The Butcher's Info Blog

Sweet Meats

2012-01-12T09:46:00.005-05:00

Check the label on almost any cured pork products and you will see a form of sugar listed. Sweetness and pork are traditional. Many a holiday ham has been glazed with brown sugar, pineapple, maple syrup, honey etc. Fresh pork dishes are often prepared with sweet fruits such as apples, raisins, pears, apricots and many more. Sugar or sweetness in general have risen to the forefront of the typical palate over the years. We as a culture, have become accustomed to the taste and when it isn't there, many people will find the food is lacking something. Sugar can be considered an addiction of sorts. We find many recipes today adding lots of sugar into savory foods.

Recently I cured a ham with my recipe tha contained water, salt, nitrite, spices and a little dextrose. I cut the dextrose listed in the recipe in half. When the ham was cured I soaked it to release a lot of the salt and then smoked it on and off for a few days. The result was a delicious flavorful ham that didn't over power the taste buds with sugar. I have to admit I did bake it with some coarse chopped onions, a few cloves and a light sprinkle of brown sugar. This added to the taste of the pan gravy and the skin's flavor but didn't add directly to the ham's overall sweetness.

I brought some of the ham to class and we compared it to a commercial sandwich slicing ham that claimed to be cherry wood smoked. First we tasted the slicing ham. Most students found the flavor appealing. I found it to be extremely sweet. Then I gave them my ham. "WOW that is sooo good!" was the comment. Then I asked what was good about it. Explain the flavor. Smoky, rich, savory were some comments. Sweet was not one of them but the results were positive just the same.

For some reason research and development teams have done studies and conducted taste panels that have found sweet sells. The more we sell sweet stuff the more people come to expect it. Sweet is found in loads of savory items. Sweet tomato sauces, crackers, salad dressings, mustards, coated chicken products, sausages, and more. Many of our fresh products are enhanced with sugar also. Butterball turkey, pumped brined pork loins, stewing hens. Our palates are being distorted by sweet. I really can't eat the super sweet ham that most deli counters sell. It tastes like candy to me yet many to many people that is the only flavor of ham they know from childhood so that is what they expect.

What role does sugar play in curing? Primarily sugar or sweetness is added to counter the harshness of salt. It is a flavor agent. Sweetness can also act as a fuel for good bacteria to grow creating acids resulting in the tangy taste we associate with a cured food. Some sugar or sweetness is necessary. But how much and what kind? Dextrose tends to be less sweet than plain sugar while corn syrup tends to be more sweet. My usual recipe for curing is 3 gallons watere, 2lbs of salt, 1 lb of dextrose, 4 oz TCM and then whatever spices I choose. This last recipe I reduced the dextrose to a 1/2 lb and it work out great.

I think another possible reason for the over sweetening of products is so the company can add more salt, resulting in a longer shelf life. Don't get me wrong, I like a peach glazed pork chop, but that is a natural amount of sugar, not a distortion created to placate to the customers palate cravings.

Silverskin Blues

2011-11-13T19:05:00.010-05:00

The other day we had to denude 15 boneless pork loins to make a bunch of clean 4 oz. cutlets. Part of the process is to peel off the silver collagen on the outside of the loin. First I trimmed off the thin fat layer and then carefully inserted the knife under the collagen and peeled it off in strips trying to minimize the amount of meat taken off. This takes time and skill.

Removing collagen from the outside of cuts is something we teach at the CIA for cuts that are going to be sauteed. Denuding beef tenderloins for saute or carpaccio, veal leg sub primals for cutlets or scallopine, pork loins for medallions, or lamb loins for noisette, is part of the skill set a trained chef or butcher needs for creating refined meat portions. The skill also applies to fish butchery. Peeling a salmon is a common task that our students learn in the seafood class. Peeling a salmon and denuding a porkloin are cleaned very differently with the salmon laid skin side down and flat on the table while the loin is peeled skin up. So while peeling the loin I decided to see what would happen if I flipped it over and tried to clean it like a salmon. After a few gouges and mis-fires I got the hang of it. Instead of a thin section removed I got almost all of the silver off in one shot. It was not easy but it was fast! So next time your peeling a thick collagen band off a piece of meat, think like a fish butcher and flip it over, skin side down.

Large processors no longer peel either siver skin on meat or salmon skin. Today we have automated skinning machines that can do the job in seconds. The salmon skinner is super fast and requires basically no skill. Meat skinners require a little skill and the worker must where special gloves that shut off the machine if contact is made.

