Whose the brains in this outfit ?

[venture]

I guess I grew up poor.  By modern standards we did. The best part?  We never knew that?  Or even gave it a thought?

But farming was part of our family.

The land was important, and the land was treated well.

Maybe not a lot of money in the house?

But, by the grace of God?

We always had food.  Plenty of food!  And pretty dam good food at that!

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[moikel]

Old habits & atitudes hang on way past the day they started. My late father was born in 1929 first year of the Depression which lasted way past 1933 then rolled into WW2 & food rationing.My late mother was born in Canada in 1933 then lost her father when she was 9 to lung issues he had brought home from WW1.

By the time I was born in 1959 we weren't poor but they had long memories.We had plenty of food but never took it for granted.

Anyway back to cookery!

I am going to do it this way. Soak brains in some salty water,drain,dry.Then mix chinese 5 spice powder,ginger powder,garlic powder,white pepper with some rice flour.Dredge brain pieces in that then wrap in caul fat.Then fry them.

I am going to make a simple lightly pickled vegetables chinese style,radish,cucumber,those fancy coloured carrots. I think there will be a little dipping sauce,palm sugar,fish sauce,vinegar,chilli. 

I have no recipe for the brains just a description. I will post photos soon. I have to do some other stuff first.

 

[moikel]

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• moikel
• Feb 5, 2013

Start

 

[moikel]

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• moikel
• Feb 5, 2013

Got these  wrapped & rolled .Not really my strength that fiddley cookery! As I  said earlier its rice flour,5 spice ,ginger,garlic,white pepper then just turned them into parcels.1/2  a brain in each.

Cut cucumber & radish gave them a good salt left them 20 min. Rinse,then added the purple & yellow carrots.From there its rice vinegar,soy sauce ,a minced clove of garlic,palm sugar,chilli oil.Gave it a good turn around then let it sit.

Then it was just fry the brains.

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• moikel
• Feb 5, 2013

I made a dipping sauce with black vinegar,chilli oil,lime juice,palm sugar & this chilli paste that doesnt have a name in english.Its sort of dry roasted chilli in oil with raw peanuts in it.Its in all the chinese grocers but I cant find a name that translates.

Verdict? I already knew I liked lambs brains

,the caul fat melts & sort of shrink wraps around the brain then goes crisp.Lot to like about that

.It was my idea to dredge them in the jazzed up rice flour you did get the flavours of the spices. The pickles were from another recipe ,nice & sharp & crunchy good thing with fatty foods. Dipping sauce was just out of my head nice touch,sort of Sichuan sort of not.

It was a really nice plate if you didnt tell people they were brains you could sell them on street corners

Thanks for waiting & watching.

 

[moikel]

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• moikel
• Feb 5, 2013

Pretty aint they?

 

[wes w]

The brains look outstanding!   How do they compare in texture and taste to pork brains?

I'm right  there with you Merv!

 

[moikel]

I have never eaten pig brains.I couldnt find them anywhere. Not part of the cooking history here. I think the texture would be the same& lamb brains dont taste like lamb they taste like brains.Does that make sense? Caul fat was the secret, way better than the Aussie breadcrumb deal. Lovely crisp out side to the parcel without being greasy fairly neutral flavour all about the texture like a lot of chinese food. Brains soft,juicey ,moist with that gentle spicing in the rice flour which sealed under the layer of caul fat. Pickles were a nice contrast.You could just have it with a squeeze of lime if the dipping sauce didnt appeal.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

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• moikel
• Feb 5, 2013

Pretty aint they?

Looks Great!!!

 

[moikel]

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• moikel
• Feb 6, 2013

Do pig brains look any different?

 

[wes w]

That's pretty much it.  I've never seen a "whole"  pork brain.  I used to get them frozen and they were just random chunks.   Those look great!

 

[bhawkins]

That does look great! I would try them even knowing they are brains!! 

Side note: Like you said about habits and attitudes, my Grandmother lived through the depression, her oldest son fought in WWII. One of her grandsons owned a hog farm, and for a while slaughtered and butchered their own hogs. Grandmaw got the brains!! Come spring, if you had an empty spot of dirt, something got planted in it!! Funny how we look back on certain things.Back then I hated working in the garden, now that I have kids I wish I could bring it all back and teach them.

 

[chef jimmyj]

I have not eaten Brains but that sure looks better than the Brains and Eggs I have seen people eat...JJ

 

[moikel]

 Here it was bread crumbed  & fried, no history of brains & eggs. They have made a bit of a comeback as the nose to tail movement gathered pace. My own family didnt eat them I cant honestly say where I picked it up but I order them if I see them on the menu.

The caul fat took these to another level .I have used it for other things like wrapping kangaroo fillet or rump but never for a strictly fried dish like this.