But while he’d never cooked with pig’s tail before, DiBattista says it wasn’t that far outside his comfort zone. His first thought was to make a ragu, but he wanted to “showcase the form of the tail.” He decided instead to braise the tails, then cook them on Campagnola’s wood-burning grill. He was inspired by the barbecue of the Caribbean, where pig’s tail is popular, but made the barbecue sauce using a balsamic vinegar reduction and served the meat with polenta to give the dish an Italian spin.
- Julia Thiel
- Braised pig’s tail with balsamic barbecue sauce and cherry mostarda
Who’s next:DiBattista has challenged Mark Grosz of Oceanique to create a dish with hemp seed, which the Campagnola chef has been experimenting with himself, mostly serving it toasted on top of salad.
Assembly:Heat wood or other grill. Remove pig tails from liquid and brush with balsamic barbecue sauce. Place on grill unti tails return to an internal temperature of 145 degrees and sauce caramelizes. Bring two cups of mostarda back to a simmer and add two tablespoons of butter and a quarter cup of chicken stock to enrich. Place polenta on plate, top with pig tail and pour mostarda over.
