Happy Hour: Bacon Lovers Unite

Posted by Lorin Drinkard / Thursday, October 20th, 2011

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Does the smell of sizzling pork make your mouth water? Are you prone to hoarding extra slices on your plate at brunch?

Clarendon’s Restaurant 3 is in the middle of its third year of promoting Week O’ Bacon, ten days packed with pig-inspired dishes and drinks (yes, I realize that’s more than a week. But hey, it’s catchier than,  “A Week-and-A-Half O’ Bacon, right?). From now through October 22, guests can enjoy 3′s famous in-house, fresh-cured meat from their all-bacon menu.

Hungry yet? / Photo credit: Shutterstock/strada

If you’re among the camp that believes the more crunchy, salty goodness, the better, than you won’t want to miss out on this week’s festivities. Tonight, from 4 to 7 p.m., happy hour gets rolling with $3 craft beers and $5 for a glass of red or white wine*.

And for the bacon drinks and eats being featured tonight – drum roll, please -

- A Bacon Bloody Mary with bacon-infused vodka, 3′s house bloody mary mix and garnished with bacon $5

- Four thick, house cured slices of Bacon-on-a-stick, accompanied by “Magic Sauce,” $5

- A Bacon Martini with bacon-infused vodka, Dry Vermouth, served with an olive and bacon bit, $5

- Cheesy Bacon Cheddar Dip, along with a side of bacon-dusted potato chips, $5

Restaurant’s 3 love and obsession for bacon has received goes beyond the realms of Northern Virginia. Even the guys at  Travel Channel’s Food Paradise have taken notice. This week, they’re already smoked and dished out more than 1,500 pounds. And they’re having a fabulous, melt-in-your-mouth brunch with Bacon Benedict and Graceland Waffles this Sunday.

Still in need of more bacon? 3 sells their pig pride and joy at $12 a pound.

Restaurant 3
2950 Clarendon Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 524-4440
www.restaurantthree.com

HH: 4 to 8 p.m. (bacon eats til 7 p.m., beer specials til 8 p.m.) *Only available in the bar*

Cost: $3 to $5 per drink, $5 for food

- Lorin Drinkard

Back of the House: Fat of the Land

Posted by Warren Rojas / Friday, July 29th, 2011

An insider’s guide to the navigating the fine dining restaurant world.

~

“There are definite procedures to ensure a positive dining/restaurant experience. It all begins with
this idea: Prepare for good dining karma.”
- Restaurant Eve Service Manual

I love fat.

<1957 ad from British Lard Marketing Board>

Bacon drippings. Pork cracklins. And the juicy, precious, sweet goodness that is bone marrow.

For years my mother and I have had arguments on the subject of meat fat:

“Look at the fat!”

“Don’t eat the fat!”

“Skim off the fat!”

My mother is from the Philippines. And most Filipinos—I said most, not all—from her generation usually cooked the bejesus out of their meat; my mother was no exception. Any existence of moisture in her meat was gleaned from the precious remaining fat.

I had many fond memories of food and my mother …

This is about the time where you would expect me to wax poetic about food daydreams: the scent of blah-blah-blah that wafted from my mother’s kitchen. Or how I remember my mother lovingly preparing pies from apples plucked from the garden trees…

Yeah, yeah, every intro to every cheffy cookbook today contains the similar story: Oh, every delicious memory is just so, so … romantic.

Ok, idyllic paradise, we get it. And no, I’m not jealous that some of you spent your adolescence in a foodie Shangri La. Because regardless of how I made it here in the food world, I made it here.

Surprising, really, because I was a SPAM eating kid. How I loved the little key that opened the blue tin jar. It was so magical to me. That hook-bent key could even unlock doors! If it was processed or packaged in Technicolor, it had my name all over it. I was a pink fluffy, Hostess snowball eating kid who thought T.V. dinners were the bomb: unwrapping that shiny pinched foil to find food nestled in perfect compartments was like treasure hunting, especially if I got one with the little, “baked” apple streusel.

Growing up, this was all the “culinary” I knew and yet somehow it prompted food epiphanies in my life.

I would pronounce the glories of fat one summer day when my mother decided we would have steak and she could try a new marinade. She pulled two rib eyes from the package from ‘Blank-Blank’ butchers. I was surprised because normally non-rich kids, with single mothers didn’t shop there. But it was summer, my mother bought a little charcoal grill and wanted to treat me.

