I just want to report that yesterday, two chefs emailed saying they were doing their best. Robert Facucette, the pastry chef at The Yorktowne Hotel in York, PA, wrote to say, he "wanted to take part in the Caesar challenge." To that end, this pastry chef, the pastry chef!, got a duck confit caesar on the menu. "I know it’s no pork belly caesar, but too bad," he writes. Victories large and small, I say.
Six hours earlier, John DiGiovanni, chef for Delaware North Companies, wrote, "I just wanted to let you know that I am putting the Pork Belly Caesar on our premium buffet in the Time Warner HD Lounge for the Columbus Blue Jackets home opener vs. Anaheim." Oct 5, for $27.95. He sent a pdf of the menu, which does indeed include a pork belly caesar in the fresh salads category.
God’s work, chefs. I bow to you.
As an instructor at a local culinary school in buffalo ny, we will be running a special next week in our student run restaurant , The Statler Erie Room. What else to celebrate Porktober and educate young impressionable minds on the evils of mediocrity than to produce our own version of Crisp Pork Belly Salad! I’ll forward our menu when it is printed, as well as a critique of my students interpretations. Mike Andrzejewski, Chef Instructor,Erie Comm. College ,Buffalo NY, (owner SEABar Sushi)
Pork belly ceasar? For what more could I ask? In Gainesville Florida, asking the butcher for pork bellies is like asking the pope where to find delicate 8 year old boys. You know he knows, but he’s not going to tell you because he wants to feed you full of 2 day old ground mystery meat. Instead I find myself calling a friend I have in “the city” just to talk about pork bellies and ethnic delicatesins. Thanks for your book “Charcuterie” it has definately broadened my horizon and sharpened my culinary skills (and brought some REAL sausage to my plate. I think however that the climate in florida does not blend well with dry cured sausages, so I am constructing a “dry box” that will monitor and adjust the humidity, temperature, and hopefully, the barometric psi so that I can simulate the natural environments of Italy and beyond. I’ll let you know how it turns out, hopefully not by releasing an outbreak of botulism to my neighbors, friends, and family.
I may be a bit late to this party, but why do chefs fuck up caesar with pork belly/salmon/chicken/etc.? The only thing that should be in a caesar salad is raw egg, oil, worsty, dijon, and garlic. And anchovies.
It was made famous for a reason. It cannot be improved! Adding pork belly to caesar is like Rachel Ray adding peas or ham to macaroni and cheese…blasphemy.
As a Jackets fan and a fan of yourself and Bourdain, I am happy to report that not only did Columbus whoop Anaheim’s asses, but the pork belly caesar was quite tasty! (Asswhooping enabled by pork belly? Entirely possible…)
Ain’t nothin’ wrong with a duck confit Caesar salad, man. Ducks and pigs = equally tasty.
I wish Chris Cosentino would get some of those little bunnies from Devil’s Gulch Ranch (up in Marin) and salad ‘em up, Cosentino-style. Yum.
French Laundry, as I’ve read your blog, I’ve been wondering that, myself!
Longtime lurker — the duck confit Caesar finally lured me into the open, I guess. Although I haven’t been back to the ‘hood (!) in years. I’ll follow up…
No way, Yorktowne Hotel? Good on ‘ya! Growing up, York was the “big city” (hometown, Dover — do *not* get me started) — when it got a Chi-Chis in the mid ’80′s there were 90-minute waits for tables. Ditto on the Olive Garden… We would drive to Harrisburg or Mechanicsburg just to get decent Chinese food.
Obviously times have changed, this makes my day!
Now the dilemma is complete. I have finally found a way to score some pork belly that I meant to smoke for bacon. Then del Grosso got me thinking about using it for Pancetta. But, your repeated posts on pork belly confit have me thinking about that.
How do I choose?
Hollerhither, 10 bucks says we know one another. I went to Northeastern. My brother married a Wigglesworth. I’ve been to Hake’s market. More than once.
Looks like your revolution is spreading and involving. I met DiGioavanni when he was a starry-eyed Yute at Disney.
Disney’s Culinary School might be an interesting future Ruhlmann Article Topic. And an excuse to escape Cleveland some blustery Winter Week.
Mr. Ruhlman, you are the foodie version of L. Ron Hubbard.
Meant to say “evolving” not “involving”.
Dear god! Hockey and Pork Belly together?! Has John DiGiovanni been hiding in my room and writing down my dreams as I mumble at night! Someone give that man a hug for me :]
hmm, york isn’t far from my hometown of reading — and a whole plethora of pa dutch incredibles!!! but shoofly pie caesar..naaah..but wait, perhaps scrapple.. yes, scrapple! crispy panko fried goodness layered in tiles over your dijon and parm intoxicated romaine? now there’s a caeser to wrap your hungry fork around!
Oh my god, Duck Confit ceasar? Do you know how hard this is for a ceasar salad addict to read? Ok, I’m gonna learn how to make some Duck Confit (and how to cook a crispy pork belly) and there will be wonderful, blissful times ahead…
Any advice with the confit, Ruhlman?
A happy medium between molten bricks of “porcine gold” and pointless chicken breast meat might very well be deep-fried white anchovies. I’ve had little smelt battered and fried this way, and I’d bet Dewar’s to donuts that some golden, crisp, oily fish would be right at home in a rich caesar.
Yorktowne Hotel, represent!!!!!!!!!
Friend of the Hodges/Zimmerman/Wolf clan here…. and I applaud Chef Facucette’s efforts. Can’t wait to get back home and try to duck confit caesar. Now that Harley weekend is over, I can make my way back to the homeland for some good eats.
Damn….. who knew my hometown and a favorite restaurant from my childhood would show up on Michael Ruhlman’s blog….. such a small world. Wow. I sure hope they still have rack of lamb with mint jelly, dutchess potatoes, and rainbow sherbet. That was my first “grown-up” meal when I was six, and it was in the Commonwealth Room at The Yorktowne.
Gettin’ all melancholy here……
Duck confit caesar? NOM NOM NOM NOM….
Sign me up.
Chicken farmers across the nation are cursing you as I write this.
It’s the promise of molten pork fat. You’ve tapped into something perverse and primal that humanity didn’t know it was craving.