Pigs ears in a Sichuan style.

[moikel]

I got a packet of frozen pigs ears today from butchers ,grabbed some chilli bean paste. I think I will do the stir fry version I saw on the TV.I expect I will be setting the table for one.

 

[daveomak]

Mick...... Not if I was your neighbor....  

 

[moikel]

Every place I have seen them they are a cold cut or salad sort of thing,same deal on the TV show.So I am going to head down that path. Poach them in stock with some bits,ginger,garlic,shallot.Put the dressing on them,chilli bean etc then let it sit for 2 hours. 

We get what is called pencil leeks here ,sort of a cross between leek & shallot. I  think if I can find them they will go in with the ears after I  hit them fast & hard in the wok to caramelize them a bit.

 

[moikel]

If no pencil leeks I will go with snake beans.

 

[moikel]

Curiousity got the better of me so I am kicking this off now.

Put 5 ears in pot of water with  thumb size bit of ginger ,garlic clove ,dried orange peel,green onion tops,& some sichuan pepper.Simmer for ? how the hell do I know. Until tender could be never

. I figure this is one of those texture dishes.And its just me.

I couldnt get pencil leeks not in season.So its snake beans & garlic chive.

I had the chilli bean,chilli oil,sichuan pepper all on hand so as best as I can see I can go forward from here.

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• moikel
• Jan 22, 2013

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• moikel
• Jan 22, 2013

 

[daveomak]

Mick, evening... I think I have seen the ears slivered and deep fried as toppings to salads and stuff.... save part of an ear and try that for giggles...  I've had them well cooked over a fire after cooking a whole pig and consuming mass quantities of spirits.... If I remember, they were very good.... 

 

[moikel]

SO here is how it went.

In a hot wok went peanut oil,sesame oil(easy) chilli oil (easy).Then cut up snake beans,garlic chives,shallots,hit them hard heat wise. 

Then I had chilli bean paste with garlic,a chilli paste that had some peanuts in it(no name in english) & a thai chilli bean in soya bean paste. So I  used  a tablespoon of all 3.Some sichuan pepper,about a teaspoon,then a good sprinkle of sugar. Turned it all around fast & furious,smelt great AND spicy .Then added some of the stock that the ears had poached in,bubbled it a bit maybe a minute.Turned it off.

Cut ears into slices when they had cooled,poured everything out of wok onto ears stirred.Will let that rest for an hour for flavours to mingle.

I will top it with crispy fried shallots,little thai diversion I know but I think its about texture contrast.

I am going to serve this warm not hot.Sort of a warm salad.

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• moikel
• Jan 22, 2013

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• moikel
• Jan 22, 2013

 

[moikel]

Mick, evening... I think I have seen the ears slivered and deep fried as toppings to salads and stuff.... save part of an ear and try that for giggles...  I've had them well cooked over a fire after cooking a whole pig and consuming mass quantities of spirits.... If I remember, they were very good.... 

I have a terrible weakness for pig skin,crispy sure but I dont mind the rind any way it comes. Ears are skin,fat ,cartilage in the middle.Not chewy just the contrast of the resistance of the cartilage between 2 layers of juicy skin. They seem to suck up flavours as well.

I reckon you could double cook them no problem,poach then crisp up.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Mick that looks Awesome! Like some kind of Beans and Wide Noodles...I would eat that no problem...JJ 

 

[moikel]

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• moikel
• Jan 22, 2013

 Now thats a plate ! Crispy fried shallots on top right call. 

You could cut ears into smaller strips so they were same size as beans but I was under time pressure. You could  boil ears cut them then stir fry them at same time serve it hot.

Flavours were great ,had some grunt but not over the top.Ears suck up sauce & flavour in the hour it sat in dish. I could see this as part of a chinese banquet.

Huge success 

 

[wes w]

Well, I edited twice.  Reread and got my answers.

This looks really good!  Not sure my wife would let me fix it but it does look awesome!

 

[venture]

Mike, just pass me a big plate of those!

Another awesome post!

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[hoity toit]

Nice Post.,, !

 

[moikel]

Thanks guys glad you liked it. That TV  show  China A Culinary Journey has a bunch of stuff that would fit in this section.Shoneyboy very  helpfully posted the youtubelink.

Interesting that Ken Hom is from Chicago! Being Cantonese he struggles with the Mandarin language but when he picks up a wok after 52 years in the kitchen he has the goods.

This came from episode 2 which had a lot of spicy food but episode 1 was Peking Duck & a whole bunch of other stuff. Interesting to see them using fruit wood in the ovens to roast ducks.