That day I learned that my mother’s version of grill really meant = kill it again.

“Well done” was an oxymoron to even a six year old. But my mother was smiling, so I compliantly ate—shoe leather. I cut into the maligned meat and accidentally included a slice of caramelized squishiness charred by the hot coals. Remarkably this bite was less leathery, with a twinge of magnificent.

I had experienced fat for the first time.

We are told that we should not eat animal fat—that it’s bad for us. But many cultures all over the world (from the arctic to the equator) have eaten animal fats throughout many millennia.

When you dine in any of our restaurants, butter and cream are prized, and fat is celebrated. Our chefs—and every chef I know—love to cook with it, so it’s put back in its rightful place: in our food.

<Eamonn Armstrong, Meshelle’s son, grinding suet>

Biscuits and pastry taste gorgeous and are perfectly crumbly because of lard. Minced pies are made with suet. Roasts are browned with beef drippings. And chickens are fried in duck fat.

But the king of all fat comes from pigs.

It is used for many applications: terrines, pates, sausages. Or simply: salted, cured, spiced, cut thin and adored.

Thank goodness our country has caught the fever of the sensible.

At least I thought we had.

One night at the restaurant we offered the notable, black Ibérico ham (Pata Negra.) If you are unfamiliar with this precious pig—and I’m not being facetious, this is one pricy porker—it comes from a region in Spain where it is truly treasured. It basically runs around freely and feasts on acorns. Ultimately, all that running and feasting makes for one happy, tasty pig.

Seriously though, it is superior. And if it is served at room temperature (never cold) the key part of the flavor is (to me, anyway) the mouth-feel—the way the fat melts away, and tells the story.

That night, a luscious slice was given to each guest in the tasting room. Everyone did their thing and enjoyed it properly. With the exception of one couple. Though they were as verbally delighted as the others, they fastidiously pulled all of the succulent, white fat from the meat and placed it on the corner of their plates in a tragic heap.

<Jamon Iberico>

When we proceeded to take their order, all questions were about nothing else than fat. “Is there butter in that? What about cream? Can have it without the bacon? Oh, I can’t eat that I’m on the (blank, blank) diet.”

WHAT!!??

FAT belongs in a celebration.

First of all, when you make reservations in a fine dining restaurant—especially for a special occasion—leave the diet at home. I understand you want to eat healthy. Do it every other night of the week. But when in a fine dining restaurant, where the very purpose is to indulge, splurge.

Order the terrine, the sausage, the salted pork and a great bottle of wine. You’ll be alright; death’s winged chariot is not coming for you.

And please remember not only is animal fat not the villain it’s made out to be, it’s good for you. If you are eating high quality fats, such as pasture fed, non-medicated, organic eggs, dairy, poultry, and meat, you are doing your body good.

There, I said it.

I’m going to make it even clearer. If you are eating conventionally/industrialized raised poultry and meat, then, yes, it is a good idea to cut off the fat—as the medications, hormones and pesticides consumed by the animal will be concentrated in the fat, which will in turn be concentrated in your fat.

That’s right: all fat is not created equal.

If you can understand the difference, I am hoping I can turn you into one of us, a fat evangelist, to go and spread the good word.

Fat is not a dirty word and fat does NOT make you fat.

Fat is natural. Do not fear it. The hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO, AKA trans fat) companies took over and convinced you lard was the villain.

Fat guarantees taste and succulence. Simple. Without it, meat will be dry and tasteless.

Fat has lots of good fatty acids that fight disease and lower cholesterol.

Fat helps the body make better use of fat-soluble (the operative word, look it up) vitamins (A, D, E and K; carotene; omega-3′s) and minerals. This is the reason why proteins naturally come paired with fat: the protein in egg whites is paired with the fat of the yolks, muscle meat is marbled with and attached to fat (this food was not engineered in a factory). Generations not too long ago, intuitively knew this. Hence the reason classic vegetable recipes are cooked with fat – potatoes mashed with butter and cream, collards stewed with salt pork, etc. (No, we did not wise up, we got ‘target marketed.’)

Fat is flavor and just makes everything better.

Sadly, not everyone is ready to embrace the sublime. On a daily basis we still battle with the stigma, “Why is there so much pork in everything?” (Um, because it’s delicious) Children are taught that “lard-o”, “fats-o,” doesn’t mean you are yummy and tasty. My mother still lectures me, and my own children trim their meat. With outstretched forks they just “pass it to mom.”

