Best Meat Dishes of 2017 — Part One
So many meaty things to discuss: I’m kicking it off with starters, soups, and salads
But let’s be real — you won’t find any salads in this one. Want veggies? Go here.
I’m not a big fan of liver, regardless of what animal it comes from. I often find it to be metallic and bitter. But, the foie gras tart at The Modern may have changed my mind. The tart shows up on the menu year-around, but the accouterments are seasonal. Since I indulged for lunch one Saturday afternoon in the middle of summer, mine came with wild blueberry and sunflower-seed brittle. The sweetness from the blueberry cut through the inherent richness of the foie gras, and the sunflower seeds offered much-needed crunch. Throw in an amazingly flaky, buttery crust, and you’ve got a winner in my book.
Asheville, North Carolina has already popped up in one of my best of 2017 recaps, but I still dream about this appetizer from Cúrate. Chistorra & Chips, Jose’s Way (chorizo wrapped in potato chips) takes the idea of a pigs in a blanket and flips it on its head. These craveable bites are spicy, salty, crunchy, and just plain addictive.
The best bowl of ramen I ate last year (and I ate plenty) was at an airport. That’s right, I said it. On my way back to NYC from a work trip in London, I grabbed lunch at Wagamamma, a global Japanese restaurant chain. I was blown away by the depth of flavor in the Shirodashi ramen. Marinating the pork belly in bulgogi sauce took this vessel of comforting goodness to another level, providing a richness that I don’t normally get from ramen using a chicken-based broth. (I tend to prefer the unctuousness of tonkotsu broth, which is made from boiling pork bones for like ten lifetimes).
Best of the carnivorous rest coming soon!