I will do some more Chinese stuff here,as Ken Hom said "My stomach dictates who I am" 

 

[moikel]

I think you could cut these things into fine slices after poaching then dry them for a while then hard fry them until crispy. In the chinese dominate suburb up the road its not done they seem to like them cold. The pressed into a block dish is going to be tricky I have no recipe.It must involve gelatine & weights & glad wrap. They cut it on a meat slicer,people buy it as a snack,bit of chilli sauce on the side &/or cucumber & radish salad.

I tried asking questions at the butchers but didnt get far. Intrigued by sign that said "duck tongues $21 a kg" A kg is a lot of tongues!

 

[mike johnson]

I was in an Asian resteraunt on a first date MANY years ago( about 22 ), when the waiter walked by us with a plate that was sizzling and the best smell ever coming off the plate. After he droped it off on someones table, I called him over and asked what it was. Being that he spoke VERY LITTLE english he put both hands to the side of his head and wiggled his index fingers and with a confused look as trying to think hard and said OINK! OINK! I asked do you mean pig ears? He smilled and nodded his head.Just as my date said thats disgusting I said I'll take it.The look she gave me was like she was looking at a crazy man.When I asked her what was wrong she said she wouldnt even think about kissing me if I ate it and as she was a vegetarian wouldnt even go on another date with me. I looked her in the eye and said "I hope you dont mind paying for your own dinner then." She got this look of surprise on her face, stood up and left. LOL. So i sat there by myself and ate what is one of the best dishes I ever had.

 

[daveomak]

I was in an Asian resteraunt on a first date MANY years ago( about 22 ), when the waiter walked by us with a plate that was sizzling and the best smell ever coming off the plate. After he droped it off on someones table, I called him over and asked what it was. Being that he spoke VERY LITTLE english he put both hands to the side of his head and wiggled his index fingers and with a confused look as trying to think hard and said OINK! OINK! I asked do you mean pig ears? He smilled and nodded his head.Just as my date said thats disgusting I said I'll take it.The look she gave me was like she was looking at a crazy man.When I asked her what was wrong she said she wouldnt even think about kissing me if I ate it and as she was a vegetarian wouldnt even go on another date with me. I looked her in the eye and said "I hope you dont mind paying for your own dinner then." She got this look of surprise on her face, stood up and left. LOL. So i sat there by myself and ate what is one of the best dishes I ever had.

 

Mike morning....  Now that's funny .....   The real definition of chivalry.....   My way or the Highway.....

 AND I'm going to assume that the lady, in question, did not hear wedding bells while at your side.....     

 

[dirtsailor2003]

SO here is how it went.

In a hot wok went peanut oil,sesame oil(easy) chilli oil (easy).Then cut up snake beans,garlic chives,shallots,hit them hard heat wise. 

Then I had chilli bean paste with garlic,a chilli paste that had some peanuts in it(no name in english) & a thai chilli bean in soya bean paste. So I  used  a tablespoon of all 3.Some sichuan pepper,about a teaspoon,then a good sprinkle of sugar. Turned it all around fast & furious,smelt great AND spicy .Then added some of the stock that the ears had poached in,bubbled it a bit maybe a minute.Turned it off.

Cut ears into slices when they had cooled,poured everything out of wok onto ears stirred.Will let that rest for an hour for flavours to mingle.

I will top it with crispy fried shallots,little thai diversion I know but I think its about texture contrast.

I am going to serve this warm not hot.Sort of a warm salad.

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• moikel
• Jan 22, 2013

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• moikel
• Jan 22, 2013

That looks Fantastic Mick!!! I bet the brains would be good cooked up that way too!

 

[smoke happens]

I was in an Asian resteraunt on a first date MANY years ago( about 22 ), when the waiter walked by us with a plate that was sizzling and the best smell ever coming off the plate. After he droped it off on someones table, I called him over and asked what it was. Being that he spoke VERY LITTLE english he put both hands to the side of his head and wiggled his index fingers and with a confused look as trying to think hard and said OINK! OINK! I asked do you mean pig ears? He smilled and nodded his head.Just as my date said thats disgusting I said I'll take it.The look she gave me was like she was looking at a crazy man.When I asked her what was wrong she said she wouldnt even think about kissing me if I ate it and as she was a vegetarian wouldnt even go on another date with me. I looked her in the eye and said "I hope you dont mind paying for your own dinner then." She got this look of surprise on her face, stood up and left. LOL. So i sat there by myself and ate what is one of the best dishes I ever had.

Now that there is funny!!!  

 

[moikel]

 

Mike morning....  Now that's funny .....   The real definition of chivalry.....   My way or the Highway.....

 AND I'm going to assume that the lady, in question, did not hear wedding bells while at your side.....     

No its the definition rationalism,it was never going to work! More importantly do you remember how the dish was done,,given you didnt get to do anything with her?