Our Executive Chef Mike Morton was recently featured in the Oceano Guest Chef Charity Dinner Series. We are proud of his amazing performance and honored to have benefited the organization College Bound. From our Executive Chef Mike Morton:
Hello, it's me again. And this time I want to tell you about two things: One, my recent guest chef stint at Oceano Bistro and two, my pork belly experience. I chose Pork Belly for one of my main dishes in a 5-course meal I prepared for the Oceano Bistro Guest Chef Charity Dinner Series. Pork belly to me is the epitome of luscious. Done right it is undeniably the best cut of pig possible. Done improperly and you are left with a layer of “hog jerky” and burnt pork rind.
This particular cut of meat, pork belly, is what you would make pancetta from or what you can smoke after curing - that's bacon. My first time using it was a real eye-opener on yield, waste and proper use of waste. There are some real inconsistencies with meat to fat ratios. You kind of have to understand the muscle structure, because a nice strip of meat can just all of a sudden dive-off into a layer of fat. Don’t get me wrong I have nothing against fat, especially pig fat. But for the most desirable cut of belly, you want tender layers of meat alternating with the pudding like fat and a crisp skin on top…….yum!!! To get this desired effect I sear, braise, and then roast it in the oven.
Crispy PORK BELLY with butter maple polenta, braising reduction and apple jam
Now on to the subject of acquiring this heavenly slab of gluttony for my very important Guest Chef event is a different story altogether. I ordered the 30lb. minimum required to have this delivered to the restaurant, specifying SKIN ON. It arrived SKIN OFF five days before my guest chef appearance (panic). My food rep was infuriated and I wasn’t too far from the same feeling. She got on the horn to bark at the meat provider and straighten everything out. Two days later we got our SKIN ON pork belly but it was only 11lbs (panic) not enough to feed the 80 something people that were attending my guest chef appearance at a local restaurant in Clayton. My food rep had to get back on the phone to chew a few more people out and that day, around 2:00 in the afternoon I received two more, 11lb boxes of my belly (relief). Once braised I portioned, I was shooting for 90-100 3.5oz. pieces. As the portioning process was half way through I was right at 43 portions (panic). I summoned all the knife/butchering/portioning skills that I had and I turned the rest of the meat into 41 more pieces (more panic)! Thank God the final count was 81. I had just enough orders plus some “tester pieces” that I had set aside to perfect my pork belly dish (relief/exhaustion). I just wanted to make sure I was going to pull of the ideal crispy, melty, tender result in a foreign kitchen.The prep for my guest chef deal was difficult, strenuous, and challenging, yet very fulfilling.
My menu consisted of the following:
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Roasted pear and cauliflower soup
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Seared sea scallops with curried pea puree, coconut pudding and kaffir lime leaf oil
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Smoked duck salad with spring mix, freeze dried corn, almond brittle, Neuske's smoked duck and gruyere cheese with a roasted garlic vinaigrette
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Crispy PORK BELLY with butter maple polenta, braising reduction and apple jam
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Chocolate trio of dark chocolate bread pudding with fleur de sel caramel, flourless chocolate torte with peanut butter powder and blueberry preserve and chocolate chili ice cream with pistachio butter and candied arbol chili.
Stanley raffles baskets donated by St. Louis Community College, University of MIssouri - St. Louis, Maryville University and St. Louis University all for College Bound.
Chef Mike in the kitchen.
Chef Mike Morton and his Mom Karen pay a visit to the tables. Cheers!
Dr. Napoleon Maminta, Gina Marusic, Aurora Maminta
Chef Mike and his fans from Columbia, MO - Stephanie Fuchs and her fiance
Arlene and Stanley Browne, Oceano GM Mandy Monzyk
Stanley, Matt and Jenny McMillin, Chris and Kelley
Branko and Gina Marusic
![January 2010 114[1]_2](http://robustwineblog.typepad.com/.a/6a01156f3e50d5970b0120a836fbac970b-800wi "January 2010 114[1]_2")
Stanley, Mandy, Chef Mike Morton, Arlene
My assistant, Tom, and I arrived way too early and way too prepared (not a bad thing). The time allowed us to enjoy watching another kitchen flow and move and “breathe”. We were told that we were the most prepared restaurant to do the event. Props to “big Tom Callaghan” for all the help and prep work he did; to the Oceano staff for their help and making me look like a genius; and to Stanley and Arlene Browne for all that they have done for me. Everything went off without a hitch that night, it was a huge confidence booster that I really needed. I love you all!!!
Chef Mike