Knife Knowledge

2011-06-18T09:16:00.008-04:00

The other day I sharpened an antique knife for a friend. It was a small butcher knife that read "High Carbon" on the face. It was stained and old looking but the handle was in great shape. Once I put it to the 4000 grit stone the edge came back to life and the thing was like a razor when I finished. I brushed a tiny bit of mineral oil on it and gave it back to my friend.

Recently I had a student ask if they could bring in their own knives rather than the school issued brand. I said it would be fine as long as they were suitable for butchery. The next day he came in with two very expensive Japanese knives that were made of "layered" steel. The edge was amazingly sharp and the knife worked very well.

The discovery of high carbon steel was truly an amazing breakthrough for knives and the ability to harden them made for much longer lasting edges. Knife blades are a combination of metals that all combine for specific purposes. There are a variety of metals used, but the primary one used today for most commercial knives is steel. Steel is composed of a variety of ingredients which can change the structure of the edge. Here is a list of knife blade ingredients used to create steel:

CARBON - a mineral that is added to iron to change it into steel. Carbon helps harden steel. The higher the carbon content, the harder the steel and the finer you can get the edge.

MANGANESE – also adds toughness and ability to harden.

CHROMIUM – Steel will rust and corrode and chromium boosts adds resistance to corrosion and staining.

VANADIUM - creates a fine grain in steel when heat treated.

MOLYBDENUM - used to increase toughness in steel and allows for more flexibilty

TUNGSTEN – a very hard metal that creates a fine yet dense steel structure.

Steel “recipes” are patented and owned by specific knife companies. Many Japanese, German, American and Swiss companies for instance own their steel patents and create knives that are unique to them. A layered knife is basically a very hard brittle steel at the core surrounded by softer steel to support it and give it some flexibility and stain resistance. A quality knife will have a combination of metals that will provide a quality edge that will last but also resistance to destructive acids, salts etc. found in many foods. Company trade secrets and techniques for creating these edges mean that the prices can be very high. A super quality Japanese blade can cost over $1,000 for a chef knife. But there are many knives well under that price that do a great job. Personally I use a bunch of different brands of reasonable knives that are typically used in the meat industry. Brands such as Victorinox, Sanelli, Giesser, Frost, Dexter all put out decent knives for low prices( $20 - $40). They all hold an edge pretty well but are by no means the same as the layered knives previously mentioned.

Along with the type of knife metal, the edge and body may have texture added to enhance the knives performance. Many knife companies now sell knives that are scalloped or “hollow” meaning there are a series of scalloped sections along the body extending to the edge. This provides for less friction when cutting and can also result in a sharper edge. This is a different technology than a “never dulling” serrated edge, such as that found on some bread knives. Serrated knives will damage meat so its best to leave them off the butcher block.

Beyond the steel edge another factor to consider is the knife handle. First compare handle materials. Some knives come with a smooth grip ebony handles. These will work fine if your hands are dry and fat free but often can get slippery. Some of the very expensive knives I’ve worked with had a riveted ebony handle I found too thin and uncomfortable for butchery, like the wrong shoes! Smooth handle knives are good for vegetable cutting and repetitive chopping but not the best for tight gripped butchering.
There are knives with plastic handles that vary in thickness and density. I often look for a textured handle like those found on a mountain bike grip, large and easy to hold with a great grip even if a little wet. Others will have a molded hard plastic that may feel a little unnatural if your hand is the wrong size.
Another option is the wooden handle. These can develop some texture over time and have a natural worn-in feel. I grew up cutting with wooden handled knives and they feel natural to me. But wooden handles can be damaged by prolonged moisture exposure so they need to be kept dry and an application of mineral oil is a good idea from time to time.
I’ve also worked with a very expensive Global knife from Japan. This single molded steel handled knife was basically one piece of hardened steel forming the handle and the blade. The handle is textured with little divots and was built into the knife. It had a good feel and the edge was incredible but it was cold and got a little slippery when wet. I couldn’t get a really good grip on it unless I kept my hand dry. Many chefs swear by these knives so again, it’s a matter of choice. Here are the basic choices for knife handles:

Hard textured plastic : durable, lightweight, many styles
Soft textured plastic: great grip, wear slightly faster, very comfortable
Riveted hard ebony: durable, many brands are thin, slippery when wet
Textured metal : very durable, cold, slippery when wet, will not burn!
Wood: damaged by moisture, “breaks in” to your hand, warm

