{"id":3127,"date":"2013-02-08T20:29:35","date_gmt":"2013-02-09T01:29:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/allin\/?p=3127"},"modified":"2013-02-28T10:48:35","modified_gmt":"2013-02-28T15:48:35","slug":"the-best-pork-chop-in-the-north-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/allin\/2013\/02\/08\/the-best-pork-chop-in-the-north-country\/","title":{"rendered":"The best pork chop in the North Country?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We introduce a new occasional contributor to All In: Phil LaMarche, whose columns will appear (about) every other Friday, maybe more, maybe less. Phil loves food, so expect many of his columns to explore North Country fare.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>When my wife and I first moved to Canton we found ourselves in one of those lonely streaks common to the recently relocated.\u00a0 We were living out of boxes, imagining the friends we might one day have as we watched local television that came to us free of charge from the sky. \u00a0It was during this time that I found myself walking across town to the Blackbird Caf\u00e9<\/a>.\u00a0 This is a clean, well-lighted place with good coffee and a high-minded sensibility that either leads you to feel like you are smart, charming, and sharply dressed , or like a dolt surrounded by suave charmers who will figure out who you are at any moment. \u00a0Unfortunately, I lean a little towards the dolt option, but this seems to have less to do with the Blackbird than it does with my particular disposition.\u00a0 I enjoy the idea<\/em> of a caf\u00e9 much more than the reality. When I look in the window, I imagine myself comfortably slumped among the other patrons, sipping an espresso and paging last month\u2019s New Yorker<\/em>.\u00a0 Then I step inside, and something goes wrong.\u00a0 I feel watched, judged.\u00a0\u00a0 I could make something up about the snobbery of all the St. Lawrence types, but the truth is that I am probably just too insecure at heart for caf\u00e9 life.<\/p>\n

And yet, I still return to the Blackbird, time and again, and this speaks to the power of their pork chop.\u00a0 I don\u2019t order pork chops anywhere else, and at the Blackbird, that\u2019s all I order.\u00a0 Their sandwiches and soups are plenty sufficient, but their Pork Chop Marsala is the swine d\u2019or<\/em> of the menu and the kitchen has a knack for nailing the proper cooking of the cut.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s face it, the pork chop is often abused in our world.\u00a0 While the chop is ensconced in a rind of fat, the muscle lacks interior marbling, making it an easy victim for being overcooked.\u00a0 We\u2019ve all suffered through the dry, mealy chop that someone has seared to the consistency of your car\u2019s spare tire and then hopelessly applied applesauce or gravy like defibrillator paddles attempting to breathe life back into the victim.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Blackbird Cafe on Main Street, Canton. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0(Photo: \u00a0Tara Freeman)<\/p><\/div>\n

Such is not the case at the Blackbird.\u00a0 Their pork chop remains supple and succulent while having a sufficient sear to caramelize the fat and provide a rich depth of flavor.\u00a0 The silky marsala butter that pools in the plate is the perfect lubricant to both the chop and mashed potatoes.\u00a0 The stuff is so good they should sell it by the shot glass.\u00a0 Go ahead and lick the plate clean\u2014it feels like a classy joint but don\u2019t fear, you\u2019re still in St. Lawrence County .<\/p>\n

The entr\u00e9e is served with a side salad for fifteen bucks, and while I usually find myself wishing there was a second chop on the plate, the management is probably just saving me from future coronary disaster.\u00a0 Since the Blackbird purchases its produce locally and their pork from the Cook Family Farm in Heuvelton, you can be happy that your money isn\u2019t getting hauled out of town in the backs of those big, shiny Sysco trucks.<\/p>\n

I hereby nominate the Blackbird\u2019s Pork Chop Marsala as the best chop in the North Country, but I\u2019m a relative newcomer to these parts and there may be chops out there lurking in the shadows that I have yet to experience. So my challenge to you, NCPR listeners and readers, is to prove me wrong.\u00a0 Tell me I\u2019m an ignorant fool.\u00a0 Tell me I wouldn\u2019t know a good chop if it bit me in the ham.\u00a0 Tell me about your favorite chop, what\u2019s so great about it, and where to find it. \u00a0<\/strong>We\u2019ll eat, we\u2019ll talk, and then we\u2019ll eat some more.<\/p>\n

— Phil LaMarche<\/p>\n

Phil is an Assistant Professor at SUNY Canton. He describes himself as an author and chowhound.\u00a0 While generally known for out-eating men twice his size, he sometimes gets mentioned for his novel, <\/em>American Youth<\/em>.<\/span> You can hear Chris Robinson’s conversation with Phil about his novel here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We introduce a new occasional contributor to All In: Phil LaMarche, whose columns will appear […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":86,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[10230,36,10231,10229],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/allin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3127"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/allin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/allin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/allin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/86"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/allin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3127"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/allin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3127\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3131,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/allin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3127\/revisions\/3131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/allin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/allin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/allin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}