31.8.10

The Last Rib of Summer?

Whew!

Fresh from my trip to Covington, KY (post and photos to come soon!), I am ready to cook up some delicious ribs! Tressa and I are putting out another tasty $10 plate with:

Tequila and Chili Spareribs, Gluten-free Corn Muffins and Fried Green Tomatoes!!

Mexican Chocolate Pudding!!

As always $10/plate, dessert and wine available. Food starts at 7 pm and goes until it's gone!
1902 NW 24th Ave.




17.8.10

BLT Time!!!!



This Friday's BBQ is going to knock your socks off! Really though, if you are wearing socks in this heat, maybe you should just take them off before Friday...

I've got gorgeous slabs of my Thai Cocteau flavor (cured in chiles, ginger, lime and cilantro) waiting to be slapped on to Fressen Bakery's Bierbrot slathered with housemade coconut-basil aioli, fresh tomatoes, lettuce and basil. We'll be also whipping up a nice potato salad and housemade pickles.

Tressa and I hawked these babies all day at EM Space's Letterpress Fair last weekend and they were a big hit! Don't miss this!


Friday BBQ at 1902 NW 24th Ave.
As always food starts at 7 pm and goes until it's gone.
BYOB. $10/plate with dessert available for additional purchase and wine $5/glass suggested donation.

See you there!

16.8.10

The Queen is Calling.

It’s time to get back on the road...

Next week I am embarking on the eastern leg of my tour. This summer has been so busy I haven’t even had a chance to write about the incredible experiences I had during the western leg back in June! Though, there is a slide show here that does justice to the days we spent on Mac Magruder’s 2400 acre ranch: http://ethicalbutcher.blogspot.com/2010/07/magruder-ranch-slideshow.html#comments

Following the entire chain from slaughter to table, and fully participating in, if not initiating each step along the way was the closest I have ever felt to doing the “right” thing.

Yes, I realize what a loaded statement that is.

The earlier dates of this tour also helped me sort of define the purpose of this journey. I am really looking to connect and hear the stories of farmers in all of our very, very different bio regions. As the obstacles faced by a rancher in Northern California in producing and selling sustainable products can be and very often are different from the issues presented to a pig farmer in North Carolina, it is learning about these differences that excites me the most.

So many critics and sceptics love to ask: "How can 'Sustainable' feed the entire country?" My answer?

IT WON’T. Plain and simple.

The push toward local food systems necessitates by definition that we begin to think regionally about our food system. We must begin to tackle these problems for our own communities. As grassroots organizations and small farmers continue to build momentum in this movement, this is how we are all changing this system. It is not the USDA label of “Organic” that will save us, at least not as long as so-called “Conventional” agriculture and factory farming is also approved by the same entity. We would also do well to solve many of our energy and climate problems by severely altering the extent to which we move food around our country. As every region searches for the solution to their own particular circumstances, it is the tireless and often thankless work of these farmers, butchers, chefs and others that will pull us back from the brink of disaster. Having the opportunity to meet these heroes is precisely what this tour is about.

And so, on to the meeting...

I will be in Cincinnati/Covington for several days next week, taking part in this year’s Farmer’s Fair. I am honored and thrilled to participate in the list of events they have lined up for me! If you live near Cincinnati, be sure to swing by one or all of the events put together by the Farmer’s Fair folks!

Selfishly, I am most excited for a video shoot I am doing with Jay Denham. Jay and I will be breaking down two lovely heritage breed pigs according to the Italian method. Most people don’t know there are several traditions of butchery: French, American/British, German, etc.. Jay picked up his Italian technique from the one and only Master Butcher Dario Cecchini and has passed it on to writer Micheal Ruhlman for the upcoming second edition of Charcuterie. This being a journey of learning, I can think of nothing else I’d rather travel a few thousand miles for.


Over the course of the day on Saturday, I will do three bacon curing demonstrations at the booth as well as a short presentation about the Bacon Gospel as part of the latest installment of the project, Bacon for the Queen City. Friday night I will be presenting a more formal version of Bacon for the Queen City with chef Mark Bodenstein at his popular Chalk food + wine restaurant. As each new installment of the grander project looks a little different, I am really excited that this leg is taking place in so many forms over just a few days! It is chance for everyone to participate whether you want to sample, make or indulge in the pleasure that is the Bacon Gospel.

Jay and I will have the video of us cutting together playing all day at our booth on Saturday, during the Earth Mother Farmers' Market from 10am-4pm in Covington, KY. We’ll also be passing out delicious samples of our pork from the video shoot as well as talking with visitors.

Please check out the following links for more info on events and locations! See you next week!!

Chalk food + wine http://chalkfoodwine.com/

Toronto, Montreal and Brooklyn...you’re next! October is just around the corner!

3.8.10

Another Round of Cures

BCN/PDX: Curing The Ethical Butcher Way

The first series of classes went so well in July, I am offering another round this month!

We'll start with a bacon tasting to open your mind to the wide range of flavors and textures possible, then over three sessions we’ll cure with fruits, teas, coffee, cocoa and spirits and more. We’ll discuss the curing process and have plenty of time for experimentation as each person cures their very own slab! You’ll leave EACH session with a slab and directions on how to finish the cure, folks who attend all three sessions will take home a total of about 8 lbs. of bacon by the end of the series! Good thing it freezes well!

Sign up for one session or all three!

August 10th- Curing The Ethical Butcher Way: Fruits and Flowers
More than just sweets, learn to cure with seasonal fruits, jams, and edible flowers like chamomile, lavender and roses.

August 17th- Curing The Ethical Butcher Way: Coffee, Tea and Spirits
Curing with your favorite beverage is a fun way to enjoy flavors you love in an entirely different way! Whether you prefer tequila, single-origin coffee or Darjeeling, you'll look at your next drink in a whole new light after this class.

August 24th - Curing The Ethical Butcher Way: After the Cure...Glazes and Crusts
This final session will focus on creative touches AFTER the cure. Some longstanding curing traditions call for rolling slabs in oatmeal or split peas before cooking, we'll also try cornmeal, rye flakes, shredded coconut and more!
Curing The Ethical Butcher Way Series
Tuesdays August 10th, 17th & 24th at 6:30 pm
$40/session, $100 for all three. 12 people max. each session
1902 NW 24th Avenue in Portland, OR.