Did the fat love skip a generation? Will my grandchildren side with grandma Meshe?

The drug companies (who won’t make money if you are healthy) and the junk food industry have done a bang up job convincing the American public that fats are bad for us. But too much of anything is bad for you.

I am not a nutritionist. I am a restaurateur whose most favorite activity is food.

You might disavow the truth about fat. But I’m hoping there’s no escaping the voice of reason in your own head. God is a brilliant designer. He knew exactly what he was doing when he gave us his bounty.

And while my mother just yesterday sneered that I didn’t pat my bacon, I think she would have to agree with me.

___________________________________

I could continue to blab about the virtue of fat but if you really want to know what’s what, read the book by Chef Jennifer McLagan: “Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, With Recipes.” She is brilliant and one of my culinary heroes.

–Meshelle Armstrong, co-owner Restaurant Eve, Eamonn’s a Dublin Chipper, PX, The Majestic, Virtue Feed & Grain, Society Fair.

————————————————————————————————————

Contemplate the collective Back of the House wisdom by following along here.

Got a story/ question/comment to contribute to the dining karma conversation? Leave a comment below. Or go straight to the source at: Eatgoodfood@me.com

Mr. Meat

Posted by Warren Rojas / Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

(Image: The History Channel)

Reclusive rillette maker Jamie Stachowski is ready for his close up, and he’s bringing all things animal flesh along for the eye-popping ride tonight with Meat America.

The two hour episode (airing from 9-11 p.m. on the History Channel) appears to follow the now familiar food doc/travelogue format, with Stachowski bouncing around the U.S. gathering odd bits of our culinary history for every bite of mixed protein he wolfs down.

A show teaser places Stachowshi in Chi-town, The Pelican State and Cali during this initial installment; Stachowski apparently didn’t find much worth filming in our collective backyard–”There’s no TV talent here,” he joked–but did give a shout out to local farmers market standby Mark Toigo of Toigo Orchards.

“It’s pretty simple: Jamie goin [sic] around meeting people, talking meat, havin [sic] fun wit it, and giving a bit of, duh, history … you know, the Jamie show,” was the way Stachowski encapsulated what we should expect to see on the screen tonight.

Here’s the official show description:

Can’t watch live/DVR Stachowksi’s star turn? Operators are standing by to rush the feature length DVD right to your door.

–Warren

Horrible Things: Animal Rights Activists’ Peek Inside Pork Plant

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Thursday, June 30th, 2011

Hey, a can of worms. I wonder what’s inside…. Oh.

Warning: Horrifying Content

I’m no vegetarian, and I’m certainly no activist, but we can all pretty much all agree that industrial animal farming is about the worst thing in the world, right?

Shot by animal rights group Mercy for Animals, the above video highlights a series of rather troubling, gory images that go on every day in one of Iowa’s many sunless, hellhole pork production facilities—and it ain’t pretty. There’s botched castrations, prolapsed uteruses, and people saying that it’s okay to toss a piglet because they bounce when they hit the ground.

Coming to terms with how we treat the animals we eat can be difficult. Factory farming provides affordable food to millions, but when you factor the cost (human, environmental, economical), man can this get tricky. There are a lot of meat eaters in the world, most of whom eat too much of it, and it’s insanely easy to separate what we get pre-packaged from the grocery store from living, breathing creatures.

Still, industry lobbyists are trying their damndest to get geek show footage like the one above banned, and they’re getting pretty close—and that is messed up. Sure, they’re gross and biased and have a clear aim to take down the meat industry as a whole, but they also alert meat eaters like myself into remembering what went into that mediocre ham sandwich I had for lunch.

It also keeps animal abusing morons, or people who protect animal abusing morons, in line, and I like that. Nobody should punt a pig, even if it’s going to wind up with an apple in its mouth this weekend.

At the end of the day it all boils down to people, like me, who want to eat meat but not feel like a total monster at the end of the day. That probably isn’t possible, if I had to kill a sow on my own I would probably cry, so I get people to do the dirty work for me. But come on, Iowa pig farmers, at least keep the intestines inside the piglet.

In any case, there goes my barbecue plans for the weekend.

