BUTCHER BLOG + FLAVOR QUEST

CULINARY STUDENT STAGE CONTEST

2012-01-13T13:47:00.000-08:00

Written Essay - CULINARY STUDENTS STAGE CONTEST + COCHON 555 SCHOLARSHIP powered by Zagat

In 2012, Cochon will host a national contest for culinary students nationwide. Participants will need to submit an essay on the importance of whole animal utilization and why supporting responsible agriculture in food service is important in today's kitchen. The winner will receive an all expenses paid 7-day Stage at Blackberry Farm with Butcher & Charcuterie Michael Sullivan. The essays will be posted online and a national panel of food celebrities will select a winner. Additionally, two [2] runner-ups will be awarded sponsorships in the amount of $500 and $250.

One [1st] grand prize aka 7 DAY-STAGE at Blackberry Farm in 2012 (Essay to be published on blackberryfarm.com)

One [2nd] second place prize 3 DAY-STAGE at Dean & Deluca NYC in 2012 (co-created recipe to be published on blog) + $500 from Cochon

One [3rd] third place prize includes an Study Break Gift Box including artisan + heritage products from Dean & Deluca + $250 from Cochon

• Essays will be submitted on June 1st
• Winner will be announced July 15th

BUTCHER COMPETITION COMING SOON!

2012-01-13T13:46:00.000-08:00

COCHON 555 BUTCHERING COMPETITION powered by Zagat

This year, COCHON 555 is host a national butcher competition throughout the 10 US Tour events. The goal, to provide a ZERO EXCUSE to a ZERO WASTE movement. How does this tie into COCHON 555, an event all about whole animal utilization? First, we will deliver ten [10] photo essays at the conclusion of the tour. Second, each photo essay will be posted online where the national community (chefs, butchers, processors, friends and peers) can learn from their peers and vote for the best submission. What equals the best submission? The winning essay will outline a profitable approach to in-house processing of whole animals, and utilizing the animal for profit. The result would create a focused ZERO WASTE message and an education tool for the industry and good food community. We hope the passion of today's cutting champions will inspire buyers, kitchens and up and coming retail shops to support the buying of whole animal heritage species from responsible farmers.

THREE WINNERS = THREE PRIZES

One [1st] grand prize All Expense Trip to Cochon Heritage BBQ this Labor Day as an Official Judge powered by Zagat
One [2nd] second place prize includes an Butchers Break Gift Box including artisan + heritage products from Dean & Deluca
One [3rd] third place prize includes a personal gift from COCHON 555 Founder Brady Lowe

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

Provide a cut list
Provide approximate breakdown value
Explain approach to COCHON Photographer
All Photo essays will be submitted on June 1st for the national community to vote
Winner will be announced July 15th

Are you interested? Email brady@tastenetwork.com

And the Winner is.....

2011-07-07T03:55:00.001-07:00

Winners of the 2011 Cochon555 Cutting Competition

New York
Adam Tiberio -- Tiberio Meats, Queens
vs.
Jose Manuel Alarcon -- Dickson's Farmstand, Manhatten
Winner
Jose Manuel Alarcon

Boston
Tom Daly -- Savenor's Market, Boston
vs.
Rick Lemay -- Lemay's Slaughterhouse, Goeffstown New Hampshire
Winner
Rick Lemay

Seattle
Joshua Graves -- Olympic Provisions, Portland, Oregon
vs.
Brandon Sheard -- Farmstand Meat, Vashon Island, Washington
Winner
Joshua Graves

Napa
David Budworth -- Dave the Butcher, San Fransisco
vs.
Paul Guerra -- Guerra Deli and Meats, San Fransisco
Winner
Paul Guerra

Washington D.C.
Pamela Ginsberg -- Wasghal's Market, Washington D.C.
vs.
Jason Belleau -- Whole Foods Supermarkets, Washington D.C.
Winner
Pamela Ginsberg

Chicago
Sam Clark -- Papineau Locker, Papineau Illinois
vs.
Ricardo Berkbilger -- Fruitland American Beef, Doniphan Missouri
Winner
Ricardo Berkbilger

Denver
Jimmy Cross -- Marczyk Fine Foods, Denver, Colorodo
vs.
Chris Fuller -- Sunnyside Meats, Durango, Colorodo
Winner
Jimmy Cross

Los Angelos
Tim Havidic -- Lindy & Grundy, L.A.
vs.
Sebastian the Butcher -- Rocker Brother Meats, L.A.
Winner
Tim Havidic

