It kind of looks like bacon, it kind of tastes like bacon, but it's not quite bacon. Whether you call it testina or you call it what it is, pig's face has become a popular pick at the handful of Toronto restaurants. Here’s PostCity.com’s roundup of the best places to pig out on pig’s face.
Marben
At Marben, the testina offers diners an alternative to the homemade sausages on the brunch menu. The pork comes as two, disc-shaped slices when served as a $3 side to the traditional breakfast, which includes two eggs, fried potatoes and salad. Served alone, three slices sell for $5.
In the kitchen, Chef Carl Heinrich uses a days-long process to treat the pork, which is poached and then fried. Sausage mix made from the shoulder, with meatier pieces taken from the face, is rolled up in the skin before it's fried and sliced.
"It's almost like bacon meets sausage," says Heinrich.
Marben buys all of its animals whole, directly from farmers.
"It's a great challenge for the kitchen," says Heinrich. "We don't waste anything."
488 Wellington St. West, Suite 102, 416-979-1990
Parts & Labour
At Parts & Labour, the fried pig's face is served as a $14 appetizer.
On the plate, you get three head cheese croquettes, accompanied by mustard pickles, cornichons, lemon zest and carrot tops in a demi-glace and sauce gribiche.
Chef Matty Matheson describes it as deep fried molten pork because of its soft and smooth texture. Whatever reservations some may have about trying pig's face, the dish has been one of Parts & Labour's top sellers.
"It's kind of like a picnic on a plate," says Matheson.
He included the fried pig's face on the menu because it's easy to make and it tastes great.
1566 Queen St. West, 416-588-7750
Hoof Café
At the Hoof Café, Chef Geoff Hopgood cooks smoked pig's head at a low temperature overnight and then smokes and sears it. He uses the cheek as a medallion in the centre of what looks like pancetta. The smoked pig's head is served during brunch and lunch as a $12 dish and is accompanied by a green bean salad with a ranch-style dressing, served with fried shallots, fried bread and pickled ramps.
"It's a really balanced dish because you have a very rich piece of meat but then you have a nice, cool, clean salad that kind of refreshes you while you're eating it," says Hopgood.
He added the smoked pig's head to Hoof Cafe's menu about a month ago because he likes using different parts of the pig and says the face is one that's underused. The dish will likely remain on the menu for another month or so.
923 Dundas St. West, 416-551-8854