- Kris King

Crop Rapport: Cibola Farms

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

Jerry Settle of Cibola Farms (Image: Johnisha Levi/Northern Virginia Magazine)

If you frequent the Arlington Farmers Market on Saturdays, Cibola Farms is a familiar vendor. Cibola Farms was founded by Rob Ferguson and Mike Sipes in 1999. It “produces bison and free-range hogs and direct markets buffalo meats and free-range pork using sustainable management practices” and humane handling techniques.

The Cibola stand is the one dominated by multiple coolers holding a smorgasbord of pasture-raised bison and free range pork products. And if you have shopped at the market during the last year, you might have had the pleasure of meeting Jerry Settle.

Jerry, with his easy and warm smile, starts his morning when most of us are still dead to the world. He arrives at the farm at 4:00 a.m., packs up the truck, and leaves from Culpeper around 4:15 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. for the markets. He stops by Falls Church to unload buffalo and pork cargo for the farmers market there, and then heads over to the Arlington Market by about 6:30 a.m. (Cibola Farms also regularly sells at a third farmers market, in Dupont Circle.)

Once at the Arlington Market, he must wait until 7:00 a.m. sharp to set up the Cibola stand. None of the vendors can begin selling product until 8:00 a.m. Those are the rules.

You can buy an impressive array of bison and pork products at the market — everything from steaks, roasts, ribs, ground meat, jerky, bacon, ham and lard, sausage/hot dogs, and even soup bones. I have been eagerly working my way through the inventory on my Saturday morning visits.

Buffalo Ribeye Steaks (Image: Johnisha Levi/Northern Virginia Magazine)

Cibola customers are passionate and loyal. One customer of three years who is temporarily relocating to Georgia purchased coolers full of products to the tune of $150 because he just can’t go without for that long. Especially without his favorite, the summer sausage.

My personal new favorites now that summer has come around are Cibola’s American Buffalo Hot Dogs. Hot dogs are the perfect summer grill food, but I never much cared for pork dogs. That is why my husband and I were intrigued by the promise of Cibola’s buffalo dogs. We first purchased the dogs when we couldn’t find the Cibola buffalo chili that we’d regularly purchase for weekend lunch, and when we felt like something different than the buffalo patties.

The buffalo dogs have been custom made for the farm for the last nine years and sell for $9.50 per pound. (A pack of four dogs cost me $7.98.) Ferguson explained that the hot dogs are “emulsified meats (whipped up to a fine and tender consistency) and fully cooked” whereas the buffalo half-smokes that you will also see at the market are “coarsely ground and a raw product.” The dogs have become popular at the markets, especially when Cibola used to do cooking demonstrations. People started out skeptical, and then couldn’t get enough.

Buffalo is a good healthier alternative to pork or beef dogs as the meat is leaner, contains more protein, but with less calories and cholesterol.

Because of condo rules, I regrettably don’t have a real grill. But I “fire up” my grill pan for the Cibola dogs so I can get some “grill” marks and pretend. ( Ok, pathetic.) There is a delightful smokiness to the dog that stands up well to a combination of mustard and ketchup, but also allows the dog to be perfectly satisfying and flavorful sans condiments. The interior of these dogs have a darker/richer hue — not that artificial, eraser pink of the run-of-a-mill store-bought dog. I am also not a huge fan of natural casing hot dogs, so the fully cooked, casing free Cibola dog is ideal in my opinion. Unlike this Weiner, which is one that only a mother could love, Cibola’s buffalo wiener is obscenely good. And safe to Tweet about. (I wouldn’t lie!)

Buffalo Dogs (Image: Johnisha Levi/Northern Virginia Magazine)

- Johnisha M. Levi

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Northern Virginia’s Farmers Markets and Hours

