It’s no secret that Anthony Bourdain loved to dine in the South. Whether he was tucking into plates of fresh conch or cutting into a stack of waffles, Bourdain made his way through various recipes and dishes. During an episode of “Parts Unknown,” Bourdain devoured a meal he described as “hard to beat” while feasting in Jackson, Mississippi (via YouTube). The Big Apple Inn is known for its soul food, yet its pig ear sandwiches have attracted special attention, and the restaurant cranks out orders daily.
You can find soul food dishes served throughout the United States, but pig ear sandwiches are characteristically Southern — and to Bourdain and many others, “ears” is an iconic dish that offers both flavor and comfort. The Big Apple Inn’s Southern recipe oozes with punchy hot sauce, slaw, mustard, and the savory taste of pork nestled into a bun. The restaurant may not have cracked Bourdain’s top 20 U.S. dining spots, but the pig ear sandwich is a memorable eating experience that offers the perfect balance of sweet, smoky, and spicy.
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Southern chefs turned pig ears into a delicious dish
Cook making pig sandwiches at Big Apple Inn – Big Apple Inn/Facebook
Though pig ears were once snubbed by the upper class, some Americans figured out a way to make good use of the cheap ingredient. Uncooked pieces are meaty and thick, offering a tough texture that can be difficult to work with, but at the Big Apple Inn, cooks discovered that if this piece of flesh was boiled for several days it could be made tender. Now, instead of being cooked for hours on end, pressure cookers make this work more efficient so that a knife can easily cut the ears into pieces. Some chefs also began layering pig ear sandwiches with a tangy relish made with onions and cucumbers.
Anthony Bourdain certainly isn’t the only traveling foodie who has headed to the Big Apple Inn just to order a pig ear sandwich. The family-run restaurant has been feeding customers since 1939, and thanks to its decades-long commitment to its craft, this piece of meat has been reimagined with a narrative that communicates resourcefulness, pride, and nostalgia.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