To decide if a knife fits your hand, grip it like you are shaking someone’s hand and if your fingers fit snug and extend all the way around to the soft part of the palm the knife fits. A knife handle that is too small will feel slightly loose and will have the fingers overlapping when wrapped around the handle. A knife that is too small can lead to slippage and also fatigue. A knife that is too big can also be dangerous and can lead to loss of grip and fatigue. You’ll know when a knife is too big if your fingers don’t wrap around it securely. It will feel bulky and awkward. This can result in a dangerous loss of grip. When purchasing a knife be sure to sample a few to make sure the fit is good. Some knives have a sloping handle that enables the cutter to “choke up” on the knife and actually hold the blade with the thumb and forefinger giving the cutter more control. This technique is used for fancy smaller cuts like those done on poultry.

Whether you buy a knife for $10 or $1,000 be sure to understand what that knife will do for you. Its like skis or bikes ( can't help but think about those) If you buy a $8,000 downhill mountain bike to ride the railtrail you are simply wasting money.

Grass Fed Fat?

2011-06-05T19:04:00.007-04:00

About two years ago we got in a local beef that was range fed. I wanted to show the class what a grass fed beef looked like and how it tasted. This one was a deep red color and had so little fat I thought it was an old dairy cow. It was a Scottish Highland breed which is supposed to be a great grass feeder, being small and able to eat a lot of forage. Obviously the grower didn't exactly know how to raise beef and was just tapping into the "local" marketing.

Last year I had the opportunity to see Red Devon beef that were raised outside of New Paltz, NY. The pair of stocky steer had been feeding on a lush pasture for most of the summer and looked very healthy. About three weeks later I was at Fleisher's in Kingston and they were cutting the Devons. The exterior fat was thick and the rib eyes were loaded with marbling, to the point of excess. I got to sample a small piece and the flavor was complex and delicious while the tenderness was also very good. ( View the photo below)

Last week I attended a seminar put on by the NY Beef Industry Council. It was hosted by Brookfield Farms near Hartford NY. The farm is owned by Ami Goldstein (a CIA grad!) and is managed by her daughter Jen. The seminar was wide ranging and focused on various aspects of the beef industry. But what I found interesting was the Jen had begun rotationally grazing the cattle and found that they were fattening on grass and only needed a little grain towards the end of their feeding to finish them to a very high quality.

Finally I toured one of the world's finest meat purveyors, Debragga and Spitler in NYC, where my former TA Kevin McCann is a manager. He showed me a bunch of dry aged perfect super prime beef and also some dry aged Wagyu. We were walking through one cooler and he stopped by a really well marbled carcass. "This is pure grass-fed from the Finger Lakes region" he said. It once again proved you can fatten on pure grass. ( view photo of Finger Lakes grass fed)

The preception of grass fed is that it will be very lean, tough and dry tasting with a strong gamey flavor. There have been a lot of articles written on the taste differences with chefs or tasters likes and dislikes. Its always the same, grass fed vs. grain fed but no real info on what sort of grass fed. I find grass fed varies greatly depending on how and where it was raised. You wouldn't simply compare French wine to a US wine. You would be much more specific, region, grape etc. Tasting grass fed beef is similar. You need to know what breed it is and where it came from, how was it pastured. Summertime grass or well fermented haylage can provide the nutrients needed for fattening. Breed figures into it but most of your typical meat breeds will do OK on grass ; Angus and heritage breeds that are not in the mainstream do very well. Breeds such as Red Devon, Belted Galloway, Scottish Highland all can fatten on grass. But the grass is the important part. High energy grass that is not overgrazed will yield fat cattle. With the summer season in full swing and the farmer's markets starting to rev up, look for some quality fatty grass fed. Tell those that are trying to sell the super lean stuff to make some grind.

Pale Soft Exudative Pork

2011-03-06T07:57:00.007-05:00

On days when we talk about pork in class there is often an acronym, PSE, used to describe low quality pork. The other day, while working on pork, we found at least 25% of the classes pork butts were very soft and mushy without much marbling. I stated that these were PSE and would not be a very high quality dining experience when eaten. PSE or Pale Soft and Exudative refers to the initial color and texture of the meat and is not caused by microbes or virus, it is more of a condition. In pork, fat and meat should be firm when chilled and the color can range from a light pink to a darker, almost red color and still be considered quality. Some breeds will have a lighter color and also the age and diet of the animal will have something to do with it. But PSE pork will lose some of its natural color and become a light blotchy pink. Its meat will be soft and jello-like and the fat will be very mushy also. If you place an opened cut of PSE pork in a pan it will ooze ( exudate) moisture and in a vacuum bag will exhibit excessive purge. When cooked PSE pork will dry out much faster when cooked and will not hold a brine or process well.

