CHEF, CYCLIST, LOVER OF STAUNCH CURRY
Wesley Cooper Jones
WHERE DO YOU CALL HOME?
Sydney, Australia
WHAT'S YOUR DAY JOB?
Chef at Chez Crix Bistro (Cricketers Arms Hotel, Surry Hills, NSW)
FAVOURITE PLACE TO RIDE?
Mayfield, NSW (at Christmas time)
Royal National Park, NSW (on days off)
DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY ON THE BIKE:
Dusk to dawn, no wind, minimal traffic lights, good legs, plenty of pit stops, plenty of treats, plenty of pâté. Maybe some climbs, some descents and a good amount of pushing yourself and keeping the chain tight. Finish with cold one(s) off the wood at sunset followed by a staunch curry at North Indian Cuisine in Darlinghurst, Sydney.
WHAT'? YOUR DREAM PARK UP?
– Romeo's Food Hall, Paddington (with the "RWCC")
– The Beaches Hotel, Thirroul, NSW
– The Cricketers Arms Hotel in Surry Hills of course.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO CYCLING?
A transportation mode for checking the surf and doing bakery runs as a kid.
DO YOU HAVE ANY RITUALS/QUIRKS/SUPERSTITIONS?
"If you don't pack spares, you will get a flat".
I pack spares every ride and have not had a flat tyres for three years. The superstition is real! I also try not to go without phone battery. Shit always seems to go south when my phone dies.
DO YOU PREFER RIDING WITH MATES OR SOLO?
Unfortunately/fortunately my work schedule rarely aligns with my mates and cycling crew. There is something about riding solo that I really love though: whether it's being able to reflect on things without any interuptions or starting a ride and parking up whenever or wherever you feel. I ride alone a lot, probably much more than the standard cyclist should, so when those times with mates and good crew align, it always makes for a more special ride.
WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN?
Life advice? Don't be a sheep.
Work Advice? You're only as good as your last service.
SIGNATURE RIDES:
SOLO RIDE:
I don't know how or why this idea became a plague to my mind at this point of my life. Maybe it was the peak of COVID lockdown starting to make me itch for an adventure? Maybe there were demons up there I had to deal with? Whatever it was, it was a ride I'll most certainly never forget and one that imparted profound life lessons, on myself and the world around me.
WITH MATES:
Untitled x Beyond Blue
Untitled is a self supported bike packing ride from the Cricketers Arms in Melbourne to the Cricketers Arms in Sydney: two pubs where beers have been sunk, friendships formed and ideas developed just like this one. Luke Farquhar, Shannon Dodd, James Bibby, Dean Chivas, Blair Sidhu, Ben Holdstock and myself: seven friends who share the same persepctive on cycling and its positive influence on life around them.
The 900km journey over six days was a charity ride for Beyond Blue, our contribution to help imporve the lives of individuals, families and communities affected by anxiety, depression and suicide. With each of the riders having had moments of dark times in their lives, the ride aimed to raise awareness of mental health and the importance of friendships through these rough times.
We raised $16 051!
PIG'S HEAD CROQUETTE
(Croquette de tête de cochons)
A naughty, indulgent, post ride treat to balance out all those hard-sweated kilometres in the saddle.
PIG'S HEAD TERRINE
1 half whole pig's head (cut in half by your butcher)
10 bay leaves
1 bunch rosemary
1 bunch thyme
100g peeled garlic cloves
100g seeded mustard
2.5L duck fat
2.L vegetable oil
Cooking sea salt
Pepper
Flour / Eggs / Breadcrumbs for coating
METHOD
1. Get your pig's head and remove any hair from the skin. I find the most effective way is with a shaving razor (does that make it more aero?).
2. Add the pig's head to a half size gastronorm tray. If you don't have a gastro tray, use any cooking vessel big enough to contain the head covered and fully submerged (a cooking pot with a lid will work fine).
