June 0f 2009 was the cruelest month, for there were some unbelievable dining events. The best of these, far and away, was Cochon 555. A friendly competition between 5 of the Bay Area’s best chefs, each of whom had a different breed of heritage pig to cook and make dishes from. Unbelievable. I could write 100 posts on that event alone. And I just might…

Nate Appleman was one of the 5 chefs invited to participate in Cochon555 San Francisco’s 2009 competition. His team was slicing up and doling out beautiful pulled pork for the first hour of the event, then they started turning Japanese on the pork dishes, with elegant, subtle, and innovative new textures and flavor combinations.

Green Tea Cake with Lard, Cracklins - Chef Nate Appleman

One of my favorite dishes from later in the evening was a thick, soft green tea cake, plopped with gooey pink lard, upon which some tiny minced cracklins (crispy pig skin) were sprinkled. A little mochi ball crowned the thing, in translucent white like a beckoning orb. This was a marvelous display of color, texture, and flavor from Appleman and his crew. The tea cake resembled a strange little spaceship or some maquette from a forward-thinking architectural firm. And it was delicious!