It's What You Call It

You've often said there's no new dishes out there--short of molecular cuisines I suppose.

What you call something reflects the time you're in and how you're presenting yourself.  Lots of people do pulled pork in the slow cooker with commercial barbecue sauce. But there's a lot of difference between that and what you describe in the dish from the past. At least there is to me where pulled pork better be cooked with real smoke and fire along the way.

Pork, cooked to the pulling stage, and braised in or basted with wine is not uncommon on the modern, European or American plate.  I seldom use tomato based sauces even for pulled pork; preferring vinegar or -- yes -- wine.

In a barbecue (smoking) forum in which I used to participate, I suggested a wine based inject which was working very well for me and the Southerners went ballistic while the Californians were intrigued.  Go figure. 

BDL

Quote:

Originally Posted by phatch 

You've often said there's no new dishes out there--short of molecular cuisines I suppose.

 

What you call something reflects the time you're in and how you're presenting yourself.  Lots of people do pulled pork in the slow cooker with commercial barbecue sauce. But there's a lot of difference between that and what you describe in the dish from the past. At least there is to me where pulled pork better be cooked with real smoke and fire along the way.

 

 

Nice topic! I agree that we pay for the time it takes someone to create them. Though, there are always going to be those dishes that are only "what we call it." Steak? Put plain and simply, at most restaurants that take a purist approach, steak is steak. We pay extra so they can pay the bills.. but I can make that same steak at home.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KYHeirloomer 

My point, however, is that if you call it pulled pork it's worth a couple of bucks a plate. If you put a fancy name to it, however, you can charge an incredible amount. And likely get away with it. But it's still just pulled pork.

 

 

 

You see it with seafood, how many new fish names have been assigned to what were otherwise just regular fish so that they could be marketed better?

What do you all think? Are things what they are? Or are they what we call them? 

I think it's both.

For me it comes down to discription and perception.

I think right side brain thinkers will fully understand/relate to a pulled pork sand. for 3.95

left side brain thinkers will fully understand/relate to Fire Roasted Shoulder of Pork in a Cabernet/Anchovy Butter Sauce, forfor 23.95

Like Phil said, it's how it's presented. Marketing

Things are what they are unless we perceive it's not from the discription or value added..

Oh well, I know what I mean in my head.

Food is framed in a context that goes well beyond the ingredient and preparation. Pulled pork basted with wine, presented with thoughtful plating, in am ambient setting that is extraordinary means that the pulled pork has been elevated somewhat and that usually incurs a cost. That same pulled pork served out of a food truck, with the only plating being a kaiser roll and cardboard box means that it is ordinary which usually equates to less cost.

In both cases the quality of the pulled pork, its preparation, etc. doesn't have to change, yet most would agree the end product which includes the experience is different. I think what you see in marketing food with names that appear more posh is an effort to make the product extraordinary. Whether the whole endeavor is worth it is really up to the consumer. I'd like to think that food purists focus on the quality of the ingredients and preparation alone and understand that sometimes the best meals come from cramped back-ally family owned establishments. Even still, sometimes you want something to be extraordinary and in those times I would think it is worth paying extra.

Hear, hear Eastshores!  Well put.

BDL

In "Romeo and Juliet," Shakespeare writes: "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." I'm not so sure! Would a rose called "garbage" smell as sweet? And would you pay the same price for it as you would for, say, an American Beauty rose?