3. Add garlic, bay leaves, thyme and rosemary to the cooking vessel. Cover the head with equal parts duck fat and vegetable oil (you may not need all of the specified fat/oil). Once the head is submerged, add a sheet of baking paper to the top of the fat and cover with your vessel's lid.
4. Add the vessel to the oven at 200 degrees Celsius (fan forced). Leave at this heat for 45 minutes to heat the fat and allow some heat into the meat. Drop the oven to 80 degrees Celsius (fan forced) for 10 hours or overnight to 'confit' the head. This is gentle cooking, it might sound stressful but have faith in the process here.
5. Carefully (!) remove the vessel from the oven and add to a baking tray rack to rest and cool down. It will be stupidly hot so move slowly to avoid any fat spillage.
6. Pick out the bones, teeth, eyes and thick skin from the pig's head. Discard bay leaves, thyme and rosemary. include all the meat, tongue, fat and ears. Add all this confit meat to a bowl along with all the garlic from the cooking fat. Add 2% of the weight of this mixture in salt, along with a few solid cracks of pepper. Add a splash of the cooking fat to this mixture along with the seeded mustard and roughly chopped parsley (leaves and stem). Give it all a solid mix.
7. Line a terrine mould/bread tin or anything that will fit the mixture with go-between/cling film. Allow enough overhang to cover the head mixture. Add the mixtuer to lined mould until it is flush with the top, then fold your overhang over. Line clean and give a few solid bashes on the table to ensure any air bubbles escape. If you have left over mixture, keep it for pastas, toasties or whatver you feel in place of regular pork.
8. Set the mixture in the fridge for 12 hours. The mixture will set from the fat solidifying and natural gelatine found in the pig's head. Remove form the mould carefully and slice the terrine in portions roughly a finger-width thick. Now it's time to crumb/pané/croquette!
9. Dredge the terrine slice in flour, then whisked eggs, then coat in bread crumbs. Shallow fry slices (in the same cooking fat as the confit from before preferably) until all sides are golden brown and crispy. Serve with horseradish cream (pictured), mustard, on toast or in a bun, however you feel!
WES' GO-TO LOOK
CHEF, CYCLIST, LOVER OF STAUNCH CURRY
Wesley Cooper Jones
WHERE DO YOU CALL HOME?
Sydney, Australia
WHAT'S YOUR DAY JOB?
Chef at Chez Crix Bistro (Cricketers Arms Hotel, Surry Hills, NSW)
FAVOURITE PLACE TO RIDE?
Mayfield, NSW (at Christmas time)
Royal National Park, NSW (on days off)
DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY ON THE BIKE:
Dusk to dawn, no wind, minimal traffic lights, good legs, plenty of pit stops, plenty of treats, plenty of pâté. Maybe some climbs, some descents and a good amount of pushing yourself and keeping the chain tight. Finish with cold one(s) off the wood at sunset followed by a staunch curry at North Indian Cuisine in Darlinghurst, Sydney.
WHAT'? YOUR DREAM PARK UP?
– Romeo's Food Hall, Paddington (with the "RWCC")
– The Beaches Hotel, Thirroul, NSW
– The Cricketers Arms Hotel in Surry Hills of course.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO CYCLING?
A transportation mode for checking the surf and doing bakery runs as a kid.
DO YOU HAVE ANY RITUALS/QUIRKS/SUPERSTITIONS?
"If you don't pack spares, you will get a flat".
I pack spares every ride and have not had a flat tyres for three years. The superstition is real! I also try not to go without phone battery. Shit always seems to go south when my phone dies.
DO YOU PREFER RIDING WITH MATES OR SOLO?
Unfortunately/fortunately my work schedule rarely aligns with my mates and cycling crew. There is something about riding solo that I really love though: whether it's being able to reflect on things without any interuptions or starting a ride and parking up whenever or wherever you feel. I ride alone a lot, probably much more than the standard cyclist should, so when those times with mates and good crew align, it always makes for a more special ride.
WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN?
Life advice? Don't be a sheep.
Work Advice? You're only as good as your last service.