New Orleans
Glenn Mistich -- Gourmet Butcher Block, Gretna Louisiana
vs.
Bryan Butler -- Salt and Time, Austin Texas
Winner
Bryan Butler

San Fransisco
Chris Arentz -- Avedano's Holly Park Market, San Fransisco
vs.
Tracy Smaciarz -- Heritage Meats, Rochester, Washington
Winner
Chris Arentz

NOLA Cochon555 Cutting Competition

2011-05-09T06:39:00.000-07:00

NOLA Cochon555 Cutting Competition

Glenn Mistich vs Bryan Butler
Saturday, May 28. The Foundry, New Orleans

Bryan Butler

Salt & Time Salumi, Niederwald, Texas

Bryan is a child of rural America; born and raised in Waco Texas by a paperhanger and a seamstress. He has always had a passion for food. Growing up he spent much of his time in his family’s kitchens. Bryan could have easily followed this passion into a career as a cook or chef, but involvement in his high school FFA program drew him towards a different path. Bryan learned animal husbandry, breed judging and standards by caring and handling show animals. Bryan earned his associates degree in meat fabrication and market management in 1996 from Texas State Technical College.

Bryan’s first job as a butcher was at a small Mom and Pop shop in Waco. After moving to Austin, he began working in a market with some very seasoned butchers, and continued his apprenticeship to becoming a journeyman cutter. Working with a older generation of butchers from another era was a blessing for Bryan. For the last 10 years of his career, Bryan has been the neighborhood butcher in Austin. First working for Fresh Plus Grocery Stores and then later at Wheatsville Food Co-op where he had his first opportunity to run his own department. This was a defining moment for Bryan, being able to work hand in hand with local ranchers and producers allowed him to support his community and sustainable agriculture in central Texas. Bryan was able to link responsible customers with local ranchers raising fine grass-fed and pastured meats. In his own words "It was a chance to work in and have a positive impact in the meat industry. To sell food free of antibiotics and hormones, raised by real people and not factories".

Recently Bryan has joined Salt and Time Salumi as partner and master butcher. Salt & Time is the first artisan producer of European style dry cured meats in Texas and is in the process of opening a butcher shop and delicatessen. Salt an Time sources its meats from local farmers, continuing Bryan’s history of support. In 2010, Bryan took a master butcher class taught by Christoph Weisner, President of the Austrian Mangalitza Breeders Association. Bryan considers Christoph to be a mentor. The class covered the art of seam butchery, a traditional form of butchery typically only found in Europe, and especially useful when preparing meat for dry curing. Bryan immediately absorbed this technique and deftly applies it to produce exceptional dry-cured meats.

Bryan's career has spanned high production retail markets, to "swinging meat" full service meat counters, and now a much slower paced world of dry-cured meats.

Glenn Mistich

The Gourmet Butcher Block Gretna, Louisiana

Gourmet Butcher Block is a Cajun specialty meat market established in 1994. The owners are Leah Hebert Mistich and Glenn Mistich. Leah was raised in the food industry as a little girl. Her parents opened a restaurant, Soop's,in Maurice, LA, established in 1974, where they started serving de-boned stuffed chickens as plate lunches. Customers started asking to bring the de-boned stuffed chickens home to cook for themselves. Two of her brothers, Jr. and Sammy Hebert decided to open a meat market, Hebert's Specialty Meats, next door to Soop's Restaurant in 1984.

Glenn was a fishermen growing up. After meeting his wife he eventually moved to Maurice and began working with her brothers. After six years of Glenn working at Hebert's, him and Leah moved to Belle Chasse, LA and opened Gourmet Butcher Block in Terry Town, LA. After three months of opening the doors the couple's business, the local TV personality, Frank Davis, featured Gourmet Butcher Block on a segment of Naturally N'Awlins. Once the business began getting recognized, they outgrew their location and moved to a building in Gretna, LA.

In 1997, Glenn introduced sport's analyst, John Madden, to the Turducken when Bob Delgerno invited Glenn to the Saints vs. Rams game in the Superdome. The next day, John Madden called Glenn and said that he really loved the Turducken. Then the Turducken was chosen to be the official food for the "All-Madden Team". Gourmet Butcher Block was mentioned during the Super Bowl several times after that. Since then, Gourmet Butcher Block has been on The Food Network, WWL TV, WDSU TV 6, Fox, and Best Damn Sports Show Period; newspaper articles in the Food, Money, and Living sections of Times-Picayune. Gourmet Butcher Block also appeared in New York Times, USA Today, Columbus Disbatch, Gambit Weekly, Down the Road Magazine, and many others. Now Gourmet Butcher Block is at 2144 Belle Chasse Highway, in Gretna, LA in which the building size is now three times from when it started.

