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!

Peter McNee of Poggio (Sausalito CA)  at  Cochon555, San Francisco

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…

Among the (many) favorite dishes of the evening was a splendid charcuterie plate from Peter McNee, the chef at Poggio restaurant in Sausalito. (Poggio won the event and was crowned SF’s “Prince of Porc” for the season.) Pork cotto, pastrami, tongue, rillette, mortadella, uh, did I miss anything? This was just a beautiful array of tastes, textures, and visual stun. The salumi and friends with their fatty, nutty, meaty spots looked like an Impressionist (or stipling) landscape. The giant platter looked even better than my plate, with each meat sliced and stacked. That’s my idea of cornucopia.  

Cochon555 SF: Charcuterie Plate from Poggio's Peter McNee

When you visit Poggio, sit at the bar for your appetizer if it’s Tuesday through Saturday. Ask Tony the bar man for the house-made prosciutto ($15 for the platter); it’s not on the menu and only available while supplies last. (Honestly, since they’ve been aging their prosciutto for nearly 2 years now; it won’t last long.)

And **do not miss** any future Cochon555 event. Sign up for the newsletter (upper RH corner once page loads) so you know when they’ll return in the fall.

http://www.amusecochon.com/