Saint Anthony's Temptation

Sheesh....everybody now wants in on this act. Joe is my first guest blogger. Take it away, Joe!


Nancy and I proceeded to a great culinary adventure tonight at Au Pied de Cochon. In fact, I think it was more my adventure than hers.

First, a little background to this restaurant: Les Halles was the great clearinghouse for fresh fish, beef, and pig cuts and carcasses until it was moved to the suburbs in the 70s to make way for a hideous indoor mall. The tradesmen used to work throughout the night and end their shift at 'Au Pied de Cochon' in the early hours, drinking beer and enjoying the cheapest parts of the animal. Les Halles is gone; Au Pied has remained. And gone quite upscale.

Back to the meal. My choice was between Tete de Monsieur Cassoulette, Stuffed Pig's Trotter, or St. Anthony's Temptation. Hmmmmm, saints never steer you wrong. So I went with Saint Anthony's Temptation, pictured above. Yes, that's a pig's ear, trotter, tail, and belly. I said to Nancy, "I am glad these pig parts are so scrawny!" Fat, cartilage, gristle, tendons, knuckles and more fat. But as I say to my kids, "Where there's fat, there's flavour."

I am choosing to believe this dish is in homage to Saint Anthony Bourdain.

Mmmmmm...chewing on a pig's ear. I gained a new appreciation for cartilage, skin, and fat. I didn't really understand how the bearnaise sauce brought the whole meal together, but that was the sauce accompaniment.

I should have chosen the onion soup.