Lunar New Year is a busy time for Leland Eating and Drinking House in Prospect Heights, when the restaurant deals with about 1,500 covers a night. Chef and partner Delfin Jaranilla and head butcher Gary Little gave us a special look at this year’s holiday menu, including pork and shrimp shu mai, char sui pork, and dan dan noodles, and how they try to integrate sustainable practices into these dishes.
Jaranilla and Little start by breaking down half a Tamworth pig; each cut will be integrated into a different dish and even turned into stock for a Filipino soup that they eat for staff meal. For the char sui, pork shoulder is cured in five spice, salt, and pepper before being marinated in hoisin, garlic, and spices for one day. The next day, the shoulder is seared until it’s charred and caramelized on the outside, then it’s baked and covered in more sauce before being served.
Noodles are important menu items for Lunar New Year (they symbolize longevity), so dan dan noodles are made from scratch. The meat sauce is made with ground pork from the same Tamworth pig, which is cooked down with Sichuan pepper, chili oil, tamari, and cooking wine before adding aromatics and tahini. The fresh noodles are added to the sauce, and are plated with a poached egg and a pickled relish.
Finally, shu mai are made with pork and shrimp, which are seasoned, mixed with a mushroom medley, and finally mixed with tapioca starch to help bind the filling. The dumplings are shaped like a coin purse, a symbol of wealth and prosperity during the new year.
Jaranilla is proud of the produce and meats they source at Leland, joking “I can guarantee you that happy pigs taste better.”
Watch the latest episode of Experts to see Jaranilla’s process for making thoughtful Lunar New Year dishes at Leland Eating and Drinking House.