Gourmet Butcher Block specializes in de-boned stuffed chickens and turkeys, Fowl De' Cochon, Turducken, stuffed pork chops, stuffed duck, stuffed rabbit, stuffed quail, baby back ribs, country style ribs, spare ribs, fresh Turducken sausage, fresh chicken sausage, fresh pork sausage, fresh Italian sausage, fresh mixed sausage, andoullie, fresh pork boudin, stuffed pork roast, stuffed mini pork roast, stuffed boneless pork loin, pork tenderloin, stuffed brisket, stuffed eye of round roast, stuffed sirloin tip roast, stuffed rolled round stake, chicken ka-bobs, pork ka-bobs, beef ka-bobs, filet migon, boneless and bone-in rib-eyes, hamburger patties, chicken patties, shrimp etouffee, shrimp dressing, crawfish etouffee, crawfish dressing, potato stuffing, oyster dressing, rice dressing, cornbread dressing, broccoli casserole, sausage stuffing, shrimp and corn soup, crawfish and corn soup, chicken and andoullie gumbo, stuffed crab, stuffed catfish, stuffed jalapenos, stuffed bell peppers, stuffed shrimp, crab meat augratin, crawfish pie, stuffed potatoes, crawfish stuffed potatoes, stuffed artichoke, chicken salad, shrimp salad, bread pudding, fresh frozen vegetables, gift boxes, and gift certificates. Most of the meats come with simple cooking instructions.

San Francisco Cochon555 June 5.

2011-04-28T06:24:00.000-07:00

San Francisco, June 5. The Ferry Plaza Building

Christopher Arentz vs. Tracey Smaciarz

Christopher Arentz, Avedano's San Francisco

Christopher Arentz spent 5 years in Tuscany, Italy cooking in restaurants, which finally led him to Dario Cecchini's restaurant in Panzano. He trained with Dario breaking pigs and beef and learning the "old world" tradition of butchering. Upon returning to San Francisco He seeked a butcher shop that shared that same mentality of butchery. Avedano's had exactly what he was looking for and thus, was a perfect fit.

vs.

Tracy Smaciarz, owner Heritage Meats, Washington.

Tracy Smaciarz Born Dec. 4th 1968 sign Sagittarius. President of Heritage Meats Web site Second generation Meat Processor. First memories of processing meat or slaughter was at age, Father Tom Smaciarz started business in 1977 out of the Detached two car garage where he grew up. His Father was a meat cutter at Safeway, started their in 1968, Dad Grew up on a farm in the Pe Ell/Raymond WA area where his grandfather and father raised cattle.
Tracy first was the clean up kid for the shop, worked on a mobile slaughter truck with my father in the summers from age 10-15. Tracy was cutting meat and making sausage/pepperoni, during this time as well. Age 16 Tracy left the business and worked in the Restaurant industry through High School and College. He returned and took over the family Business in 1996 age 27. Tracy'sFather had to retire due to health reasons.

He relocated the business in 2006 to its present location, which tripled its size.
Went under USDA inspection in March of 2009 Certified Organic Meat Processor as well
Featured in the Cook book "Primal Cuts" Cooking with America's best butchers. He is also Featured in the Cook book "Harvest to Heat' Cooking with America's Best Chefs,Farmers, and Artisans. He Created a Grass Fed Beef Program with Jason Franey, Chef at Canlis Restaurant in Seattle WA. The Beef from "The Gleason Ranch" was served at the James Beard house in April 2010Cutting Demo with the Culinary Institute of America from Hyde park in 2010Led the discussion at the 2010 Seattle Farmer Chef connection Creating relationships with farmers and Chefs get meat into the Restaurants.Help Create a Meat Program with the Harbor Pub in Bainbridge Island where they source ALL of their meat locally through Heritage Meats and a network of local growers.Created a Meat Program with Full Circle Farm Largest CSA in state of Wa. where they distribute locally grown beef and pork to their members in Seattle as well as in Alaska. in Mar 2010
Have been featured or mentioned in Many local and national publications,Capital PressEdible Seattle,Seattle Weekly
Artisan Meat institute Bogs and ArticlesSeattletallpoppy Blogs and Articles.

Tracy also whoooed the Cochon555 crew in Seattle after midnight at some swank bar where he managed to come up with a six pack of Busch beer cans. (we were not aware that Busch was even made anymore).

