Taste diversity with this fortifying dog-meat soup recipe

One of the major benefits of living in the most diverse country on Earth is the wide variety of exotic international cuisine available to even the most provincial American.

Chinese, Mexican, Thai, Middle Eastern, Italian ... the list goes on. You may not have a passport, but your stomach might need one.

And thanks to our robust immigration policy, we're learning about new tastes and all the time.

The latest craze is Haitian food — best experienced in Springfield, Ohio's vibrant, bustling "Little Port-au-Prince" neighborhood, which seems to have popped up almost overnight.

While most of us won't get the chance to visit in person — with some 20,000 new residents, we hear Springfield is pretty much booked up for the near future — we've got some recipes that you can bring a touch of exotic Springfield to your own home.

Public park-harvested roast Canada goose

In Springfield, it's not uncommon to see enterprising chefs exiting a park, swinging a freshly killed goose by the neck.

In a tradition dating back months, these birds are often plucked, gutted, and roasted right out in the open.

You can replicate this charming cucina rustica at home by borrowing a neighbor's driveway or lawn.

Ingredients

• 1 whole Canada goose, freshly caught from public park
• 1 piece of goose liver
• 1 small hunk or slice of bread
• black pepper
• cloves
• vinegar
• salt
• goose fat drippings

Instructions

Goose

1. Start a fire. You will want to have hot coals by the time you are ready to cook your goose
2. Prepare a spit: Cut two forked sticks about three feet long, stick each in the ground about three feet apart, in front of (not directly over) the fire. Find a green stick about four feet long, of sufficient thickness that it can hold your goose.
3. Dry pluck the feathers from the goose. (Dipping the goose in scalding but not boiling water can loosen the feathers.)
4. Clean the goose: Lay it breast side up, feet facing you. Find the wishbone area of each breast and make an incision with a sharp knife lengthwise to each drumstick. Peel back the skin on either side and remove entrails, innards, and organs.
5. Set aside the heart, gizzard, and liver. (NOTE: be careful when separating gall from liver, as the bile can foul the meat.)
6. Clean the cavity of the bird with a rag or paper towel.
7. Run the spit through the cavity of the goose. Secure with twine or wire. Turn gently. Place a pan under the goose to collect the drippings.

Black pepper sauce

1. Roast liver and bread over fire. Roast the bread until it is almost black.
2. Soak the bread in vinegar.
3. Grind cloves and peppercorns with a mortar and pestle. Add a pinch of salt.
4. Add the bread and the liver to the mortar, and grind all ingredients together.
5. Cook mixture in pot over fire. Add drippings and vinegar to dilute. If you're drinking beer or wine, feel free to add a splash as well.
6. Carve goose and ladle sauce over meat.

Korean-style dog-meat stew (bosingtang)

Springfield has even more exotic Haitian fare to tantalize the taste buds of those in the know. Local foodies whisper of here-today, gone-tomorrow pop-up restaurants serving common domestic house pets.

While the location of these mobile, al fresco feasts is a jealously guarded secret, and reservations are all on a strict word-of-mouth basis, we imagine the techniques involved aren't far from those employed in countries such as South Korea, where the traditional dog-meat stew known as bosingtang is prized as a source of vitality in coldest winter or hottest summer.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. leg meat (sirloin tips) from medium-sized domesticated dog breed (whatever is readily "available"), cubed
• 2 tablespoons sea salt
• 1 tablespoon lard
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons miso paste
• 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste; may use Sriracha or red chili paste instead)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1-3 tablespoons paprika
• 6 cups water
• 5 oz. wild mustard leaves (may substitute spinach or fiddleheads)
• 1 handful chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 green onions, sliced

Instructions

• Mix sea salt and water. Add cubed dog meat and let sit for at least two hours. Remove the meat and pat dry.
• Put deep soup pot over open campfire.
• Add lard to pot. Add dog and sear until browned on all sides, about 5-10 minutes (work in batches for more efficient browning).
• Reduce heat to medium, add the onions, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
• Add miso paste, gochujang, soy sauce, honey, and paprika, then pour over the 6 cups of water or stock. Simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 2 hours.
• Add the mustard, sesame oil, and half green onions and cook for another 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adjust by adding more salt or chili flakes as necessary.
• Serve in bowls, garnish with remaining green onions and the cilantro.

'Little Tiger' (thịt mèo), Vietnamese house cat stir-fry

As for preparing cat, we've decided to experiment with a little Vietnamese flair. The country's booming cat meat trade is driven in part by the demand for the stir-fried snack "Little Tiger," or thịt mèo.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. cat meat (black cats especially prized), cubed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 bird's eye chili, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 scallions
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

• Make marinade: Combine soy sauce, garlic, pepper, fish sauce, brown sugar, and garlic in small bowl. Mix well. Reserve one tablespoon of marinade and set aside.
• Put cubes of cat meat in marinade. Stir to coat. Let sit for 45 minutes to an hour.
• Put large frying pan over open campfire.
• Add oil to pan until it smokes. Add cat meat cubes and sear on all sides by shaking pan. Transfer cat to bowl and set aside.
• Add butter to pan and cook bell pepper, onion, and bird's eye chili, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add cat meat and reserved marinade back to pan. Stir-fry for a minute to finish, being careful not to overcook cat.
• Garnish with scallions and serve with cold Vietnamese beer such as 333 or Bia Hanoi.