Courtesy Neila
1. Slow-cooked beef short rib, braised tendon, black fungus, Neila
Owner-chef Anna Wong always conjures something special from the cheaper cuts. In this case, beef short rib (not to mention tendon) is beautifully transformed by six hours of poaching in a master stock of ginger, garlic, star anise, onion, Shaoxing wine, coriander, cinnamon, and beef stock (pictured left). Neila*, 5 Kendal St, Cowra, NSW, (02) 6341 2188
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**2. Cotechino sausage, lentils, sauce gribiche, Pulp Kitchen
** Now this is pork with personality. The house-made sausage is uncompromisingly earthy, salty, and (for want of a better term) porky. The creamy and herbaceous sauce gribiche is a perfect foil. Pulp Kitchen, shop 1, Wakefield Gardens, Ainslie, ACT, (02) 6257 4334
**3. Black pudding, smoked tomato and parsley salad, Cumulus Inc.
** Even for boudin noir agnostics, this long-time Cumulus favourite dish will induce a moment of (welcome) epiphany. The rich clove and allspice laced pudding is deftly balanced by smoked tomato and a punchy parsley and red onion salad. Cumulus Inc., *45 Flinders La, Melbourne, Vic, (03) 9650 1445
***4. Tart of truffled pecorino with pear purée, roasted hazelnut and saba, Dieci e Mezzo
** With the unfortunate demise of Canberra’s Dieci e Mezzo this spring, this lovely dish from chef Adam Bantock may well go the way of the dodo. Served as part of the Canberra truffle festival dinner, it represented a skilful interplay of bitter, sweet, salt, crunch and cream.
**5. Sichuan-braised eggplant, rice noodle, minced pork, Golden Fields
** It’s a more-ish urban take on a classic regional Chinese dish: gooey eggplant, wobbly and soft rice noodle, and pork morsels bound by a sauce that perfectly harnesses the power of Sichuan pepper. Golden Fields, 2/157 Fitzroy Rd, St Kilda, Vic, (03) 9525 4488
**6. Slow-cooked short rib, blackened eggplant, Momofuku Seiobo
** A testament to the transformative power of 48 hours of slow, temperature-controlled cooking. Momofuku Seiobo, The Star, 80 Pyrmont St, Pyrmont, NSW, (02) 9777 9000
**7. Gnocchi, cauliflower purée, pangrattato, A Tavola
** Cauliflower rarely knows these heights. Slow-cooked and puréed, it beautifully coats light-as-feather gnocchi – while fried florets add crunch. A Tavola, 348 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, NSW, (02) 9331 7871
**8. Whiting, squid and chorizo, Aubergine
** Sand whiting and squid are afforded a gentle treatment in this ship-to-shore number, but it’s the inspired addition of smoked rice that seals the deal. Aubergine, 18 Barker St, Griffith, ACT, (02) 6260 8666
**9. Beef brisket, fried bread and pickles, 4Fourteen
** Few do slow cooking as well as Colin Fassnidge. The brisket in question here is beautifully braised in a master stock till the strands of meat and fat separate with the merest prod of a fork. Fried bread does double-duty, first offering contrasting crunch then helping soak up juices. 4Fourteen, 414 Bourke St, Surry Hills, NSW, (02) 9331 5399
**10. Beef short rib, maple, soy, turnip, pearl onion, parsley root, Sage Dining Rooms
** Sage’s evolution into a fine diner is seldom more evident than in this dish. A juicy pink beef short rib glazed in maple and soy sauce. Parsley root takes the form of a sponge cake, pearl onion is blackened, and turnip puréed and dotted across the plate. Sage Dining Rooms, Gorman House Arts Centre, Batman St, Braddon, ACT, (02) 6249 6050
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