Jimmy The Butcher at Denver Cochon555

2011-04-28T06:21:00.001-07:00

Check out the video of Jimmy Cross of Marczyk Fine Foods in the Denver Cochon555 cutting competition.

L.A. Cutting Competition - May Day!

2011-04-28T06:11:00.000-07:00

May Day, May 1st, L.A.--
Tim Havidic of Lindy & Grundy's
vs.
Javier the Butcher of Rocker Bros Meats

At Vibiana in the Historic Core

Denver Cochon555 Butcher Competition

2011-03-23T14:07:00.000-07:00

Two Seasoned Butchers Face Off in the Mile High City

April 3rd, The Ritz-Carlton Denver

Jimmy Cross vs. Chris Fuller

Newman Farm Bershire Pig

Chris Fuller

Sunnyside Meats, Durango

Chris Fuller was born and raised in Stamford, CT. During the summers of his high school years he catered top end events in Fairfield County. These experiences formed a respect for the food one serves.

After graduating high school Chris went on to study Culinary Arts, earning an Associate’s Degree from Johnson and Wales University as part of the first graduating class of JWU’s Denver branch. During his education at JWU Chris worked in a variety of foodservice operations ranging from the fine European cuisine of Café des Artistes in Manhattan, to the more casual menu style of The Restaurant in Rowayton, CT.

Chris’s quest for culinary knowledge continued after graduating Johnson & Wales and Chris went on to earn his Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from FLC in 2007. During his time in Durango he focused his studies on the relationship between agricultural producers and food purchasers (specifically restaurants) in the Durango area.

After a brief time living in Tahoe City, CA and working with Slow Food Lake Tahoe Chris moved back to Durango to become the Plant Manager at Sunnyside Meats, Inc. - a small, federally inspected meat processing plant. Sunnyside Meats was opened in 2002 to counter the “Big Boy’s” domination in the US and bring a viable food system back to life in Southwest Colorado.

Helping small producers in Southwest Colorado to become viable in our regional food market is not only Chris’s job, but his passion as well.

Sunnyside Meats, inc.

253 Country Road 216.

Durango, CO 81303

http://www.sunnysidemeats.com/producers.htm

Watch Chris Cut:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjLIP8ImEUs

vs.

Jimmy Cross

Marczyk Fine Foods, Denver

Jimmy Cross, head butcher, aka Jimmy the Butcher.
Jimmy is absolutely the real deal. He can take apart a whole pig, which he has done on many occasions, in no time flat. He knows every little weird cut of meat: caul fat, the cap, shanks, skirt, innards. He carries a scabbard with his knives in it that is straight out of Mad Max.

A Denver native, he was doing construction in high school until he realized he didn’t want to do construction. He was hired at a local market as counter help right around Christmas. He was a hunter all his life, and unlike the rest of the holiday counter help actually knew what was what from breaking down the elk and deer he had shot. He avoided the after-holiday ax by learning how to cut meat: started with sausage making, and when he learned that in just one month he knew he had a new vocation.
He has worked at Marczyk Fine Foods for 9 years. Jimmy is married with 2 children of his own. Every Sunday night they have a “Sunday night roast”.
Interesting fact: he can pick a lock with his butcher knives. I never asked where he picked up that skill…

Marczyk Fine Foods
Denver, CO 303 894-9499

http://www.marczykfinefoods.com/

Watch Jimmy cut:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjLIP8ImEUs

Chicago Cochon Cutting Competition

2011-03-09T06:43:00.000-08:00

Chicago, March 20th, Two life long butchers from meat cutting families compete at the Cochon555 pig cutting competition. Both butchers grew up in the trade and learned their craft from their family. We are extremely honored to bring them to Chicago for all to witness their skills.
Sam Clark vs. Ricardo Berkbilger.

Sam Clark
‘Sam the Butcher’

Sam Clark started out on a small livestock farm in Southern Illinois. He and his family raised and butchered their own livestock. The first animal Sam ever butchered was a Hampshire hog at age 9.
Sam started working as a meat cutter at age 18 in a small grocery store.
Sam is currently working as a butcher at Papineau Locker in Papineau , IL and has been there for eight years . He processes livestock from the kill floor all the way to cutting down and wrapping.
Sam is skilled at butchering hooved livestock including cattle, goats, sheep and hogs. Cattle are Sam’s favorite livestock to processes. His favorite knife is a 6” curved boning knife.
Sam has also done private events in Chicago land - demonstrating to Chefs and Farmers the art of butchering live to plate.
Sam has become a very successful and distinguished butcher with the support of his wife of 15 years, Becky, and their two sons Tyler (8) and Clayton (6).

vs.

