Thanks to my job at the Chopping Block I get some very good discounts on some very fancy cookware. This past month's promotion was for Emile Henry, Mauviel and Rosle. For those not in the know all this stuff is usually waaaay out of my price range, especially the Mauviel. Most of their copper runs at insane price points (saute pan is 260.00!). Needless to say I jumped at the chance to get some new gear for the kitchen, considering I don't think I will every be able to purchase copper at these prices again! From Emile Henry I got a shallow brassier and a tagine, both are ceramic capable of taking some real high hear. The Mauviel pieces took many hours of deliberation to choose, in the end my order turned out to be exactly the same as Bowers', odd. I ordered the thickest copper wall they make with cast iron handles, all in all the pieces weigh about 20 pounds a piece. Out of 3 very classy boxes came a splayed side saute pan, large saute pan and a med. sautoir (or straight side saute). 
I don't have the heart to cook in these yet! I want to do something real special but I can't figure out what that will be.On a side note I made one of the tastiest sandwiches ever yesterday. I got a whole pork belly from Arnolds not long ago with the intent of making bacon. One of the ends was nice and meaty so I figured there was no reason not to cook that right away! I cubed up the end and placed it in my new Emile Henry brassier along with some Shoyu, Dry Sherry, ginger, garlic and water. I let this all braise for about 3 hours and then I cooled it down over night. The next day I got some a baguette and placed two pieces inside with a nice dose of Siracha. The end result is not all that pretty but it was so good I had to take a nap afterwards. The cooled fat from the belly acted like butter on the bread and the meat was falling apart. Salty, sweet, fatty and spicy. You couldn't ask for a better meal.
The rest of the belly is curing in the fridge as I write this and should be done in about 4 days. I'm curing it in a mix of salt, sugar, black pepper (alot), garlic, and crushed bay leaves. Once its finished Bowers is going to smoke it for me and we shall see what we come up with. Keep your fingers crossed!
3 comments:
those Tajines rock. I got one of those a few months back and have been using the hell out of it.
Another simple and totally awesome looking sammy. I want that. Not sure if you heard but we have some Korabuta pork belly coming in on friday. I was thinking of braising it Szechuan-style and then wok-frying it with some Sambal and veggies... now I'm thinking a sandwich may be in order!
I know how you can break-in your new cookware – you can make me dinner, maybe seabass with asparagus risotto, with a starter of tuna tartare, served nicoise style, with a quail egg on top. Finish it all with some high-end vanilla gelato, and a pork cookie, made with pork belly.
Just a thought, is all.
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