Finding a chef who is ruggedly determined to be unconventional and who can make sense out of an overstocked miniature kitchen is rather refreshing. Executive chef Justin Bittner at Bar Pilar is so unconventional he would probably just shrug, say “whatever,” and wear sandals and cutoffs to work in mid-January. You’ll find that his small-plates menu fits his persona perfectly: bold flavors, quirky pairings, such as roasted pork shoulder with a garlic trencher; grilled octopus with arbequina olive oil; and a killer chicken liver pate with grilled bread. For a real peek into the inner workings of Bittner’s persona, however, ask nicely for a kitchen visit. There, in an improbable tour de force, Bittner pulls off the cleverest space arrangement, allowing four grown men to work in a 6-foot area lined by at least 20,000 different ingredients and cooking utensils.
| IF YOU GO |
| Bar Pilar |
| 1833 14th St. NW |
| 202-265-1751 |
| Hours: Dinner — 5 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Monday to Thursday, 5 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Sunday |
While talking about his pigs’ ears appetizers and his passion for pork shoulder, Bittner summarizes his culinary experience thus: “I am not sure if I like the cooking or just being out late at night,” he says. But all joking aside, he explains that he grew up in Baltimore as the son of parents who love to cook and who also own a 200-acre farm in Pennsylvania.
“Food was always being made,” he said. “There was no processed or fast food. … But I cannot pinpoint exactly why I cook now.”
From high school, Bittner went on to attend culinary school in Philadelphia, and learned, to his chagrin, that young cooking students feel with their new set of skills that they can cook better than they actually can.
“That’s what happened to me,” he said. “I worked in Spain and that opened my eyes. I didn’t learn a thing in culinary school that was relevant to the real world. You have to do so many things at one time, a real multitasker.”
After culinary school, Bittner worked in Baltimore for a hotel banquet kitchen before being offered his current job. That was four years ago, when he was just 26. In that time, he confesses, he has learned that it was really hard being a chef.
“You had to make the rules,” he said. “It was really paralyzing to come up with menu ideas. I worried about screwing up.”
Then Bittner slipped into a discourse on the glories of his brined-then-fried pigs’ ears. He introduced them to the menu, he said, because when he sees a dish on another menu and if it is unfamiliar, he sets out to learn all about it. But for such cuisines as Ethiopian and Thai, learning their kitchen tricks “would ruin it for me,” he said.
“That takes all the mystery out of it,” he said, adding that he rarely sits down to eat, standing up instead with his apron on.
As for inspiration, Bittner says he flips through the pages of his nearly two tons’ worth of cookbooks, to see what chefs like Thomas Keller and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall are doing. But the most likely source of his cooking creations must come from some inner recess of his persona, that place where he can figure out how to make pigs’ ears palatable.
Q&A with chef Justin Bittner
What is your comfort food?
Beer. It really all depends. If I am here, a fried egg and bacon sandwich. At home, it’s a mac and cheese casserole with tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and ground beef. Then, soup and chili.
What is your cooking philosophy?
Simplicity. We don’t have anything complicated on the menu. I focus on technique, proper seasonings. If you source ingredients well, you don’t have to do anything to them.
Where is your favorite place in the world?
Andalucia, Seville and Barcelona. I also like being on the farm with my four-wheeler. And I really like San Francisco.
Which is your favorite restaurant?
A tossup between Komi and Chez Panisse. I enjoy Momofuku in New York. Then Palena, 2 Amys, Sushi Taro. I usually eat some of my dishes out here so I get the real experience of what it’s like.
What’s in your fridge?
Beer and hot sauce. I don’t really have food.
From the Chef’s Kitchen
Bar Pilar’s Buttermilk Pie
Baking tip from the chef: Add the buttermilk last so it does not separate.
Makes one 9-inch pie
Pie Dough – Pate Brisee
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/3 cup ice water
Filling
2 cups sugar
4 oz. (1 stick) butter, softened
3 eggs
4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
I cup buttermilk
To make the dough, sift together the dry ingredients in a food processor. Add the butter in stages, and process until the dough resembles a coarse meal. With the motor running, gradually add just enough water until the dough comes together to clump and to form a ball. Put the dough onto a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into two portions, and pat each into a round. Wrap them in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour. Reserve the second portion for another pie
Flour a work surface and roll out one of the pieces of dough to fit into a 9-inch pie pan. Fit the dough into the pan, pressing it down to fit evenly.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
To make the filling, beat together the sugar, butter, and eggs until smooth. Add the flour, vanilla and buttermilk, and beat until smooth. Pour the filling mixture into the pie shell. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the filling is firm to the touch.