Ricardo Berkbigler

Raised on a family farm in Perryville, Missouri Ricardo grew up close to the land and the livestock his family raised. The family farm supported beef and poultry. He first began to cut meat at the age of 16 in the small local grocery. Since that time Ricardo has worked in meat cutting in various supermarkets in the area.
He has been a part of Fruitland American Meat in Jackson, Missouri for seventeen years. Fruitland American Meat is an established USDA plant of the older model where they receive animals for harvest, fabricate for retail and wholesale and even do further processing and make products in the smokehouse using old German recipes. The facility also operates on site a local meat shop with a full service case which Ricardo helps to manage. Currently, the facility is changing from the commodity market and specializing in processing grassfed beef and heritage pork. Ricardo is the primary butcher for pork and at the same time contributes to beef fabrication.
Ricardo is married to Jackie and has one son, Trystn (age 11).

Patricia Whisnant, DVM
Rain Crow Ranch
American Grassfed Beef
Fruitland American Meat
American Pasture Pork
www.americangrassfedbeef.com
www.fruitlandamericanmeat.com
Farm: 573-996-5333
Plant: 573-243-3107

Washington D.C.: Supermarket vs. Butchershop

2011-03-04T10:12:00.001-08:00

March 12th, at the Newseum, Knights Confernce Center.
Jason Belleau – Wholefoods, Washington D.C.
vs.
Pamela Ginsberg – Wagshal's Market, Washington D.C.

Pamela Ginsberg
Popularly known as “Pam the butcher,” Pam Ginsberg is the manager of D.C.’s Wagshal’s Market, named the best butcher shop in the metropolitan area with the finest meats and seafood,” by Washingtonian Magazine. A third generation Washingtonian, Pam came to Wagshal’s in 2007 with close to four decades of butchering and food industry experience from some of the area’s finest butcher shops and specialty markets such as: Brookville Market, Larimer’s, and Sutton Place Gourmet. Pam broke her first side of beef with her father, “Steve the butcher,” in her family’s shop at Eastern Market when she was 7 years old. “I was born to be a butcher,” she says. “I can’t describe how I feel when I see a beautiful piece of meat and cut into it – it gives me goose bumps.” In addition to the technical aspects of her profession, Pam equally values the customer service side of her job. “I enjoy making customers happy and spending time with them to understand what they want,” she says. “That’s what I’m about and that’s what Wagshal’s is about – we’re a perfect fit.”
Wagshal’s Market, 4845 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20016 * 202-363-0777 * http://www.wagshals.com/.
Check out Pam work a lamb and also go over the Hanging Tender/Hanger Steak
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TaVOGMtKkA&feature=youtu.be

Jason Belleau
Jason comes from years of experience of meat cutting. He is currently the Meat Coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic Region of Wholefoods Markets.

The contestants will be cutting a pure Berkshire hog from Newman Farms.

Whole Hogs Into Food Deserts

2011-03-02T10:29:00.000-08:00

Egleston Square, Boston. Whole Hampshire and Yorkshire pigs arriving bi-weekly into neighborhood Bodega/Butcher Shop. Egleston square is a working class, immigrant neighborhood often in the news for the wrong reasons. Local residents are bringing positive attention and local meat into their neighborhood. Whole pigs, local beef, eggs, dairy and soon, local produce.

Check out the JP Gazette article.

http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/node/4618

NAPA Cochon555

2011-03-02T10:25:00.000-08:00

Paul Guerra from Guerra's Meats- www.guerrasmeats.com
VS.
Dave Budworth a.k.a Dave the Butcher

Cutting a pure Bershire pig from Newman Farm. March 6th, C.I.A.-Greystone.

2011-02-07T12:36:00.000-08:00

THE BATTLE IN SEATTLE…
BRANDON SHEARD VS. JOSHUA GRAVES
FEBRUARY 20TH – THE WESTIN SEATTLE

Brandon Sheard, Vashon Island, WA
Brandon and Lauren Sheard live on Vashon Island with their one and half year old son, Wallace. Together they own and operate Farmstead Meatsmith (farmsteadmeatsmith.com), providing personal slaughter, butchery, charcuterie and instructional services to small farmers and people who want to learn traditional livestock processing.
Brandon learned his trade by managing the butcher shop at la Boucherie on Vashon for about two years. He has a passion for unearthing lost traditions of good meat thrift. These old methods not only reflect responsible husbandry, but also result in the most delicious products. This has been his focus with Farmstead Meatsmith and in his own kitchen.

