Posts Tagged Jamon

One of my weakness is that I find it hard to be content with what I have/achieve. A friend of mine said it’s such a ‘medical thinking’. I want to stop taking what society prescribes to me (or what I think society prescribes to me).

Apart from food that is. One thing is for sure, I will keep finding new things to eat: These are the best meat dishes I have tried.

Hida beef – Takayama, Japan: If you wince in disgust at the though of fatty meat then you can leave now. Selective breeding allows these cattle to accumulate lots of intramuscular fat. It’s similar to Kobe beed but not as well known internationally. Served in finger size strips and thinner slices, sizzling on a hot metal grill in front of you.

Duck rillettes – France: Duck legs cooked confit style (slowly in duck fat) then blended in more duck fat. Put it in a fresh brea roll and you have heaven in a bite. Quite easily found in good delis in Australia. Pork versions are also nice.

Roast pork – Bistro Guillaume, Melbourne, Australia: Perfect crackles, thick cut and so so moist and tender meat. I think it was soaked in brine but there was no hint of salt. The waiter said it was cooked slowly. Whatever the way, it was delicious.

Jamón ibérico de bellota, Spain: Free range pigs that live in oak forests and eat only acorns towards the end of their life. The sweet, nutty and savory flavour is dangerously painful to think about at 1 am. Although I havent yet stepped in Spain, in Australia it’s not had to find some fairly good stuff.

Ox tongue, braised slowly in spices and soy – Shoya, Melbourne, Australia. I guess this goes out to most cuts of tuff meats such as ox cheek. Over the past 3-4 years such cuts are getting popular again. A combination of being new to many people (even though in the past such cuts would not be wasted) and riding the economic crisis wagon.

A good pieces of steak cooked at home, with a glass of wine. And on the note of home cooking, pork mince simmered with onions, Taiwanese pickled cucumber, soy sauce, shallots served on a bowl of rice is hard to beat as comfort food. Cheers to that!