Chris Cosentino's Favorite San Francisco Offal Dishes

by Allie Pape Jul 11, 2014, 6:45am PDT

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by Allie Pape Jul 11, 2014, 6:45am PDT

Chris Cosentino, the former Incanto chef and Top Chef Masters winner, is a big fan of offal—so much so that he owns a website called OffalGood.com, and is currently at work on an offal-centric cookbook. Since the more unusual animal parts haven't gotten any play so far in The Five Days of Meat, we asked the Porcellino and Boccalone proprietor to pick his a few of his favorite San Francisco offal dishes. He didn't disappoint: the list includes chicken feet, tripe, tongue, and tendon, among other delicacies. Want to dine like Cosentino? Here's where you need to go.

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Spices

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My favorite at this Szechuan restaurant is the numbing spiced beef tendon salad. The texture of the cold beef tendon is awesome, and they slice it just thin enough, so it’s not too chewy. What’s key is the red oil marinade—the tendons soaked in the oil, plus a topping of scallions, makes for a perfect bite.

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294 8th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94118

(415) 752-8884

El Tonayense Taco Truck

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El Tonayense’s tripe, cabeza, and lengua tacos are all fantastic—the tripe is nice and crispy; the cabeza holds a great balance of meat flavor and fattiness; and the lengua is juicy and tender. Be sure to get one of each for a full batch of taste and textures.

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Moving Target!, San Francisco, CA

(415) 559-0404

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Bar Tartine

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The grilled tripe at Bar Tartine is a great dish, and its smoked preparation is a nice departure from the normal soft, braised tripe. Even non-offal eaters will love this dish. It’s also served with a spicy broth that gives the tripe a nice kick. I first had chef Nick Balla’s grilled tripe at Nombe, and couldn’t be happier that he brought this dish with him to Bar Tartine.

561 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110

(415) 487-1600

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Yank Sing

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The chicken feet with black bean sauce are delicious. The gelatinous skin is a non-stop delight, and I can't stop eating them.

101 Spear St, San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) 957-9300

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Perbacco

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The roasted octopus with poached veal tongue, crushed potatoes, and octopus garum vinaigrette is a delicious surf and turf combo I love. The textures of the octopus and the tongue and the balance of flavors is incredible. Once again, Staffan [Terje] has caught me off guard with a great dish.

230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111

(415) 955-0663

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Yummy Yummy

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This spot has a great pho xe lua, with bible tripe and tendon, that can't be missed. The broth, with its mix of offal and other meats, makes it my go-to for pho in the city.

1015 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122

(415) 566-4722

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