PSE is caused by a sudden drop in pH levels during chilling which causes cells to leak out moisture. http://www.asas.org/symposia/0601.pdf The fact that PSE pork has a low pH actually means it is preserved somewhat. The level of pH is part of what is considered when curing meat such as salami. Pork with a pH of around 6 is ideal where PSE pork is nearer to 5.

So what causes the sudden drop in pH? Hogs will sometimes get a condition known as PSS or Porcine Stress Sydrome. This is usually a heritable condition that has been passed on through the gene pool. Pigs that typically have PSS have what is known as the Halothane gene, and will be prone to the disease but will not always dsiplay it. Normal pigs that don't have the gene for PSS sometimes become super stressed when transported or placed in new pens before slaughter and will also turn PSE. Its a tricky thing. PSE is caused both by genetics and also environment. Weather also can be a contributor. Hot humid weather tends to trigger it too. Any dramatic weather changes can cause it. The incidence of PSE are higher in summer months than in others. Stunning and slaughter facilities can contribute to it too. If pigs are stressed at the time of slaughter they can show it at a higher rate. Pigs that are miss handled even for a short time right before slaughter can show signs.

Some farmers claim that hogs that are more sensitive to stress are those that have no entertainment. The hog in the wild is a scavenger that needs to root out its food and dig up earth. They bask in the sun when its not too hot and create wallows when it is. If they are stuck in concrete pens they get bored and understimulated leading to a stress prone pig. Hogs that are given more stimulation tend to be easier going when it comes to slaughter time.

Not all PSE is the same. There are varying levels of it. A hog that goes through slaughter may appear normal but may end up showing some PSE condition in its final cuts. One side of the pig may have it while the other not so much. Severe jello - like conditions are almost always from pigs that have the PSS gene whereas slight PSE will be in normal pigs that were handled poorly before slaughter. Also the chilling temperature can have an effect after the hog is slaughtered. If the temperature is not brought down quick enough, PSE like conditions can set in. There is also another condition known as RSE ( Red Soft and Exudative) where the pork is looking more like quality pork but still has the mushy texture. I have seen this quite a bit lately too.

So why were 25% of the pork butts at some level of PSE or RSE in my class? The pork came from the midwest and it could be the recent swings in weather had some effect. Maybe that particular load came from hogs that could have been jostled around in the truck. But there could be a systemic reason for it. In the late 1980s hogs that were considerably leaner were introduced into herds. These hogs tended to be carriers for the halothane gene, thinking they would be better producers of lean. This web site explains the entire problem quite well. http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/swine/facts/04-053.htm The Landrace pig known for its fast growth and leaner muscle was found to be a carrier of the gene more often than other breeds. This breed still influences our herds today. This is not to say that all Landrace are going to have PSE or that any of the popular heirloom breeds can't have it. Any pig can have it but the trend towards leaner hogs has certainly increased the instance of stressed hogs. From my observations the small market heirloom breeds I've worked with lately simply don't have it. They are solid and the fat is super firm.

Another issue could be the use of hog food additives such as Paylean which are designed to increase muscle mass. Ractopamine is active ingredient that is used to create the larger hogs. In general Paylean makes pigs prone towards stress if handled poorly. If overused or used incorrectly it can create fatigued hogs that are no longer ambulatoryrequiring more aggressive methods to get them to slaughter. Paylean does not cause a pH drop or color change directly but if the hog is more prone towards stress because of it then indirectly it could have a negative PSS effect. The effect of super lean pork is a dry cooking product even if it isn't exudative.

Here is the website from Paylean and they state that it has no negative effects on pork color or tenderness and helps to improve yield scores. http://payleanpays.ca/pdfs/Paylean%20Technical%20Reference%20Guide.pdf My issues are with overly lean pork. Too lean and no flavor, that simple.

