Has anyone here eaten pig's ear? Top Chef Masters last night had offal as medium

[KittyWampus]

and the French chef got pig ear.

I thought they were strictly for doggie chew toys.

Can't imagine how to cook them, let alone eat em.

[VenusRising]

1. My husband has tried it.

His officemate is from China, and it's one of the things he has in his lunch sometimes. He said it's kind of chewy, but not a bad flavor.

[siligut]

2. I saw Anthony Bourdain eat fried pigs ears.

He said he thought they were tasty. I used to eat menudo, even after I was a vegetarian, just because I grew up with it and consider it comfort food. I don’t now, however.

[KittyWampus]

19. the woman chef got tripe and made menudo. However, she had time limit and pressure cooked

the tripe to soften it up. I don't think she put any flavoring in pressure cooker with tripe.

Judges said soup underflavored.

I wonder what you use to soften up tripe (citris, vinegar?)

[siligut]

22. Just like any protein, slow and low.

As menudo is a stew/soup, tripe goes in raw (with the chili and spices as you suggest) and you let it simmer for a long time. She failed in several ways really, unfortunate, as I liked her. Serving menudo with a side of chopped onions, extra chili flakes, cilantro and lime is traditional. Not even garnishing her fast-food menudo with chopped onion and her lack of heat/chili put her in the hot seat.

I am so glad at least a version of Top Chef is back on!

[Renew Deal]

3. You can get some in NYC

This is about a whole pig...
"We asked for a $10 plate of cracklings as well as some head meat, and the cart’s Ecuadorian operator simply snapped off an ear with her hand and threw it into a container that ended up so stuffed that closing it wasn’t an option (plates are wrapped in aluminum foil instead)."

http://nymag.com/daily/food/2009/06/our_vendy_nomination_the_cart.html


I saw the show. The french guy made himself very dislikable. I was really impressed with Rich Bayless. He's apparently really talented and I think he's got a great story.

[Orangepeel]

21. Can't you get everything in NYC?

:-)

[Richardo]

4. There's a reason it's pronounced 'awful'

:)

[siligut]

6. We were trying to figure out the word origins.

Offal: off + fall, referring to parts cut off, from Old English, apo- in Indo-European roots.

Awful: from Old English egefull : ege, dread + -full, -ful

So, there doesn’t seem to be a real connection. (I am sure you knew this :), but it gave me an excuse to look it up)

[hibbing]

5. yuck

Hi,
I have never had it myself. I watched the show and was pretty grossed out when they unveiled all the organs. I guess just a cultural thing, but I would never eat any of that stuff. I used to feed my Oscars and Piranhas chunks of beef heart though.

Peace

[KittyWampus]

20. Tounge you probably would eat. It's meat. Actual meat. Tastes and feels like meat.

Bayless was really lucky to have drawn tongue.

[Moondog]

7. They put all kinds of stuff into sausage so, yeah, probably. But not knowingly.

[Mr. Ected]

8. Don't they sell those by the bagful for dogs to chew on?

Never envied my dog.

Wouldn't try it unless death by starvation was a moment away.

[mcctatas]

9. I used to get Elephant Ears before school sometimes

?v=0

[Arkansas Granny]

10. I've never eaten one myself, but I watched an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins

and Dives where Guy Fieri was served a pig ear sandwich. He was a more than a little apprehensive, but he said it was tender and had more flavor than expected.

[bif]

11. I've eaten blackened pig lips

?Tapas in Spain. Tasted a lot like bacon.

[Swede]

12. My grama used to cook the pig skin (she called them gartons?)

Piggy puffs we called them,they were ok.

[av8rdave]

13. This is what gets me about pig's ears:

You can buy them at CostCo...in bags of 25.

Makes me feel especially sorry for that 13th pig!

[KamaAina]

14. Maybe Sonia Sotomayor is lurking?

If so, Madam Justice, :loveya:

[MajorChode]

15. Parts is parts

What difference does it make?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTzLVIc-O5E

[WCIL]

16. Lots of taverns here in the Midwest

serve Pig Ear sandwiches. It's just like it sounds - a fried pig ear on two slices of white bread. Sometimes with mustard. My husband loves them. I can't get past the looks of it to try one.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

17. Prior to going veg, I used to eat them all the time. They came with the carnitas we'd buy

[maddezmom]

18. I don't think I've ever had ear

but when I was a kid my godmother used to love pickled pigsfeet...and I have a feeling I've eaten them as well. :hide:

[CrownPrinceBandar]

23. No, but I've "tried to make a silk purse out of a sow's arse"..........

Name that song.