Annandale Farmers Market • 6621 Columbia Pike, Annandale – Thu, 8-noon
Arlington Farmers Market • N. 14th St. & N. Courthouse Road, Arlington – Sat, 8-noon
Ashburn Farmers Market • 44036 Pipeline Plaza, Ashburn – Sat, 8-noon
Ballston Farmers Market • N. Stuart St. & N. Ninth St. – Thu, 3-7 p.m.
Brambleton Farmers Market • 22875 Brambleton Plaza, Ashburn – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
Burke Farmers Market • 5671 Roberts Parkway, Burke – Sat, 8-noon
Cascades Farmers Market • 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
Clarendon Farmers Market • 3100 Wilson Blvd., Arlington – Wed, 3-7 p.m.
Columbia Pike Farmers Market • S. Walter Reed Drive & Columbia Pike – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
Community Farmers Market • West & Main Streets (Sat), North St. & Old Lee Highway (Sun), Fairfax – Sat: 8-1 p.m. (May-Oct); Sun: 10-2 p.m.
Crystal City Farmers Market • Crystal Square Arcade between S. 18th and 20th Streets – Tue, 3-7 p.m.
Culpeper Farmers Market • E. Davis & Commerce Streets – Sat, 7:30-noon
Dale City Farmers Market • Dale Blvd. & Minnieville Road, Dale City – Sun, 8-1 p.m.
Del Ray Farmers’ Market • E. Oxford & Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria – Sat, 8-noon
Fairfax Farmers Market • 3720 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax – Tue, 8-noon
Falls Church Farmers Market • 300 Park Ave., Falls Church – Sat, 9-noon (Jan-Mar); Sat, 8-noon
Fredericksburg Farmers Market • George and Prince Edward Streets, Fredericksburg – Mon-Sat, 7-6 p.m.; Sun, 12:30-4 p.m.
Frying Pan Farmers Market • 2709 West Ox Road, Herndon – Wed, 8-12:30 p.m.
Great Falls Farmers Market • 750 Walker Road, Great Falls – Sat, 9-1 p.m.
Haymarket Farmers Market • 1500 Washington St., Haymarket – Sat, 8-2 p.m.
Herndon Farmers Market • Lynn and Station Streets, Herndon – Thu, 8-noon
Kingstowne Farmers Market • Kingstowne Center & Kingstowne Blvd., Franconia – Fri, 4-7 p.m.
Leesburg Farmers Market • 20 Catoctin Circle S.E., Leesburg – Sat, 8-noon
Lorton Farmers Market • 8990 Lorton Station Blvd., Lorton – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
McLean Farmers Market • 1659 Chain Bridge Road, McLean – Fri, 8-noon
McLeans’ Lifestyle and Farmers Market • 7920 Jones Branch Drive, McLean; Saturdays, 9-1p.m.
Middleburg Farmers Market • 300 W. Washington St., Middleburg – Sat, 8-noon
Mount Vernon Farmers Market • 2501 Sherwood Hall Lane, Alexandria – Tue, 8-noon
Oakton Farmers Market • 3200 Jermantown Road, Oakton – Wed, 8-noon
Old Town Alexandria Farmers Market • 301 King St., Alexandria – Sat, 5:30-11 a.m.
Old Town Manassas Farmers Market • 9201 Center St., Manassas – Thu, 7-1 p.m. (Apr-Nov); Sat, 7:30-2:30 p.m.
Nokesville Farmers Market • 13005 Fitzwater Drive, Nokesville – Sat, 8-noon
Purcellville Farmers Market • 751 E. Main St., Purcellville – Sat, 8-noon
Reston Farmers Market • 11400 Washington Plaza W., Reston – Sat, 8-noon
Rosslyn Farmers Market • Wilson Blvd. & N. Oak St.- Thu, 11-3 p.m.
Upper King Street Farmers Market • 1806 King St., Alexandria – Wed, 3-7 p.m.
Vienna Farmers Market • 131 Church St. N.E., Vienna – Sat, 8-noon
Wakefield Farmers Market • 8100 Braddock Road, Annandale – Wed, 2-6 p.m.
Warrenton Farmers Market • Branch Drive and Warrenton Village Center (Wed), S. Fifth & Lee Streets (Sat) – Wed, 7-1 p.m.; Sat, 7-noon
West End Farmers Market • 4800 Brenman Park Drive, Alexandria – Sun, 9-1 p.m.

Or click here for our full list of local farmers markets

Pork Belly Buns

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

Pork belly buns have become a bit of a fad thanks to David Chang of Momofuku. For those who don’t know what a pork belly bun is, let me tell you what you’re missing out on. It is a piece of tender and fatty pork belly, scallions, and cucumbers encased in a fluffy taco-shaped steamed bun. It seems simple enough that you could make it yourself. However, for those who haven’t gotten the chance to go up to New York to eat at Momofuku or aren’t interested in cooking, here are three places in the Northern Virginia area that serve their own variation of this delectable dish.

