I HAVE A thing about pigs. No, it's nothing perverse; it's perfectly innocent, although the pig probably wouldn't think so if it saw me salivating. It's simply that pork is my favourite meat for everyday eating. I'm happy to be led astray by a slab of smooth and unctuous foie gras, and can't resist the come-hither look of small birds, especially quail. But for daily consumption, the sweetness and versatility of pork reigns supreme in my humble opinion.
I love the complex tastes and textures of the innards and extremities. Not everybody shares this preference. I went for Taiwanese hotpot with friends and acquaintances and ordereda split pot of broth (spicy and mild) and the usual meats and seafood for everybody to share, and mostly for myself, plates of intestines (pork and goose), liver and kidneys. As I cooked the innards, I glanced over at one of the guys, who wasn't eating and looked rather green. 'What's wrong?' 'Could you please not cook that stuff in this broth?' he requested.
I stopped cooking the innards in the clear broth but held my breath when a friend began pulling out chunks of blood, used to enrich the flavour, from the spicy broth. 'What's this?' she asked. I gathered if her friend didn't like intestines, he would be appalled at the thought of eating blood. I answered, 'Oh, it's just red bean curd.'
Perhaps innards and extremities have fallen from grace because they take more time to prepare. But to paraphrase an old saying: 'Good food comes to those who wait.'
Kidneys: I love pork kidneys so much that when I was a student, my grandfather would send me back to school with care packages of frozen kidneys, which he had meticulously trimmed of the core and veins, for me to cook whenever I needed some home-style food.
To prepare, pull off the slippery skin then cut the kidneys in half lengthwise. Cut away the hard, white core and fibres, then turn them over and score the flesh by making shallow cuts in the flesh in a diamond pattern. Cut the kidneys into two-bite pieces and soak in salted water or milk for about 30 minutes. The easiest way to cook these is by blanching for just a few minutes in boiling water. Do not overcook or the kidney will be rubbery. While they're cooking, heat a few tablespoons of oil in a small pan. Julienne spring onions lengthwise and wash a handful of fresh coriander. When the kidneys are cooked, drain them and place them on a shallow dish. Pile with spring onions and coriander, drizzle with light soy sauce and pour on the oil - it will sizzle and wilt the vegetables. This method also works well with sliced liver.