vs

Joshua Graves, Portland, OR
Originally form Dallas, TX. Joshua later moved to Cleveland, OH and then attended Ohio State University where he earned a degree in hospitality management and business. After college continued his education and attended culinary school CIA in Hyde Park, NY. It was there that he began working at Fleishers and began his career in the butchery world. In October of 2009 he moved to Portland to help in the opening of Olympic Provisions where he is now the plant manager of the meat department. Olympic Provisions is Oregon's first and only USDA curing facility where they specialize in dry fermented sausages as well as whole muscle curing and fresh sausages. Joshua hopes to soon open a full scale butcher shop and USDA cutting and distributing plant to do direct trade with local farmers and ranchers as well as provide meat from local farmers to area restaurants.
These two butchers will split a pure bred Berkshire pig from Newman Farm, and get 40 minutes to cut it to spec, and have 15 minutes to freestyle on a whole head. Judging will be based on efficiency, skill, speed, utilization, and profitability of their cutting. We found two of the finest from the trade in the Pacific Northwest to show Seattle what the Butchering trade is all about.

2011-02-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

After the Cochon555 Cutting Competition in Boston, we raffled off the cuts of pork and raised nearly a thousand dollars for the Food Project of Boston. Iliana, who was one of our helpers at the cutting demo, won the pork kidneys. Naturally, upon returning home, she whipped up this masterpiece. Whole hog utilization at its finest. Check out her blog http://www.butchersapprentice.wordpress.com/

I adapted a recipe from Fergus Henderson's The Whole Beast: Beyond Nose to Tail Eating. His recipe calls for lamb kidneys, which are in fact really delicate and sweet, especially when freshly harvested, but I used one lobe of pig kidney, and it was a perfect lunch for one.

1 lobe of pig kidney
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 heaping teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon Coleman's English mustard powder
1 big pinch freshly ground pepper
1 big pinch sea salt
1 knob of butter
a splash of Worcestershire sauce
4-5 tablespoons trotter gear (sticky-delicious pork & chicken stock-jelly: any good chicken stock will do fine)
2 slices rustic crusty bread

Chop the kidney into 1/2-inch pieces, trimming away all white tough bits. Dredge the kidney pieces in the flour and spice mix, tossing to coat well, and shaking to remove excess flour mix. Add to a medium sauté pan once your butter is sizzling, and fry for two to three minutes, tossing so all sides get a little seared. Don't over cook --you want these tasty bits tender. Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce, and then your trotter gear or stock, and toss gently until a creamy sauce forms --don't let the sauce over-reduce!

During these last few minutes, toast your two slices of bread and plate them, pouring the kidney and sauce over the toast. Feast!

http://www.butchersapprentice.wordpress.com/

Retail vs Processor. Mass. vs. N.H., Age vs. Beauty…….

2011-01-27T11:17:00.000-08:00

Retail vs Processor. Mass. vs. N.H., Age vs. Beauty…….
Two of New England’s Finest Butchers square off at Boston Cochon 555

Boston’s Pig Cutting Competition will feature Rick Lemay of Lemay & Sons Beef vs. Tom Daly of Savenor’s Boston. They will be cutting a Hampshire Pig sourced from Adams Farm, in Athol, Mass.
Contestants will be given a half pig and a cut sheet and are judged on time, creativity & skill. After the cut sheet is filled, each butcher will get a whole pig’s head to be as creative with as they want.
Richard Lemay is owner/operator of Lemay & Sons Beef with his wife Yvonne. Their family owned and operated slaughterhouse is in Goffstown, NH was opened in 1963. They do both custom and commercial slaughtering, processing and smoking, and service much of the New England area. They specialize in pig roast, steamship roast, sausages, and are suppliers of local Beef, lamb, and poultry. Richard, the youngest of 6, has been cutting meat for over 20 years. Lemay & Sons Beef, 603.622.0022
Tom Daly is the head butcher of Boston’s well know Savenor’s Market on Beacon Hill. The Boston store was established in 1993, Tom has been cutting meat for several years, and regularly leads classes on butchering.
The cutting begins on Sunday, January 30th at Boston’s Cochon555 at 5.30 sharp! We will raffle off the cuts of pork to benefit Boston’s FOODPROJECT. www.thefoodproject.org

2010-12-21T23:22:00.000-08:00

Cochon 555 Cutting Competition

Over the past few years Americans are returning to the age old concept of a local food supply. But we have come to realized that the disconnect with our food was so large that we almost have to begin again from scratch. We all want local meat, but the supply and networks are difficult to work with after years of factory-meat.

