Chef Ian Merryman at Millie's (Photo by Jay Paul)
When Chef Ian Merryman steps out from behind the line at Millie’s to host another edition of his pop-up dinner series, The Jackdaw, you’re almost certain to find pork on the menu.
What you’re unlikely to find, however, is a pork chop or pork loin.
“They’re fine cuts,” says Merryman, using the tone of voice with which an orthodox novelist might praise Stephen King. But like many chefs, Merryman is of the belief that those conventional cuts aren’t the true measure of a pig’s deliciousness.
The pork he loves best? Belly, trotters, cheeks and neck.
These cuts often require more work, however. Despite the high fat content, they’re generally tougher, and they need to be subdued via slow cooking over long periods of time.
In some cases, they also require multiple cooking methods, which gives competitive chefs like Merryman a way to show off their virtuosity and craftsmanship.
Crispy lechon, papaya salad, egg yolk jam, rice cake and ground chicharones (Photo by Jay Paul)
Take Merryman’s crispy pata, a Filipino dish. The leg meat is cooked three times — first brined, then braised, before finally being fried until the skin emerges crispy and golden.
Then there’s his faux pastrami, another three-parter: The pig tongue is cured (covered in brown sugar and juniper and left to sit in the fridge for 24 hours), then cooked slowly in the oven and, finally, smoked.
A stickler when it comes to sourcing, Merryman bypasses large factory farms in favor of small, family producers from around the state.
He particularly likes Red Barn Berkshires in Surry County and Papa Weaver’s, a seventh-generation pork producer in Orange, noting that their heritage breeds — Chester White, Ossabaw — contain just the right amount of fat.
If Merryman is a stickler for sources, he insists he’s not a stickler for breeds. “I look for quality,” he says, “and whether they’ve been treated humanely.” Broken blood vessels or clots in the meat, for instance, are indications that the pig was “stressed,” which, besides being signs that the animal was treated poorly, can negatively affect flavor.
With a superlative product to work with, says Merryman, you don’t have to cook something three times to get delicious results. Though it’s imperative, the detail-minded chef says, that you “always brine.” His current favorite combination? Salt, water, brown sugar, lemon grass, garlic and ginger — a little sweetness, a little bite and an ideal flavoring for rich, juicy, homegrown pork.
