavor in your mouth. The dry-cured pig leg imparts a rich gaminess throughout the golf ball-sized bites.
Café Apamate, 1620 South St. 215.790.1620. cafeapamate.com
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1. Barb SCholler said... on Mar 10, 2010 at 02:19PM
“Pigs are closer to human DNA than monkeys. (heard of pig valves for heart patients). Eating pig/pork is about as close as you are going to get to canibalism. Pigs also do not have a lymph system, therefore meat eaters are consuming the waste and toxins a pig produces.”
2. Kevin V. said... on Mar 10, 2010 at 02:22PM
“This whole article is just disgusting. And that image, very sad.”
3. silverbullet69 said... on Mar 10, 2010 at 02:48PM
“Do you vegetarian nutjobs just comb the internet for articles about meat??
Precious fossil fuel is being wasted to run the computers you write your innane, predictable comments on.”
4. Anonymous said... on Mar 10, 2010 at 03:03PM
“This is disgusting. I'm done with PW.”
5. Anonymous said... on Mar 10, 2010 at 03:46PM
“Thank you PW for this article ... I can't wait to try all those restaurants now! And too bad for the non-pig eaters!”
6. adam said... on Mar 10, 2010 at 03:50PM
“If you don't eat pigs, cool. But don't be a Debbie Downer to those of us that do.”
7. RGrey said... on Mar 10, 2010 at 08:31PM
“This plus the pro breed descrimination opinion piece is just too much. Seriously. And we I personally don't eat pig because it's horrific and cruel. Sorry to be a "debbie downer" but your base pleasure doesn't condone another being's suffering. It's unnecessary and bad for you and the environment. Seriously, PW -- this is over the top and horrific.”
8. Alex said... on Mar 10, 2010 at 08:59PM
“I'm not vegetarian. But the food news I've seen this week - this, and the story about cheese that came from a human - is making veganism sound pretty appealing.”
9. RGrey said... on Mar 10, 2010 at 09:04PM
“"discrimination" not "descrimination." spoiled by spellcheck. sorry!”
10. Anonymous said... on Mar 10, 2010 at 09:05PM
“All of these Spanish dishes using pork - did you know they originated during the Inquisition? They'd offer salami, and if you wouldn't eat it, they'd know you were a Jew trying to pass as a Christian.”
11. Cheftestant said... on Mar 11, 2010 at 03:00AM
“Nose to tail is out of respect for the animal... nothing at all is wasted. Save your preaching for the choir.”
12. Anonymous said... on Mar 11, 2010 at 09:34AM
“@silverbullet69 it's funny how you consider us the "nutjobs" while you are the one condoning the pain, torture and death of a living, breathing feeling being. Just because you were raised to think a certain way doesn't make it right. Perhaps try informing yourself on what truly happens to get a pig on your plate and then we can have an intelligent debate.”
13. Anonymous said... on Mar 11, 2010 at 09:42AM
“@Cheftestant respect? I'd have to think that killing the animal sort of negates any "respect" you say you have for an animal you then injest. If you respect him so much, then don't kill him.”
14. Howard Nields said... on Mar 11, 2010 at 11:35AM
“Everyone is entitled to your opinion, just remember that. So even though you may not agree with someone else's opinion, that doesn't mean you have the right to bash it. This country was founded on the freedom of thought. Have we come full circle and become the oppressive England we escaped from all those hundreds of years ago; thinking we all must think as one? LET EVERYONE HAVE THEIR OPINION AND YOU HAVE YOURS, BUT DON'T CRITICIZE OTHERS FOR HAVING THEM.
With that said, I think Philadelphia Weekly did a great inservice by omitting some of the best ribs in the city - Chloe's (in Old City, 232 Arch Street / http://www.chloebyob.com ). Their ribs are so succulent and fall off the bone, basted in some of the best sauce I have ever tasted. They accompany them with homemade mac and cheese and sauteed spinach. The portion size is ENORMOUS - enough to satisfy you for dinner and give you more for lunch the following day. If you have been, RUN NOW AND TRY THEM!!!!
”
15. trudy said... on Mar 11, 2010 at 02:28PM
“Really wish the author of this article would turn writing talent for adjectives to promoting more acceptible subject. The author must be aware of the horrific conditions in the pig farming industry and efforts to combat it.”
16. slickorslide said... on Mar 15, 2010 at 12:56PM
“Mmmmmm... sweet succulent piggy! Thanks for the great article! Can't wait to eat my way from snout to tail!”
17. Beverly Rolfsmeyer said... on Mar 17, 2010 at 04:15PM
“I love when people talk about animal cruelty like it's an opinion. It's not an opinion, it's a fact. We're not talking religion. Pigs are smart, great animals. I believe they are smarter than some of the folks writing comments on this page. I would certainly rather be around pigs than "slickorslide", who has no humanity or compassion whatsoever. Remember, humans, animals were here millions of years before humans ever slimed out of a stagnant pond! The arrogant attitude of human beings will bring them to extinction one of these days.”