SIGNATURE RIDES:
SOLO RIDE:
I don't know how or why this idea became a plague to my mind at this point of my life. Maybe it was the peak of COVID lockdown starting to make me itch for an adventure? Maybe there were demons up there I had to deal with? Whatever it was, it was a ride I'll most certainly never forget and one that imparted profound life lessons, on myself and the world around me.
WITH MATES:
Untitled x Beyond Blue
Untitled is a self supported bike packing ride from the Cricketers Arms in Melbourne to the Cricketers Arms in Sydney: two pubs where beers have been sunk, friendships formed and ideas developed just like this one. Luke Farquhar, Shannon Dodd, James Bibby, Dean Chivas, Blair Sidhu, Ben Holdstock and myself: seven friends who share the same persepctive on cycling and its positive influence on life around them.
The 900km journey over six days was a charity ride for Beyond Blue, our contribution to help imporve the lives of individuals, families and communities affected by anxiety, depression and suicide. With each of the riders having had moments of dark times in their lives, the ride aimed to raise awareness of mental health and the importance of friendships through these rough times.
We raised $16 051!
PIG'S HEAD CROQUETTE
(Croquette de tête de cochons)
A naughty, indulgent, post ride treat to balance out all those hard-sweated kilometres in the saddle.
PIG'S HEAD TERRINE
1 half whole pig's head (cut in half by your butcher)
10 bay leaves
1 bunch rosemary
1 bunch thyme
100g peeled garlic cloves
100g seeded mustard
2.5L duck fat
2.L vegetable oil
Cooking sea salt
Pepper
Flour / Eggs / Breadcrumbs for coating
METHOD
1. Get your pig's head and remove any hair from the skin. I find the most effective way is with a shaving razor (does that make it more aero?).
2. Add the pig's head to a half size gastronorm tray. If you don't have a gastro tray, use any cooking vessel big enough to contain the head covered and fully submerged (a cooking pot with a lid will work fine).
3. Add garlic, bay leaves, thyme and rosemary to the cooking vessel. Cover the head with equal parts duck fat and vegetable oil (you may not need all of the specified fat/oil). Once the head is submerged, add a sheet of baking paper to the top of the fat and cover with your vessel's lid.
4. Add the vessel to the oven at 200 degrees Celsius (fan forced). Leave at this heat for 45 minutes to heat the fat and allow some heat into the meat. Drop the oven to 80 degrees Celsius (fan forced) for 10 hours or overnight to 'confit' the head. This is gentle cooking, it might sound stressful but have faith in the process here.
5. Carefully (!) remove the vessel from the oven and add to a baking tray rack to rest and cool down. It will be stupidly hot so move slowly to avoid any fat spillage.
6. Pick out the bones, teeth, eyes and thick skin from the pig's head. Discard bay leaves, thyme and rosemary. include all the meat, tongue, fat and ears. Add all this confit meat to a bowl along with all the garlic from the cooking fat. Add 2% of the weight of this mixture in salt, along with a few solid cracks of pepper. Add a splash of the cooking fat to this mixture along with the seeded mustard and roughly chopped parsley (leaves and stem). Give it all a solid mix.
7. Line a terrine mould/bread tin or anything that will fit the mixture with go-between/cling film. Allow enough overhang to cover the head mixture. Add the mixtuer to lined mould until it is flush with the top, then fold your overhang over. Line clean and give a few solid bashes on the table to ensure any air bubbles escape. If you have left over mixture, keep it for pastas, toasties or whatver you feel in place of regular pork.
8. Set the mixture in the fridge for 12 hours. The mixture will set from the fat solidifying and natural gelatine found in the pig's head. Remove form the mould carefully and slice the terrine in portions roughly a finger-width thick. Now it's time to crumb/pané/croquette!
9. Dredge the terrine slice in flour, then whisked eggs, then coat in bread crumbs. Shallow fry slices (in the same cooking fat as the confit from before preferably) until all sides are golden brown and crispy. Serve with horseradish cream (pictured), mustard, on toast or in a bun, however you feel!