Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Eat This: Berkshire Pig Head Carnitas at CBD Provisions

eat this berkshire pig head carnitas at cbd provisions pigface1
Image used with permission by copyright holder
There’s a special menu item over at CBD Provisions American Brasserie at the Joule Hotel in Dallas that might appear a bit strange to conservative diners, but is a special treat to any meat enthusiast: Berkshire Pig Head Carnitas. Yes, those of you who didn’t grow up eating whole roasted pigs like I did, might be a bit wary about eating a pig head, but heck, what did else did you think pork looked like? So get over your fear, and just go for it — it’s something that you’ll never forget. I did the last time I was in Dallas, and so did the group I was with, which included some pretty hardcore meat eaters, and we all loved tearing into it and devouring the mouthwatering tacos we made with the meat. I spoke to chef Richard Blankenship and asked him all about these pig heads.

How did you get the idea to serve Berkshire Pig Head Carnitas?

That was actually Mike Sidoni, the chef before I took over, that was an idea that they worked on before I even came aboard. He’s really good with pork. It was something that they were working on to get the head right, and then the idea of the tacos was like well, we’re in Texas, we should do it as a taco.

How do you prepare the pig head?

We brine it salt and water for about five days, and then we steam for 12 hours, and then at that point they’re ready to be roasted, and then we roast on low heat for about two-and-a-half to three hours, and then right before it goes to the table we blast it with high heat in a convection oven, so it crisps the skin and gets it hot all the way through.

How many do you serve a week?

I would say anywhere from — like on a slow week, 40, and when it’s busy, it’s like 70, 80.

Do you order just the pig heads, or do you order whole pigs?

We order just the heads because of the demand. We would have thousands of pounds of pork, so just because of the popularity we have to order just the heads. We get whole pigs in, but on a whole pig the head weighs 25 to 30 pounds, and then you got another 150 to 175 pounds of pork left over, so it would be crazy.

How long in advance to customers have to order it?

We always have pig heads ready for that service, if people just walk in. What we do suggest, because we do typically sell out every night, if you want to be guaranteed we ask that you order at least 48 hours in advance.

What do you suggest for accompaniments?

We serve it with salsa and tortillas, but really all the food here goes well together. It’s all within the same concept and voice.

How would you convince people who are afraid to try a pig head?

It’s just like any other cut. It’s got some great meat. It’s a little fatty. But other than that, it’s just like any other part of the animal. All animals have heads.

What are the best parts of the head to go for?

The cheeks, the jowls are great. They’re really tender. There’s all kinds of little pockets because of the way the skull is shaped. The muscle that is in your temple, it’s the one that keeps the eye in place, that one is really good, it’s really thick. There is a little bit of the tongue on the head, which is good. There’s a little strip of meat down the snout that’s really good, and there’s all kinds of fat and tendons and weird chewy bits if you’re into that kind of texture.

Photo: Mei Chun Jau

For more information, visit cbdprovisions.com.

Ann Binlot
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ann Binlot is a New York-based freelance writer who contributes to publications like The Economist, Wallpaper*, Monocle…
Forget wine — Beer and cheese is an unbeatable combination
Put the corkscrew away and crack open a cold one
Beer and cheese

When one hears the term cheese pairings, wine is the beverage that most often comes to mind, we'd wager. Because, of course, it is. The pairing of wine and cheese is as classic a coupling as peanut butter and jelly, bacon and eggs, or chocolate and strawberries. They're meant to be together. But that certainly doesn't mean that wine is the only adult beverage that can dance an alluring tango alongside everyone's favorite dairy product. Beer, as humble as its reputation can be, is also a beautiful balance to cheese's immense offering of flavors. While some may think of beer as not being as multi-dimensional and varied in its palate-pleasing capabilities as wine, this is not the case - especially now that we live in a world with so many exquisite craft beers, stouts, and lagers.
Of course, another classic accompaniment to cheese is bread or crackers. Why might that be, one might ask. Is it because we're simply in need of a starchy vessel to usher the cheese into our mouths? The answer is actually a bit deeper than that. Starches like bread and crackers are made from the same yeasty ingredients as beer, so their pairing makes perfect culinary sense.
This isn't to say, though, that one can simply pick up a hunk of cheddar and crack open a Budweiser and expect culinary artistry. The science is a bit more nuanced than that, so we're here to help you find the best pairings for your favorite beers and cheeses.

How to pair beer and cheese

Read more
Mijenta has a new cristalino tequila — here’s why bourbon fans will love it
Mijenta has a cristalino tequila perfect for bourbon drinkers
Mijenta Cristalino

If you’re new to tequila, you might not know all the terms. Even if you’re just a beginner, you probably know all about blanco, reposado, añejo, and maybe even joven. But chances are, you’re not familiar with Cristalino tequila. This reasonably contemporary style is simply añejo tequila that’s been charcoal filtered to remove its natural caramel color and various impurities.

The style is more than just a little popular. It’s actually the fastest growing style of tequila according to Nielsen data. The newest brand to get in on the Cristalino trend is Mijenta.

Read more
You may not dislike IPAs as much as you think — you’ve just tried the wrong type
There's much more to the IPA than bitter hop bombs
Beer

The IPA has been described as the cilantro of the beer world. It’s assumed by some novice drinkers that you either love it or hate it. On one hand, it’s one of the most popular beer styles in the American craft world. It’s loved by many drinkers for its liberal use of hops and fresh, crushable flavor profile.

But haters of the style dislike it because they have an assumption that all IPA beers are aggressively hopped and uncomfortably bitter. While there are IPAs that fit that criterion (and fans of that style can’t get enough of them), there are also a handful of other types of IPAs to fit any palate.
The IPA stigma

Read more