Birthday Pig-stravaganza

I know it's been quite some time since my birthday back in September but forgive because time has gotten away from me. For my birthday dinner my wonderful husband got with one of the best chefs in the biz, Kelly English, & devised a plan for a dinner that would elate a porkaholic such as me. Chef English apparently wanted to go whole hog & present a suckling pig. However, my Kelly put the brakes on that one & said he "didn't want to stare at a pig face all night." No matter, this dinner was truly exceptional. Course #1 Pig Ear Carbonara Rich truffled pig ear "noodles". So creamy with a beautiful crunch to the cartilage but tenderness to the remainder of the ear. Course # 2 Rare Pig Heart with Cumin Spiced Eggplant Rare grilled pig heart that was so toothsome & earthy. There is something about heart that provides such a unique wine pairing. There is literally no flavor combo like the iron-copper rich flavor in heart paired up with gorgeously earthy red wine.

Course #3 Tongue in Cheek Succulent braised pig tongue over housemade noodles & tender pieces of pork cheek. So savory, tender & brought me back to childhood. My family used to cook tongue when I was a kid & I used to hoover it up.

Course #4 Pork Belly There is little that needs to be said about a perfectly cooked piece of pork belly. Sinking my teeth into the sweet meat & creamy fat is total bliss. Anyone that has been to Restaurant Iris knows that Kelly English knows how to work a piece of pig. However, this entire experience was something entirely more than I've ever had before. Of course the food was spectacular but the fact that my husband set this up for me for my birthday dinner really made it truly special. Thank you to both Kelly's for the best most porktastic birthday ever!