At the risk of inspiring the inevitable off-color quips, I offer the following never-fail formula for finding sensuous excitement in the culinary arts:
Sexy = simple + slow.
In other words, the most impressive food is often the most humble food, cooked long and low and lusciously, whether it's pot roast or pork with sauerkraut. When gentle heat joins up with a moist medium, magic ensues.
Right now, there's probably no better proof of that equation than the prehistorically proportioned entree that's winning over carnivores (and more than a few bone-craving canines) at 2 Fat Guys in Hockessin. Called the "Flintstone Rib" ($19.99), it's a beast with some formidable cardiological hazards, but also a rare reminder of how humbling and beautiful a braised meat dish can be.
Even its menu description has the capacity to elicit involuntary salivation -- "a slow-cooked beef short rib braised in poached pear molasses and brown butter sauce."
Or, translated into critic-ese, "a massive slab of pure bone-in beef love that tenderly balances the fatty/oozy unctuousness and salty-sweet sassiness of great barbecue."
It's also the kind of moment you find only when the chef is patient enough to spend the better part of a day coaxing flavor out and tenderness in. Too few restaurateurs appreciate how easy (and affordable) it is to find beauty in a braised dish, though those who do remain well worth a visit or two.
Here are a few of my other favorite braised-meat masters:
