Friday food

OK, so, I had an amazing treat this week, something I've never tried before, and something I now find myself daydreaming about.

Oh, hey, Audrey? Don't know if you're going to like this. :-)

And if you're vegetarian, this ain't gonna be your cuppa either.

I met with friends at The Local in Minneapolis, part of the Kieran Folliard Irish empire. Among the deliciousness that was consumed were two special items, one on the menu:

The Green Ox charcuterie plate. Just look at all that meaty lusciousness! And crispy flatbread, and apple slices, and apple chutney, and stone-ground mustard. I could make a meal out of this all by itself.

But that wasn't all. The charcuterie was accompanied by an off-menu item:

Trotter. Or, to be specific, pig's foot. Slow-cooked pig's foot, stuffed with a flavorful meat mixture, adorned with bread crumbs, cooked with a lot of butter, accompanied by a delicious cabbage dish.

Oh. My.

This was divine. Apparently a pig's foot is usually quite tough, but a long, slow cooking process makes it melty. The stuffing was not spicy, but not mild either.

And it's cute! C'mon, look at it! One of my dining companions commented that she'd like to take it home and cuddle with it. And maybe nosh a bit from time to time.

Beyond perfect for a gray, rainy, windy day. Or, for that matter, a sunny, bright day.

Comments

[kate]

The meat plate would be a big hit in my house!!

Not sure about the trotter - hard to get past pre-conceived notions, yes? But I'd like to think we'd try it at least!

[Crystal]

What a great lunch. While I only tried a teeny piece of the trotter, it reminded me of holiday celebrations.

[Minnesota Prairie Roots]

Ewwwwwww! Yuck! Did you really eat a pig's foot? You are a brave woman. I would so not try this.

A friend of mine recently cooked cow tongue when his wife was vacationing in Mexico. He is originally from Wisconsin. Just saying.

I could not eat cow tongue. I have too many childhood memories of cows extending their long, long, long tongues to slobber on me when I passed them in the barn.

We had pigs on our farm for awhile, but I was too young to remember. But subconsciously I expect that is the reason I could not eat a pig's foot.

Did you grow up on a farm?

[Amy Rea]

Hee, Audrey, I was just waiting for you! Yes, I ate it, and I loved it. I also love beef tongue. Nope, I didn't grow up on a farm--maybe that's why I can eat these things?

[Amy Rea]

Crystal, kind of like haggis? ;-)

[Amy Rea]

Kate, once you slice it apart, it's easy to forget what it is.