I never expected to find my favorite pork dish of the week at the California Science Center. Yet it happened on Saturday night during the institution’s annual “Savor California” event, which helps fund their efforts to “stimulate curiosity and inspire science learning” through educational programs and exhibits. I was invited to the cocktail party portion of the evening. The event featured an amusement park theme, a sustainability focus, and booths that showcased dishes from different prominent chefs.

Waterloo & City chef/co-owner Brendan Collins has earned praise for his charcuterie skill. That’s what he continued to share on Saturday with Waterloo & City. His head cheese salad starred creamy cubes made with pig’s head byproduct. Headcheese basically melted down through the magic of slow-braising. The meat molded with gelatin, cartilage, and all. To produce his “cheese,” Collins sourced hormone- and antibiotic-free Gleason Ranch pigs. He tempered the headcheese’s richness by adding arugula, acidic cherry tomatoes and fresh firm, sharp cheese shavings (either Parmesan or Grana Padano, I’m not sure).

Dose of Vitamin P spotlights my favorite pork dish from the previous week.