Things I learned yesterday: grilled bull penis is not delicious

[ns1]

No seriously, I was at Feng Mao with a buddy and bull penis was prominently displayed halfway down the menu. I would not normally order it but said buddy was feeling adventurous and ordered 2 skewers.

great.

so we tried it 2 ways, the first way grilled slightly, the second way grilled crunchy.

Well let's put it this way, I managed to get through the first piece (grilled slightly) by chewing thru 3/4 of it and washing it down with beer. I tried to do the same thing with the second...but ended up chewing for > 30 seconds and ended up spitting the damn thing out.

Are we doing it wrong, is this an acquired taste, or do they just put it on the menu for the lulz?

[applgrl]

My dog thinks they're divine. :-)

Hefty pat on the back for being willing to try them...you took one for the team!

[foodiemahoodie]

Gotta say grilled bull penis doesn't sounds like a lip-smacker.

I do understand the "let's order something really weird" sentiment. I'd do in the old Matsuhisa days (barracuda - which they never, ever had, marinated jellyfish - which wasn't bad.). You never what weird thing might turn out to be something great. I would not have thought sea urchin would be one of my favorite things. And yet if it show up in a dish on a 10 course tasting menu - I get all excited.

If I were you I'd be happy I didn't like bull penis. That might be a weird fav to explain.

[kevin]

i also like uni, but not always, poor quality uni is VERY VERY VERY bad and tastes terrible and is pretty disgusting.

on the other hand, exceptional uni is the pure essence of the sea.

[ns1]

seriously poor quality uni is one of the worst tasting things on earth.

[sunshine842]

To a point I don't even bother ordering it any more.

I've had it fresh (as in I opened the urchins myself) - WAYY too much work!

[Servorg]

I always found opening up urchin to be relatively easy (easier than shucking oysters for instance). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGbwrI...

[sunshine842]

and I'm the other way -- I can whip through a dozen oysters in no time...trying to avoid getting stuck by a spine is much more difficult imo

(and I've opened both -- the short-spined ones like the video, and the big black ones with long spines)

[ns1]

otafuku in gardena has an awesome uni dish that is cheap. it's like a tray of uni for $15 or something.

[Mr Taster]

When I revealed Feng Mao to the Chowhound community in 2008, the menu said "goat penis".

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/577814

I wonder when they made the transition, and for what reason? Cost per pound?

Clearly, I don't go to Feng Mao nearly as often as I should.

Mr Taster

[ns1]

This was my first time at the new feng mao.

[kevin]

ns1, how was everything else at feng mao ???

[ns1]

good, yet somehow not as good as I remember. i'll stick to mutton when i go here.

probably went with the wrong group, not nearly enough alcohol consumed.

[seamunky]

It should be stewed or braised until tender. Try it in your pho.

[wyogal]

No kidding.

[TonyC]

It's for the lulz cuz the Koreans did it wrong.

Go to a reputable Jamaican/Island joint somewhere in South LA, ask for cow cod on the weekends. It'll be a rather tasty bowl of spicy, herbal, and rummy beef soup with some dumplings.

[SWISSAIRE]

That sounds like a good dish in the Winter, Tony.

I'll try it when I'm in Los Angeles again. Do you have any restaurant names you can suggest ?

[TonyC]

Or a good dish before you try to impregnate someone.

People's Choice Jamaican Restaurant
3750 W Slauson Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90043

Give them a call first. It is mostly a weekend thing. Surely it can be found in Chicago and Queens, NY as well?

[SWISSAIRE]

Thank you for this late night post.

So, the experience was like crunchy dog chews. Sounds really .............. awful.

Although this never was on any of my lists, your description is appreciated. If anyone ever offers me any, I'll jump up on the table, dash out the door, and run away as fast as possible.

[sunshine842]

The fact that they dry bull's penises (like rawhide) and sell them as durable dog chews (along with hooves and ears and snouts) is enough to convince me they're not all that great....

[Tom34]

Not on my list of things to try any time soon.

[silence9]

Interesting. I would've thought the 'grilled crunchy' version might be more palatable, in the way that most crunchy things crackle with char... But the vivisected slices shown in the photos are too evocative to the male imagination, with a 'ram-rod' skewering the whole affair.

[ns1]

I also expected "grilled crunchy", ie like yakitori cartilage. The initial bite is like that...except without the snap. It becomes chewy...like a cross between gristle and cartilage.

[chefathome]

What were the flavours like? Was it purely a textural thing? I've never tried it but would. Prairie oysters which are sort of similar can be very good.

[ns1]

See my reply to slience9 below.

[chefathome]

Ah...interesting. But what flavours did they use? Did the flavour help with the texture at all?

[ns1]

Whatever they marinated it with and the usual cumin spice blend at the table. no amount of shallots and garlic would have helped.

[chefathome]

I imagine not.

[mucho gordo]

Prairie oysters (in some areas they're called mountain oysters) are indeed delicious.