And at this point, ill be frank, ben says, i started to root for the bung. Here to comment on nprs troubles, the host of this american life, ira glass. Just to repeat one last time, he said at the close of his radio script, i have no proof that anyone, anywhere, has ever tried to pass off pork bung as calamari in a restaurant if you want something to get upset about, turn your attention instead to real seafood fraud. The same filling is used to stuff grape leaves, cabbage leaves, tomatoes, and peppers. Nov, 2014 with the exceptions of heritage radio network and that pork bungcalamari story on this american life, im pretty much used to consuming a lot of indepth food news from a written source.
Believe it or not, bung is the nicer term for pig rectum. If you happened to listen to npr this weekend you might have stumbled on an interesting food story on this american life. A pork bung and bung is the actual industry term for it is long, and flappy, and ugly. Radio network and that pork bungcalamari story on this american life, im. Two years ago, this american life documented a farmer visiting a processing plant where boxes labeled artificial calamari turned out to be hogs rectums, and in a sidebyside taste test, none of the shows producers could tell the difference between pork bung, as its known, and true squid.
Imitation calamari investigated by this american life. To make pork stuffing, soak mushrooms and noodles in separate bowls of hot water for 20 minutes or until softened. If sold for cooking its called pork bung, if sold for making sausages its called hog bung. Jun 29, 2016 the first time i cooked a cubanstyle pork shoulder, what came out of the oven had a glistening, charred, crisp crust, but as soon as i started carving, i realized that the stuff was rubber. That one, the latter one, bung at its purest, at the height of its bung iness, this is what brian was eating. The irony is not lost on ben calhoun, one of the shows producers, and ringleader of the segment, who notes. Aug 03, 2015 this american life, a weekly public radio show thats broadcast on more than 500 stations to about 1. Ben calhoun, producer for this american life heritage radio. One bung that my sister had blanched over and over to mellow any organy, fecal flavor. Mar 19, 20 ben then decides the real question is can pork bung pass as calamari. I mostly read nprs the salt though, and expect a lot of my audio. Hog bung this is the rectum and large intestine of the pig.
They are commonly carried in the frozen food cases of markets serving east and southeast asian communities. Pork is the story of a teenaged boy struggling through the turmoil of an absent father, an alcoholic mother, and bullying. He came across boxes stacked on the floor with labels that said artificial calamari. Jan 14, 20 myth of artificial calamari explored on this american life. Doppelgangers, doubles, evil twins and notsoevil twins, this week. That somewhere though not likely the united states hog rectum, known in the pork industry as bung, may be being passed off as artificial. Dried shredded squid is a common snack in some asian regions, including east. May, 2015 a platter of fried calamari does make a good introduction to squid, though, and can be quite wonderful when its well prepared. Jan 11, 20 we got a tip about a meat plant selling pig intestines as fake calamari, wondered if it could be true, and decided to investigate. Spread the calamari on a baking sheet and pat dry as best you can with paper towels. Add calamari and quickly stirfry, cooking for only 1 minute, until puffed. Heat the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in medium saucepan over mediumhigh heat. Hes probably best known for his book there are no children here. The violence in it is shocking and, to make matters worse, author cris freddi writes like a fresh young 26yearold which he happens to be.
The truth about calamari no, it probably isnt being made from pig rectums, but it sure makes a tasty story about urban legends. Its a large intestine, part of parts where you do not want to eat in a pig. If you didnt have to use the word rectum, it could be a childrens book. While calamari comes from squid, the replica is supposedly made of hog rectum, otherwise known as bung. In korea, it is sometimes served raw, and elsewhere it is used as sushi, sashimi and tempura items, grilled, stuffed, covered in batter, stewed in gravy and served in stirfries, rice, and noodle dishes.
When he discovers a treehouse in the local woods, this becomes a refuge for him. An eat your books index lists the main ingredients and does not include storecupboard ingredients salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc. Lynne rossetto kasper and i might plan a greek feast on a sunday afternoon, lopate and i share friday lunch and i savor snippets of last chance foods when they run. And if the taste was overwhelming and the texture was all wrong, well, then hed have his answer. Squid, calamari in greek, stuffed with rice, pine nuts, and raisins is another delicious classic, from the cuisine of the anatolian greeks. Myth of artificial calamari explored on this american. Find out on a brand new episode of eat your words, as host talia ralph is joined by ben calhoun, a producer for npr s this american life, who contributed the story about hog rectum to the popular public radio show. With the exceptions of heritage radio network and that pork bung calamari story on this american life, im pretty much used to consuming a lot of indepth food news from a written source. Ben calhoun, producer for this american life heritage. Add the pork, fish sauce, sea salt, sugar and pepper, stirring for 23 minutes until the pork is broken up and lightly browned. Many calamari dishes feature only the squids sac, cut into rounds, but the tentacles above add flavor, texture and fun. Alexs is the author of the book there are no children here and.
He got a tip about a meat plant selling pig intestines. A good italian restaurant is the best place to have them, maybe as. Calhoun did not try to hide the weakness of his case. Tune in to your local npr station this weekend or download the podcast when available. A while ago, a farmer walked through a pork processing plant in oklahoma with a friend who managed it.
