This post isn't for the faint-hearted.
I do consider myself a mostly adventuresome eater. I'm willing to try almost anything, at least once. Over the years, I've had chicken heart, pig ear, sweetbread, tongue...but never all in
one meal. The thought of
every.single.course being some form of
offal (
the entrails and internal organs of an animal used as food) was a bit much for me. I'd shied away from the
Fifth Quarter dinner events held at
The Greenhouse Tavern in the past. But when a similar dinner was being held at one of our very favorite spots,
The Black Pig, I decided to take the plunge.
The first course started us off easy, with "Lamb Snacks" that included a heart tartar, mortadella and terrine. Nothing that I hadn't had before.
Then, Chef Dave Kocab made his take on a favorite Asian salad from
LJ Shanghai, a
Beef Tendon & Tripe Salad with chili, roasted peppers, and arugula. The flavors were great, but I could have done with a little more arugula. The textures of the tripe (
edible lining from the stomachs of various farm animals) and tendon were a bit much for me after about half-way through the salad.
Next up, this dish really pushed us.
Pig Brain & Veal Sweetbreads (
the thymus or pancreas) with cauliflower, curry, apricot puree, and raisins. The flavors of this dish were outstanding, and the crispy sweetbreads were not a problem for me to enjoy. But the brain was quite soft, and the mushy texture prevented me from wanting to eat the whole piece.
The last savory course ended up being the most difficult for me. The
Beef Tongue Stroganoff with blood noodles (
yes, BLOOD! was swapped for eggs in the pasta) was rich and flavorful. But I had warned my seatmates that I get squeamish when I visually see whole animals, organs that look exactly like they do inside the body, etc. So, when the guys started talking about the visible taste buds on the tongue and I looked down at a neighboring plate and could see all of the little bumps, it only took a couple more bites of the tongue hitting
my tongue before I had to stop.
I honestly think I would have been fine if I hadn't seen the taste buds!
Brûléed Bone Marrow with caramel apple was the final course, and personally I think a dessert preparation of bone marrow should appear more often on menus! It was delicious.
So even though a couple of textures threw me off during this "offally good" dinner, I'm glad that I pushed myself to try so many courses within one meal. I'd even go to one again! When products are in the hands of excellent chefs, it's amazing what can be done. These are often considered "trash" pieces of an animal, but I appreciate that some chefs take interest in and the care to try and work with them. This type of event isn't for everyone, but I encourage you to go outside your comfort zone when you can.