We have seen in the last decade the popularity and celebration of chefs using local foods, and from that, the rise of the local farmer and most recently the glorification of the neighborhood butcher shop’s meat cutters.

But as we try to re-create the local food supply, there is still one intricate part missing from the equation; the butcher. Between the farmer and the chef, lies butcher, the men and woman who transform the livestock into our cuts of meat. The butcher was once a highly coveted union trade, with great pay, job security, respect, and all the pride of any trade that is also considered an art. Today this has changed. Slaughterhouses and processing plants have disappeared and very few are being built. All of our energy in the past six decades is turning the art of butchering into an assembly line, where wages are reduced, the workforce is mobile and expendable, integrity is replaced by yield, and the butcher has been removed from our community and replaced with an unseen factory.

As the networks between local chefs, farmers and consumers strengthens, one thing has been made clear, the men and woman who butcher are a vital component in our food supply, and must be part of our community, just as the chef and farmer are. Butchering animals is not an unskilled job, quite the contrary, it is skilled labor. Very few chefs and even fewer consumers do not know how to break down an animal, nor should they, as it is extremely skilled and precise labor.

We seek out a food system where the journey from farm to table is responsible and in the skilled hands of people from within our community. All hands are pointing towards the butchering industry as the next piece to make the local food equation smooth and sustainable.

The trade of meat cutting and butchering is disappearing where and when we need it most. The slaughterhouses and processing plants have a hard time keeping skilled labor, and often are forced to rely on undertrained or frustrated cutters and butchers who find it difficult to take pride in work that can not pay them a living wage, and in an industry caught in a system that can not progress.

Cochon 555 can not change the system (not yet, anyway), but we can celebrate people who are favorably tilting the scales for our local producers. Years ago, the butcher was a celebrated job, and people regularly discussed cuts of meats with ‘their’ butcher. This period is once again upon us; consumers want to know where their food comes from and who is responsible for it.

What can Cochon555 do?

In order to continue to celebrate the local food movement and work towards a sustainable

food supply, we need to appreciate the people in the industry. In 2011 Cochon 555 will hone in on the men and women in the Slaughterhouses and Processing plants. We want them to share in the fame, the respect, integrity and better working conditions (both pay and job security) that local chefs and farmers are beginning to realize as consumers demand a local and sustainable food supply.

Cochon 555 is seeking the best “finished cutters” – those who can deftly take carcass from whole animal to retail case. We want those who can take whole animals and seamlessly transform it to the whims and desires of our chefs. And we want those who can translate the economic needs of our livestock farmers and balance that with the orders of their customers.

We are looking to the few remaining butchers tucked away local shops, in the back of supermarkets, in packing plants and slaughterhouses, wherever they have been able to find work. Our goal is to celebrate these men and women. To promote them as intricate parts of our food supply. Our aim is to make it a desirable trade and restore the art and integrity once associated with the work. Through the already established network of the local food network we ought to be able to open doors to better wages, more options of workplaces, and raise awareness of the necessity of keeping slaughterhouses and processing plants in the hands of our community. We want butchers to take as much pride in their skills as our chefs and farmers do. This pride will only encourage a growth in skills. This rise in skills will in turn lead to a growth in wages and create more butchering jobs. It has worked in the kitchen and farms, and so we expect it to work in the slaughterhouses and processing plants. In return, we the chefs, retailers, farmers and consumers will get back the last missing piece in a local and sustainable food supply for our proteins.

At Cochon 555, we will offer the following actions and services:

A Whole Pig Cutting Competition

Judged as follows:

25% speed/efficiency

25% knife handling and dexterity of roast tying

25% presentation of oven-ready retail cuts

25% creativity

We will have a “butcher booth”: On hand will be butchers and slaughterhouse workers and owners to discuss their trade. Videos and books will be for sale. Lists of local processing plants will be available for both farmer and chef.

Integration of the butcher into our local and sustainable food world: Our Cochon 555 Judges will also include local slaughterhouse/processing plant owners, managers & workers. They will sit down among noted chefs, media and farmers and judge the glories created by the local chefs.

Too often at our local food events, it is only the chef and farmer who are rubbing elbows with customers, drinking fine wine, and getting all the glory, we invite the butchers to take their rightful place in the limelight, and enjoy the wine, company and eats.

We are looking for underwriting partnerships; please contact sponsor@cochon555.com if you want to be involved.

