Tag: Pork

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VIA’s Italian Pig Roast

Chicharonnes from VIA Italian Table during their Italian Pig Roast during July in Worcester

Everyday in the month of July, VIA has been roasting an entire pig, and from that pig, creating truly unique dishes from various cuts of the hog. Any chance that I get, I love pork; any cut, shape, or prepared way. If it’s from the pig, chances are I want to eat it!

Having been to VIA several times before, I knew that they are known for their diverse menu of Italian offerings, from homemade pastas, to seafood and steak. Via also does a fabulous job with combining portion size and value. Chances are, you are most likely not going home hungry.

Before I could even get to the door, I was greeted with the sweet aroma of the pig being cooked. It just so happened that the pig was on full display, being roasted outside the restaurant on a spit and in a reflector oven. The skin looked wonderfully crispy, and the scent alone was enough to bring the most casual passer-by in for a closer look or enough to convince them to stop in for a meal. Having glanced at the offerings beforehand, I had a good idea of what I wanted to get. For $29.99, you can choose one item from each course (appetizers and entrees), as well as choosing a pre-paired beer or wine pour as well. Each dinner is also served with a mixed green salad as well.

For the appetizer, I knew I had to order the chicharonnes. Having only tasted them one previous time, and seeing them feature prominently on the Food Network on shows such as Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, I knew that I needed to get these. For those of you who may not know what chicharonnes are, they are fried pork skin. They are precooked and dehydrated as best as the chef can get them, to the consistency of a tiny, dried up potato chip. But when they are submerged in a deep frier, they expand to several times their original side, while being light and airy. These pig skins were given a generous coating of a sweet and spicy mixture. These were like potato chips on steroids. They were crunchy and made you want to keep eating them. The spice mixture was a great addition, lending just a subtle hint of sweetness, followed by a low dose of heat, to finish your palate out.

Roasted Suckling Pig VIA Italian Table during their Italian Pig Roast during July in Worcester
Roasted Suckling Pig VIA Italian Table during their Italian Pig Roast during July in Worcester

I could’ve snacked on the chicharonnes all night, but I chose the roasted suckling pig for my entree. This dish consisted of a house butchered portion of the pig (which had been slowly roasting for 12 hours), served with Tuscan roasted potatoes and finished with a rich pork reduction sauce.

The sheer beauty of this dish was breathtaking. The dish had height with a crisped chicharonne resting on the top and depth, and without taking a bite you could see the different textures on the plate. Diving in, you were subjected to tender pieces of pork, evidence of the long roasting process. The pieces were rich, dark and deep with flavor. I compared these bites to dark meat turkey, but with more of a pork essence. The red bliss potatoes were cooked to fork tender and seasoned nicely. The pork reduction served as a wonderful dipping sauce for every bite. Very much demi glacé like, this was the essence of the pig reduced down into a rich sauce that made you wish you had more of it by the end of the meal. The tenderness of the potato and the crispy, fried pork skin helped break up some of the richness of the plate, as it could get very overwhelming without them. I chose to pair my meal with a 2014 Scarpetta “Frico Rosso” Sangoviese. Not as dry as I was expecting it to be, this red wine paired well with the dish, complementing the pork like a deep red would pair well with a nice medium-rare ribeye.

I could have eaten another round of food, the dishes were that well delivered and executed. The slow roasting of the pork brought out another level of flavor that you don’t normally get in your run of the mill pork chop, or even pull pork. I would highly recommend the Pig Roast to anyone who enjoys pork, and maybe wants to step out of their comfort zone to try it prepared another way. VIA Italian Table delivers the pig experience with deft hand, and with the month half over, your time remaining to enjoy this wonderful feast is slowly slipping away. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed in your meal, regardless of your choice.

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“Surf & Turf” Isn’t Just A Catchy Phrase for Chop House This July

Bourbon Glazed Pork Tenderloin & Grilled Atlantic Salmon during One Eleven Chop House's Surf & Turf Promotion.

“Surf and Turf” is a dining concept that combines the best of two worlds: food from the land and food from the sea. Although many restaurants often have seafood and meat as options, it almost seems haphazard if there is an item that combines the two; quite often because the price can become prohibitive or the restaurant may specialize in meat but not fish, or vice versa. This is why one should always look forward to when One Eleven Chop House does their surf and turf promotion.

To begin with, it’s a well-known fact that the One Eleven knows their meats. Steak aside, their chicken, lamb, and pork dishes could hold down the menu in in their own right. Additionally, while many diners tend to look directly at Chop House’s “land meats,” the seafood entrees deserve special attention (my favorite “off the menu dish” is the grilled peppercorn swordfish which is both colorful as it is flavorful).

After years of going to One Eleven, I would often find myself creating my own “surf and turf” by starting with the chilled seafood platter to share and then dive into a filet or lamb. But One Eleven’s Surf and Turf promotion offers the flexibility to try several options for land and sea without breaking the bank.

Bang Bang Shrimp (Lightly Fried Baby Shrimp in a Spicy Sweet Thai Chili Sauce) during One Eleven Chop House's Surf & Turf Promotion.
Bang Bang Shrimp (Lightly Fried Baby Shrimp in a Spicy Sweet Thai Chili Sauce) during One Eleven Chop House’s Surf & Turf Promotion.

To start with, I chose two of the six offerings: the “Bang Bang Shrimp” and “Grilled Lamb Riblets.” Riblets, as many know, is when a full set of spare ribs are cut in half—partly for presentation (by removing the curved rigged part) and partly to allow the meat the cook differently. The grilled lamb riblets did not disappoint. The flavor was rich and deep, and the preparation resulted in the meat easily pulling from the bone. The “Bang Bang Shrimp” (which is a menu staple) was the perfect complement to the riblets as they were lightly fried with a spicy sweet Thai chili sauce topped with cilantro microgreens. The texture of the shrimp married the bed of shred lettuce and the cilantro (which often can overpower a dish) allowing the flavors of the Thai chili sauce to freshly linger.

Grilled Lamb Riblets (Garlic and Mint Marinated, Served with Lamb Reduction) during One Eleven Chop House's Surf & Turf Promotion.
Grilled Lamb Riblets (Garlic and Mint Marinated, Served with Lamb Reduction) during One Eleven Chop House’s Surf & Turf Promotion.

The memory of this appetizer assortment would be short lived, however, as the Bourbon Glazed Pork Tenderloin and Salmon took center stage. To begin with, the Pork Tenderloin’s size and cut resembled that of a perfectly cut filet. The fat not only delivered a great flavor profile—partly from the absorption of the sweet bourbon glaze—but it insured that the meat was succulent throughout. The salmon, with perfect grill marks appeared to be overdone, but once the fork flaked the meat it revealed it was cooked perfectly. Its non-seasoned, suprêmes cut was perfect as to not compete against the nature of the bourbon glaze. A masterful combination of textures, flavors, and proteins.

The two sides, thin cut French Fries and Cole Slaw, were served in a paper bowl. The juxtaposition of the casualness of the sides—not unlike what you’d be served in at a summer clam shack—and the formal entrees was fun and intentional. By bringing together great sea and land meats, with the nostalgia of summer in New England it’s no wonder that 111’s Surf and Turf continues to bring its diners back again and again. While the One Eleven Chop House is often seen as the restaurant “for life’s big moments” you are missing out if you don’t stop to celebrate the little moments this summer.