Pig’s Ear and Poached Egg

Chef Chris Shepherd made this dish of crispy fried pig’s ears and poached eggs with chopped greens for a Soter wine dinner at Catalan last month. It was a tasty appetizer, and it certainly got a lot of attention from the wine guys. I usually eat my pig’s ears pickled–they are a favorite cold appetizer at Chinese dumpling restaurants. Shepherd said it’s hard to find a wine with just the right combination of tartness and fruit flavors to pair with a delicacy like pig’s ear. I don’t know about that, but I do know they go pretty good with cold beer.