Going to Incanto - Leg of Beast dinner. Can't miss starters & pasta?
I know the menu changes frequently... but we're going to Incanto this Saturday for the Leg of Beast dinner. Any suggestions for can't miss starters and pasta? I've heard the Handkerchief pasta & rustic pork ragù is good. If they have the same pastas as currently posted I will have a hard time choosing between the parsnip & bone marrow ravioli and the pasta a la chitarra with lard. The Leg of Beast comes with a few sides, but we will also have to order dessert. Decisions, decisions.
By SanJoseHound
on Nov 19, 2009 03:48 PM
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Seasonal vegetable appetizers. Pig ear or trotter, if it's on the menu.
If you've never had the handkerchief with pork ragù, that's a must. I'm not crazy about the boar version.
Panna cotta.
You get bone marrow with the beef.
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He's making Ham in Hay this week so you might want to check into that. Could already be part of the leg of beast diner. He's been documenting the days long process on his twitter page @offalchris. I don't know what it'll taste like, but it seems like a rare treat because it's such a long process to make. Hope you report back!
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What is "Ham in Hay?"
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"The cooking of ham in hay imbues it with the most wonderful and unusual flavor, while insulating the meat from any fierce heat so that it cooks in the ideal gentle fashion, resulting in the most giving of flesh. It also fills your home with rustic, pastoral smells. To obtain your hay ask a friendly farmer if one is at hand, or just ask around–this can have surprising productive results. If all else fails a reliable pet shop is a good source."
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That's from Fergus Henderson's "Nose to Tail Eating: a kind of British cooking" (or in the American edition, "The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating"). His recipe is much simpler than what Cosentino's doing--he just simmers a fresh leg with hay and spices for a few hours.
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& what does Cosentino do which is less simple?
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Check @offalchris he documented the process this week
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Here's a Home Cooking board topic with some reports, including one from somebody who lives in Quebec, where the butchers sell bundles of hay:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/571917
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Thanks Robert & Shane. Looking forward to our first time at Incanto, will report back. I'll definitely order the handkerchief pasta, and will see what vegetables they have today. Can't wait for all things marrow, which tends to suppress the sharing tendencies among us. Thanks also for the twitter tip, I'm now following Chris. This time we'll be coming from the east bay - my plan is to get there a little early and sit at the bar. I'd like to try some less well known Italian varietals.
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Incanto was amazing. I called to let them know we were running about 10 minutes late, and they were very gracious. We didn't all arrive at the same time, but they sat us as we arrived. The Dante room was a great setting. I thought we went a little overboard with our starters, but I was wrong because they were all completely consumed. We had the house marinated olives, foie gras with tatsoi (one of the best foie gras preparations I've had), antipasto platter (the salumi was my personal favorite), cod milt (surprisingly flavorful) and marrow ravioli (to make sure everyone got their marrow fix), the handkerchief pasta & pork ragu - which was inhaled. Service by Richard was pitch-perfect, which for me is a rarity. We never felt rushed and ended up spending over 3 hours there, but he was always there before we could turn around and request something we needed. The Leg of Beast was falling off the bone tender, and we appreciated the shave-it-yourself horseradish. Who would have known that nervetti and cannellini beans could taste so good? We each got a portion of bone marrow and toast, so there were no fights. Since there were 7 of us, and 7 desserts on the menu, we ordered one of each and shared. It was a great way to try everything. My favorite of them all was the chocolate-blood panna cotta, a close second was the ginger cake with butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream. A highlight of the night was getting to meet the chef, who came out of the kitchen as we left. Chris Cosentino is awesome. It was our wedding anniversary and I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Our 5 guests were pleased as punch, so I don't know how I'm going to top this next year...
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Incanto Restaurant & Wine Bar
1550 Church St, San Francisco, CA 94131
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