DaMoim (7106 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003; 703-354-3211)
I recently wrote about DaMoim here with a picture of their version of pork belly buns, which is listed as “SooYook Sliders” on their menu. It includes scallions, apples, onions, cilantro, and of course, pork belly. DaMoim is also known for their Korean fusion dishes, so try them out when you stop by.

Ping by Charlie Chiang’s (4060 Campbell Ave., Arlington, VA 22206; 703-671-4900)
It is listed as “‘Dong Po’ Braised Pork in Steamed Buns” on their menu and comes with pork belly, rock candy, mushroom soy, aged soy, cucumber, and scallions. The pork belly here was really flavorful and I might like it better than the ones from Momofuku. If you do end up going here for the pork belly buns and wonder what else is good, I recommend staying away from the hot entrees and getting the sushi instead.

Bon Chon Chicken (14215-N Centreville Square, Centreville, VA 20121; 703-825-7711)
Since Bon Chon Chicken is a franchise, each location varies depending on the owner. I’ve heard numerous positive comments about the pork belly buns at the Bon Chon Chicken in Centreville (out of the three Northern Virginia locations, I think they’re the only ones who serve it) but I haven’t had the chance to try it myself. While you’re there, don’t forget to eat the chicken that they’re most famous for.

Not enough pork goodness for you? Jackson 20 (480 King St., Alexandria, 22314; 703-842-2790) will be hosting their monthly Pig-A-Palooza tomorrow at 6 p.m. For $35 a person, it’s an all you can eat pork feast. (For more information, please visit their website.)

- Mai Nguyen

Korean Fried Rice

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Thursday, June 2nd, 2011

Choong Hwa Woon, oh the memories we’ve had together. Four years ago I stepped into this restaurant and tried their “Jajangmyeon,” a dish of wheat noodles slauthered in black soybean paste. Fast forward to the present, I still visit this restaurant at least twice a month, but pass on the Jajangmyeon. Don’t get me wrong, this restaurant is known for their Jajangmyeon since they make it well and it’s $4 to $5 for a large portion, but it’s just not my preference. I will recommend you to try it if you haven’t had it before. Other things I love from them include the “Tang Soo Yuk” which is Korean style sweet and sour pork and their fried rice. The pork in their Tang Soo Yuk is fried until it’s perfectly crispy and then it is covered in their sweet and sour sauce. Their fried rice has no presence of soy sauce, and tastes extremely buttery and light. The fried rice is also served with some of the black soybean paste that they use for their JaJangmyeon.

Choong Hwa Woon is a Korean restaurant that takes dishes that originated from China, such as Tang Soo Yuk and Jajangmyeon, and cook it in a Korean style. For example, the Jajangmyeon originated from the Chinese dish “Zha Jiang Mian.” The big difference is the black soybean paste and onions that the Korean dish uses. Along with their entrees, they serve pickled radishes, black soybean paste, raw onions, and a mean “Kimchi,” or pickled cabbage.

Tang Soo Yuk from Choong Hwa Woon (Image: Mai Nguyen/Northern Virginia Magazine)

Beef Fried Rice from Choong Hwa Woon (Image: Mai Nguyen/Northern Virginia Magazine)

Have I got your mouth watering yet? I definitely recommend this place if you’re hankering to try Korean food that isn’t Korean barbeque.

Choong Hwa Woon
4409 John Marr Dr
Annandale, VA 22003
(703) 256-8006

- Mai Nguyen

Porky Pig

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

(Image: Kai Wong/Shutterstock)

Just because Memorial Day is over doesn’t mean the barbequing has to stop. But instead of the normal American barbeque, why not try a different type? “Char Siu,” which directly translates to “fork roast,” is the term for Chinese barbeque pork. It’s also pretty likely that you’ve seen it before since it’s the aromatic slabs of meat that hang in the windows of Chinese restaurants. Most of the time, these restaurants will also have “Siu Ngaap,” or roasted duck, and “Siu Yuk,” or roasted pig along with the Char Siu.

So how is Char Siu made? It’s a somewhat time consuming process that involves pork butt, various sauces, and a long period of time to marinate. I’ve never had the time or cooking skill to try it myself, but here is a recipe for those of you who are adventurous enough to try. I’ve also seen premade powered packets of marinade at international grocery stores, such as H Mart or Great Wall Supermarket, for those who don’t feel like buying all the ingredients.