It is a digital cookbook and cooking guide alike, available on all platforms, that helps home cooks of every level discover, save and organize the worlds best recipes, while also helping them become better, more competent cooks. Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, wide skillet over high heat. Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over mediumhigh heat 1 minute. Jan 19, 20 its like they started doing the story, realised there actually was no story and decided to go with it anyway. That one, the latter one, bung at its purest, at the height of its bung iness, this is what. Finding my mojo with cubanstyle roast pork the food lab. Fundamentals of the pork trade from farm to table is a new book which enables people of all educational and professional backgrounds to obtain an expeditious education about the history and nature of the pork industry. As many thought the calamari was pork bung as believed the pork bung was sliced fried squid. Nyt cooking is a subscription service of the new york times. In the west it is commonly used as a large sausage casing. This is a pickled mustard stalk, usually found canned in north america, whole or cut into strips. Npr claims pig rectum is a suitable substitute for calamari.
I searched the nexis database, but the only prior reference to buttsquid that i could find. Thinly slice mushrooms, removing and discarding tough centre rib. Add the pounded eschalots and 1 tsp white spring onion and saute for a minute. Thai stuffed calamari with green curry sauce recipe. Npr claims pig rectum is a suitable substitute for. The episode opens with a detailed examination of pork bung, which has been breaded and fried and served as calamari to unsuspecting. Definitely had me thinking that it was the type of thing people have in mind when they say they hate npr. The episode opens with a detailed examination of pork bung, which has been. Sooo cheap that trying to save money using pork intestines as a substitute is laughable. Ingredients of vietnamese vermicelli noodle soup with chicken, pork and egg vietnamese foody eggs, fish sauce, table salt, squid, pepper, sugar, ham, vietnamese mint and 7 more korean seafood soup open source food. Myth of artificial calamari explored on this american life where. In east and southeast asia it is a popular street food. In a large mixing bowl, combine pork, water chestnuts or jicama, cilantro, garlic, black pepper, sugar and fish sauce.
Clean the squid yourself using the tips at far right or have the. The new podcast thats like radiolab for food edible. Embracing squid in its many forms the new york times. A manager at an american pork processing plant tells this american life his plant sells pig rectum that ultimately gets used as imitation calamari. And then untreated, straightup bung unfiltered, unchained, uncut, 100% pure bung. Though it has a shape and texture similar to the real thing, its component parts are decidedly different. Ben then decides the real question is can pork bung pass as calamari. The manager, the plant that he worked for, and even the companys sales team confirmed that pork bung, as its called, was packaged. Jan 14, 20 if you happened to listen to npr this weekend you might have stumbled on an interesting food story on this american life. How did a story about hog rectum and calamari on public radio capture the publics. Myth of artificial calamari explored on this american life. How did a story about hog rectum and calamari on public radio capture the publics attention and win a james beard award. Til that many restaurants serve deep fried pig anuses as a. There is a decent tal segment lurking in the background, though, about the urban legend and how it plays a role in this story about the pork bung and calamari, but they missed it entirely or just werent interested.
Pork, short stories by cris freddi apostrophe books. But specifically the labels that said imitation calamari, where did you personally. A guide to buying, storing, and cooking the worlds favorite meat aidells, bruce on. Its not an expose but a charming, funny paean to the hog bung. So basically, if illegal fake pretend calamari made out of excess pig rectum. Squid can be prepared for consumption in a number of other ways. That focus on the culinary declasse may be why the calamari legend has been so late to surface. The popular npr show this american life, reportedly following a revealing conversation with a meatprocessing plant manager, first exposed that calamari served in restaurants could actually be pig rectum. Usda says theyve never heard of anyone trying to pass pork bung as squid. Chop the tentacles in pieces and place them in the bowl. We got a tip about a meat plant selling pig intestines as fake calamari and decided to investigate. The recipe once the anus has been inverted and thoroughly cleaned of shit is identical the squid calamari version.
Pork bung fried right, with no flour but double fried, still looks like. Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. Pork and others, a new collection of animal stories, is all wrong. Thats precisely why the mystery of what we eat and how its made has become a factory for making myths. The story centers on joseph, an ethnically korean boy who is adopted by an italianamerican family.
For the last week or so, public radio listeners havent been able to look at their deepfried appetizers quite the same way. Standard calamari made from squid, pork bung brined in order to neutralize any bad taste, and straight up fresh pork bung sliced, breaded and fried. It wasnt until several years later that i tasted cuban mojomarinated roast pork as it should be. Lynne rossetto kasper and i might plan a greek feast on a sunday afternoon, lopate and i share friday lunch and i savor snippets of last chance foods when.
Npr claims pig rectum is a suitable substitute for calamari in a. It is the second in the fundamentals series, making it the perfect companion to the beef book. Sep 01, 2009 many calamari dishes feature only the squids sac, cut into rounds, but the tentacles above add flavor, texture and fun. Its not especially probable unless youre dealing with a particularly clueless chef or km.