The farmer, butchers and chefs are all glorified occupations, but the “finished cutter” is at an all time low. We can change the missing link.

2010-12-21T18:33:00.001-08:00

CALLING ALL BUTCHERS!

Pig Cutting Competition at the 2011 COCHON 555. 10 Pigs, 20 Butchers. Who’s the best?

During the National tour of COCHON 555, Protien U will host a cutting competition for butchers. We are seeking out two professional butchers from each region of the ten events (see cities below). Butchers will receive a cut sheet from Protien U and a half a pig. They will have 40 minutes to cut to spec, and be judged on efficiency, skill and style. After 40 minutes a bonus ‘cut’ will be tossed to each butcher to cut as they desire and allow them to show their creativity.

On the road again...

2010-12-17T13:39:00.000-08:00

COCHON 555 is the only heritage pig and chef competition in the U.S. We are proud to announce a ten city tour in 2010 that will showcase 5 chefs, 5 pigs and 5 winemakers in a friendly competition for a cause.

The tour will present heritage breeds in a highly publicized event that serves as an essential link to the preservation of heritage breed pigs while promoting breed diversity in the foodie community.

NOTES FROM THE TOUR

2010-07-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the new King of Porc, David Varley of Washington D.C.'s Bourbon Steak! Ten amazing chefs from different U.S. Cities participated in Grand Cochon. The votes were tallied, crowning Varley, who won a shiny new Grillworks' 42 Asador Grill to get his heritage breed pig on.As for the Taste Network team, we are completely humbled by the support of the chefs, farms, fans and wine enthusiasts that have attended Cochon 555 events across the country. Our mission was to expose consumers to heritage breed pork in an experiential new way....10,000 responded to the pig signal/call and here are just some of the highlights from the past two years:* Served some 140 Whole heritage breed pigs (over 18,000 lbs) thanks to some of the country's finest Chefs* Family owned wineries from California, Oregon, Washington and even Canada participated, pouring wines that make us giddy* Over 200 Judges in 2010 alone including Chris Cosentino, Jaques Pépin, Laura Werlin, Bruce Aidells and many more who positively influence our food community* Providing chefs 50 new breed introductions in top-kitchens nationwide* Ryan Farr of 4505 Meats butchering demos at each event, educating the audience one cut at a time* Xocolatl de David Chicharron Chocolate Bars and the Golden Ticket Contest* Working with the very best Culinary School students including Johnson & Wales to the Culinary Institute of America* Our hero: Alan Benton's bacon and the infamous heritage breed luau pig presented during the events* Launched the Heritage Breed Pig Field Guide, distributing almost 10,000 guides to consumers* A media campaign that helped spread our reach through countless writers, photographers, twitter, bloggers, FoodBuzz, FaceBook, Edible and many other outlets* Book signings by Nicolette Hahn Niman, Steve Sando and Marcia Gagliardi.* Mark and Rita Newman as honored guests at several events, very cool.* Post-event celebrations celebrating whole lamb and hosted by the American Lamb Board (we love whole animal utilization)* Grand Cochon presented by Food + Wine Classic in Aspen and the ten amazing Chefs making for some very special moments...we are still pinching ourselves.What's Next? In the coming months you can expect to see a new merchandise website (Mr. And Ms. Delicious t-shirts anyone?), a new Taste Network project we're keeping a under-wraps for now, Protein University, Primal events in the fall and the 2011 Cochon 555 Tour. Stay tuned...

2010-02-12T13:05:00.001-08:00

I just realized its snowing in Atlanta. Our good friend Craig from Elk Cove is on the way to town for a couple days. The tour is right around a corner and we are working late nights. A special new tour is about to hit the road and we can't wait to share it with you all. Here is the next couple cities, keep scrolling down to learn more about the kickoff in Napa.

10 carnivorous trends to watch in 2010

2010-01-08T08:19:00.000-08:00

COCHON555 has been pushing consumers to invest in flavor by introducing them to more flavorful breeds of pig. Local sourcing from responsible ranches equals more flavor. Across the country and through the ballrooms and over the counters we go... Locally raised meat grown with purpose and passion is gaining momentum. What can you do? Demand more diverse cuts from the butcher, buy house made salami - it's like buying direct from the farm. Here is a nice read.

10 carnivorous trends to watch in 2010

Ramping up the tour invites...

2010-01-07T22:05:00.000-08:00

So far, we have had a great lineup of talent commit to the US Tour. A formal announcement to the media will be released on January 15th. If you are interested in the tour, please visit the website at www.amusecochon.com