A Whole Boneless Pig
A couple months ago, I wrote an entry praising the fine European style pork products of the Ridgewood Pork Store in Ridgewood Queens. Since I have gotten back from my trip to Europe, I appreciate this place all the more, and even though it is a long trek for me, I have managed to get back there a couple times, never to be disappointed except when they are closed.
Anyway, shortly after I got back, Jonel, the owner of the Ridgewood Pork Store, contacted me and sent me some pictures of a “Whole Boneless Pig” they had roasted in the store. He invited me to come by and try it, but I couldn’t make it out there that week. However, Squidocto was more than happy to walk around the corner from his place to check it out and report back. Here is what he had to say:
Squidocto’s report from the field:
I just went and got me some boneless roast pig. At this point they’ve
taken the head off (just as well — that looked nasty), and are just
making slices of the body. It’s absolutely delicious! The meat is
mixed up with some kind of breading and various spices. The result is
a light, fall-apart textured meat with a very rich taste. It feels
rather like an entire meal wrapped in one — a sort of pork
thanksgiving dinner.
I have to agree, that from the photos, it looked a little gruesome, but it sure sounds interesting. I wrote back to Jonel to ask what it is was exactly. He said:
We roast the pig whole, then while it was still warm we pull out all the bones. We chop the meat up, season it up, and then put all back in the pig skin. We tie it up and then let cool in the fridge over night.
Hmm! Sounds like a crazy pork meatloaf on steroids! I definitely hope to try it when they do it again. I am curious also where Jonel got this idea: is it a tradional dish he knows from somewhere, or is it something he just came up with? Maybe he will leave a comment here and tell us!
I love that these guys at the Ridgewood Pork Store seem to genuinely enjoy making the products they sell and seem to like trying new and unusual things. Thanks to Jonel for sharing this with us!