When we were in Cambridge, Tony prepared half a pig’s head for us as the incredible conclusion of our dinner at Craigie on Main. We had seen these heads prepared during the day and strongly hinted that it would be nice to taste one if we were to sit down for dinner. Tony obliged us, and the concept of the pig’s head has been a daily topic of conversation since our time in his kitchen. Tony shared his Peking Pig’s Head story—damn him for grabbing that brilliant idea—and Cambridge locals should stay tuned for his evolutions at Craigie. His juxtaposition inspired a rush of ideas, and when we returned home, we started cooking. Joe at Elements was able to source a medium-sized head for us. We cut it in half and brined it in our onion soup brine for a few days. After that, we cooked it sous vide for 18 hours at 83°C and then cooled it down. Once it was cold, we roasted it at 425°F for an hour and a half. Tony uses slightly smaller heads, so his numbers may be slightly different from ours. Our head was deliciously crispy and crackling with meltingly tender meat that we foraged happily from the nooks and crannies of the skull. We served it Greek-style with a spicy tzatziki sauce, sliced tomatoes, Greek-style chopped kimchi, and warm pita bread. Next time, it could be Ssam style à la David Chang, taco style with corn tortillas, pico de gallo, and guacamole, or in the style of Vietnamese egg rolls with sweet fish sauce, cold noodles, and lettuce wraps. We are only limited by our imaginations.
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