NMC Culinary School "Final Exam" dinner

"Sister" company, Cherry Capital Foods, provided a whole Mangalitsa Pig to Northern Michigan College's Culinary School for the "final exam" dinner

It was billed as Nose to Tail

Entryway : an Iced Pig - nicely done

With Mangalitsa Riellette:

Note the "icing" ... yup it's

Lard

De-licous !!!

eyes were rolling all around the room and big smiles

First course "Nose"

Mangalitsa country pork pate, house-made brioche, guanciale,

pickled onion, cornichon, ramps, micro-kohrabi and "kreamy" mustard

(note that I used ambient light - not the best shots)

very nice

This was served with Shorts Brewing Magician Red

First time I can recall beer in a Champagne flute !

Next was Shoulder

Bellaire Brown ale braised pork shoulder and jowl ravioli, braises

turnip greens, chives...

with house made bacon and roasted pork consomme'

Good enough to demand use of bread to swab up the consomme'

Then "Trout" (not a normal cut of the pig)

Pan roasted Glacier Springs trout, flageolet bean ragout, morels,

fennel herb pistou, "craklins" (the pork) and spring onion veloute

Hard to deny anything with Morels (G)

Then a break while they re-set the tables

Pause to mingle and digest

Next was "Ears"

Werp Farms frisee, mache, crispy pig's ear (like bacon), glazed

baby turnips, one hour poached egg, Zingermann's chevre and

bacon-sherry vinaigrette.

Note : we wondered about the one hour poached egg

Must have been warm water, the egg was neither runny nor hard

Very nice dish

Then the dish we all waited for : Belly !

Confit of Mangalitsa pork belly, celeriac puree, barley risotto,

glazed baby carrots, asparagus, carrot fronds and eau de vie jus

Bada Bing

Delicious

Finally ... Tail End

Brioche pain perdu, creme fraiche ice cream, bacon brittle,

Marcona almonds, carmalized rhubarb, lime zest and rhubarb syrup

A very nice ending to the dinner

On my way out, the "iced pig" was melting down