For those who are interested in finding out where to buy it already made, here are a few of my favorite places:

Miu Kee
6653 Arlington Blvd.
Falls Church, VA 22042
703-237-8884

Vinh Kee Restaurant
3103 Graham Rd
Falls Church, VA 22042
(703) 645-0118

Mark’s Duck House
6184 Arlington Blvd
Falls Church, VA 22044
(703) 532-2125

If you’re eating at the restaurant, then there will be an option on the menu to order. However, if you plan on buying it to take home, just let the butcher know how many pounds you would like to purchase, then they’ll chop it up and pack it up for you. I would definitely recommend going a bit earlier in the day since some restaurants have the tendency to run out.

The thing I love about Char Siu is how simple it is to make a meal out of it. You can eat it with rice and soy sauce, or with rice vermicelli noodles and fish sauce, you could even use it to make a sandwich.

Another popular way to eat Char Siu is the “Cha Siu Bao.” This is a bread bun that is either steamed (has a white exterior) or baked (has a brown or tan exterior) with Char Siu as the filling. Fortune (6249 Arlington Boulevard, Falls Church, VA 22044; 703-538-3333;) offers both types for Dim Sum.

(Image: Kai Wong/Shutterstock)
- Mai Nguyen

USDA O.K.’s Eating Pink Pork

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

"Pork chops and bacon, my two favorite animals." (Image: Kheng Guan Toh/Shutterstock)

It’s party time for people tired of dried out, desiccated cuts of meat. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has revised its recommended cooking temperature for pork, lowering it from an oppressively overdone 160 degrees to a halfway decent 145 degrees! Rejoice!

Cooking beef and lamb below recommended cooking temperatures is nothing rare (Ed. note: Ugh.), but people tend to get paranoid about eating pork that hasn’t had been cooked to a cinder. According to this announcement, it’s now officially safe to eat pork that’s still pink on the inside.

The crux of this change revolves around properly resting meat after it cooks. By resting meat for three minutes at 145 degrees, its constant internal temperature finishes off any lingering pathogens.

For context, a cut of beef cooked to 145 degrees is about medium/medium well, so this announcement isn’t exactly anything revolutionary. What it does do, however, is encourage people to loosen up about their meat intake, and make pork chops the world around more delicious.

The new recommendation does not, however, extend to ground meats or poultry, which the USDA still insists on cooking to 160 and 165 degrees, respectively.

- Kris King

EcoFriendly Meats Arlington

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Friday, May 14th, 2010

(Image: Bartolomeo Passerotti)

Arlingtonians are getting a new sustainably-focused protein pipeline today courtesy of EcoFriendly Foods‘ satellite butcher counter at the always community-minded Westover Market.

EcoFriendly specializes in humanely-raised animals plucked from 40 family farms spread across Southwestern Virginia and the North Carolina.

“We’re going to bring pretty much the full line of EcoFriendly products,” EcoFriendly co-founder Bruce Saunders said of his vision for the full-service butcher shop.

For the initial roll out, Saunders plans to whet people’s appetites with: “steak-ready” cuts of beef, ground pork, beef and lamb, marinated kebabs, homemade meatballs, meatloaf mixes and make-at-home stir-fry kits (fresh basil, garlic, shallots and hot peppers bundled with the ground protein of your choice).

Discerning carnivores can also claim their share of fresh rabbit, a whole Duroc pig, two spring lambs and the 1/2 side of raw beef Saunders will carve on demand.

Future additions to the display case could include: pasture-raised poultry, homemade sausage–Saunders suggested they would likely lead with a sage-black pepper breakfast blend, as well as bulk, hot and sweet Italian sausage–and marinated beef hearts.  Meanwhile, anyone looking for hard-to-find offal or special orders (Saunders envisions filling whole ham, pork picnic shoulders, suckling pig and brisket orders on a case-by-case basis) can take advantage of the shops newly minted email address: westoverbutchershop@yahoo.com

Meanwhile, Saunders suggested that anyone worried about boosting their beef intake after all the media harping about slack regulation should know EcoFriendly maintains a strict, single-animal per grind policy.

“We’re calling it the 1-cow revolution,” he said of their closely monitored and readily traceable production practices.

The operation gets (quietly) underway today at noon, with a full-on grand opening–think: pig roast, beer garden and possibly some live entertainment–scheduled for Saturday, June 5 at 2 p.m.

–Warren