Ben De Vries

CHEF/OWNER—LUELLA, SAN FRANCISCO, CA

“It’s this trading of art; my food for his ink. I always think I get the better end of the deal.”

—Ben de Vries

Ben de Vries’s mother and grandmother raised him in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which is where he first fell in love with food. Helping his grandmother often in the kitchen, Ben was only six when he announced he would like to be a chef and own his own restaurant. Then, Ben spent his junior year of high school in Paris, where he was introduced to the culinary arts at a friend’s restaurant. After high school, Ben moved to Vermont to study at the New England Culinary Institute; he then went on to staging, similar to a culinary internship, at restaurants on Cape Cod and Nantucket and in New York City. He eventually moved to San Francisco to continue his culinary career in a city he wanted to live in, a decision that quickly paid off. He says, “I got off the plane New Year’s Day 1994, and within an hour I got a job offer, got an offer for a place to stay, and met my current wife.”

As Ben settled into San Francisco, he also took a position as a sous-chef at LuLu, a Provençal restaurant serving simple rustic foods family-style from a wood-fired oven. Ben also helped launch Scala’s Bistro and Vertigo before becoming opening sous-chef at the French-Japanese restaurant mc2. In 2004, Ben worked as an executive chef at Andalu, a restaurant focused on an eclectic mix of small plates to share with the goal of having interaction among the guests be as important as the food. Andalu caught the attention of The New York Times, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and Gourmet, among other national media outlets. That same year, Ben went on to open his own restaurant, Luella.

With Luella, Ben was finally free to explore his style of cooking. He says, “I appreciate food that doesn’t try to be something it’s not.” Luella’s menu can best be described as contemporary American, with roots in Italy, Spain, and France. Dishes are robust and straightforward and not complicated by heavy sauces. Luella’s modern California cuisine acquired a Bauer two-and-a-half-star review from the San Francisco Chronicle in 2009 and has also received many accolades from Northside San Francisco, Gayot, 7x7, and San Francisco magazine.

Ben started to get his very organized culinary tattoos almost nine years ago. His right arm starting at his wrist showcases the ingredients for bouquet garni, the bundle of herbs usually tied together with string and used to prepare soup, stock, and various stews. Moving up his arm is a picture of the knife kit that Ben uses in the kitchen, followed by the butcher charts for pig, chicken, cow, and sheep. The last tattoo on this arm is the definition for confit—“con•fit [con fée, kawN fee] (plural con•fits) meat cooked and preserved in fat: such as goose, duck, or pork that has been cooked and preserved in its own fat”—followed by vegetables. Ben’s largest tattoo showcases a leg of jamón ibérico, Spain’s famous cured ham made from pigs raised on acorns, that runs down his right thigh. Next to it sits his pinup girl chef with her own “I heart pork” tattoo. Ben also has several religious symbols from various religions wrapping his ankle, as well as many classic herbs around his calf like parsley and rosemary.

Ben attributes his ink to two people: Renee Silvestri, a good friend and a hostess at Luella who drew most of the art, and Greg Rojas, a tattoo artist from Seventh Son Tattoo in San Francisco. Ben says, “[Rojas] and I have sat for a total of over one hundred hours. It’s a good thing that he likes food because otherwise I could never afford it.” Over all that time, Greg and Ben have become good friends. “It’s new age-y to a certain degree, but if someone is putting something permanent like that on your body, there is a certain energy that comes with it, and to have somebody you like and feel good with makes a whole world of difference.”

Luella’s Coca-Cola Braised Pork Shoulder

This dish has been a signature dish for Luella since it opened. Ben has tried to pull it from the menu a few times, but each time enough customers have asked that he has had to put it back on. Like a band that has a song fly to the top of the charts but has long since written new material, sometimes chefs can’t escape certain dishes.

For Pork: Season the pork with salt and pepper. Drizzle oil onto the bottom of a deep pan to barely cover; then set the pan over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the meat and sear on all sides until golden brown, just a few minutes per side. Remove the pork from the pan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Pour the Coca-Cola into the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil, scraping up any stuck bits of meat from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced to about 3 cups, about 25 minutes. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil again, and cook until liquid reduces by about a quarter, about 10 minutes. Carefully place the meat into the liquid, cover, and bake for about 2 hours, or until the meat falls apart easily. Remove the meat from the oven and let it rest, still covered and in its liquid, for at least 1 hour. If making ahead of time, cool and refrigerate overnight.
To finish the meat, remove from the liquid (save the liquid in the pot), and remove and discard any visible fat that settles on the top. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bring the pot of liquid to a boil on the stove; then return the meat to the pot. Bake, uncovered, until the meat is warmed through, about 1 hour. Remove the meat from the pan and let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the sauce (braising liquid) to a hard simmer and cook until it reduces to a light syrup (slightly thinner than maple syrup), approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
For White Bean Purée: Soak the beans in water overnight. Drain; then place the beans in a medium saucepan. Cover with water, add a splash of olive oil, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until very soft, about 1 hour, adding more warm water as needed. Drain the beans, reserving some of the cooking liquid, and purée in a food processor until smooth, adding enough olive oil (and some of the cooking liquid) until the beans have a mashed potato–like consistency; season with salt and white pepper to taste. Set aside. (The purée can be made up to a day ahead. Before serving, rewarm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. If made ahead and refrigerated, you may need to adjust the consistency with a little more oil.)
For Pickled Red Onions: Combine the onions, vinegar, and sugar in a nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Adjust flavor with more vinegar or sugar as desired; then refrigerate until chilled. (The onions can be made up to a week ahead.)
To Complete: Spoon warm White Bean Purée onto a plate; top with Pork and drizzle with sauce. Drain the Pickled Red Onions and combine with mint; use to garnish the Pork. Serve immediately.

NOTES FROM THE CHEF

Sometimes what seems like an incongruous ingredient can make the most spectacular dish. The secret: Coca-Cola. People may not be able to pick out its distinctive flavor, but it brings out the best in this cut of pork. Cooling the meat overnight: After cooking, the meat is left in the braising liquid, which intensifies the flavor and tenderness.