This post is about an English painters landmark exhibition I saw at the Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York). His name is Francis Bacon. Before the art show I did not know what his pieces of art were about. I heard about his bold austere and often nightmarisish paintings. One of the exhibitions highlights is still in my mind. I think it is one of his masterpieces it’s a variation on a crucifixion and its dreadful focus on death is in my opinion frankly – twisted!
Meat show
The painting shows a slauthered animal hanging in the style of a crucifix over an umbrella covered beheaded person in a black suit jacket. You might encounter a scene like that in a horror movie recorded in a meat shop.
Art inspires what I do in my kitchen so I enjoyed the exhibition very much.
Cook me?
Last year we had great success with a “back-from-the-beach suckling pig” menu so I brought it back for this month. After the museum I went straight to my restaurant were we prepared a 25 pound suckling pig for the new menu. Dissecting the little piggy reminded me of the masterpiece in the museum. I found it interesting to combine the artist Bacon with my suckling pig.
- The suckling pig was parted in pieces (legs, shoulders, loin). We took the bones out of these parts.
- The pig was brined for 24 hours which helped to keep it moist and to make sure that it had this succulent pinkish color.
- The pig parts were seasoned generously with roasted garlic, lemon thyme, fresh pepper and salt. We shaped the parts by rolling them tightly into plastic wrap. Basically twisted like a candy wrapper.
- We set the temperature of the Thermal circulator at 165 degress Fahrenheit then cooked it for twelve hours. Once cooked it was chilled then portioned.
(Suckling pig - twisted saddle, belly, ribs with kale and twice backed potato terrine)
The pig was tender and succulent and kept its “twisted” shape.
(kale and mustard greens are beautiful right now)