Another protection against PSE is to inject sodium bicarbonate into the carcass right after slaughter to adjust the pH level. This effectively stops the effects of PSE. Hormel Corporation is licensed to produce sodium bicarbonate treated pork for certain products. http://nationalhogfarmer.com/news/farming_pork_quality_2/

Whether you buy large name pork or pork from a local farmer PSE can be an issue. I've seen pork that had great marbling and solid fat in the same bag as jello pork. I wish large companies would isolate the higher quality non-PSE pork and sell it as such. I find that my local producers are raising a very high quality but very fatty pork and rarely see any PSE. My nephew raised hogs that we slaughtered and chilled. One had a slight exudation probably due to the chill time but its flavor was far superior to any pork I've eaten this year. They were very happy hogs indeed.

COCHON 555 NYC 2011

2011-01-24T20:06:00.013-05:00

Back in December my friend Michael Sullivan, the butcher from The Inn at Blackberry Farm, asked if I could get some volunteer students to help at the opening of this year's Cochon 555 on Jan 23rd 2011. Cochon 555 is a ten city tour competition and it's purpose is to bring awareness to heritage breed pigs and small market farmers. It features five outstanding chefs, five breed of pig and five quality vintners all combining for a great time. At each tour location a winner is selected by a panel of judges and they will later compete at the final in Aspen to see who is the king or queen of pork! http://www.cochon555.com/menu/mission/ The founder of Cochon 555, Brady Lowe, then asked if I would like to conduct a demo and be one of 20 judges for the event. Hard to resist!

The event was amazing. The five chefs were given their hogs about a week or so ahead and were asked to prepare a nose to tail menu. The rules are pretty basic, prepare as many dishes that utilize the whole pig and present it with an explanation. The chefs presented at the judges table, giving a description of each item. The NYC chefs included Bill Telepan from Telepan Restaurant, Sean Rembold from Marlow and Sons, George Mendes from Aldea Restaurant, Peter Hoffman from Savoy, and the winner of this round Brad Farmerie from Public Restaurant. All presented amazing dishes and showcased their creative abilities with numerous braises, terrines, soups, crisps, pastries, pork infused everything!

Part of the mission of Cochon 555 is to showcase heritage breeds of swine and the assortment of pigs represented didn't disappoint. The pork used were all from unique niche market growers using their own particular feeding styles. There was Berkshire from Raven and Boar which was raised similar to pigs used for Parma ham, feeding them whey from cheesemaking. The Mangalitsa pig came from Mosefund Farm which Michael Clampfer feeds a diet partially of barley and acorns. There was also a Rede Wattle from Heritage Foods USA, an Old Spot pig from Flying Pig Farm and a Duroc cross from Fleischer's of Kingston. There was also a couple of butchery demos, one by yours truly featured a milk fed "porcelet de lait" mid sized pig from St. Canut Farm in Quebec which was provided by D'Artagnan distributors. The other was a competition demo between two Lowell Carson and Jose Manuel Alarcon featured a large Berkshire raised by Mark Newman of Newman Farm.

Twenty two students from the Culinary Institute of America joined the action as volunteers. The meatroom MIT Spencer Lee helped organize it and we all met at the location, The Lighthouse at Chelsea Pier. The students did a great job helping with the chefs in the kitchen, preparing appetizers, serving and generally were there when hands were needed. In return they got a chance to mingle and network with the chefs, farmers, winemakers and all of the guests.

Besides the heritage pork dishes there was a fine display of cheese presented by Murray's Cheese and wonderful charcuterie fromDebragga and Spitler. There was also some Black River Caviar Oesetra from Uraguay and Island Creek Oysters but I somehow managed to miss that tasting.

The wineries were also well representedby Copain Wine Cellars, Alysian winery, Elk Cove Vineyards, Failla Wines and Scholium Project. I enjoyed the Savignon Blanc from Scholium Project. It was slightly cloudy with super strong apricot tones that made you think it was going to be overpowering but it was very pleasant and went very well with the rich pork.

On a final note Bobby Hellen of Resto brought in a roast half hog that was carved and served on a waffle that was sooo delicious. My own demo pig, the porcelet was boned and rolled with porcetta spices and roasted. Its skin was a perfect wafer thin crisp.

Cochon555 moves on to Boston next weekend and then on from there. Check out their site. www.cochon555.com

Popular Cuts and Percentages

2010-12-19T09:05:00.010-05:00

I recently heard someone talk about the wonderful flavor of the oyster steak. The oyster, which sits on the outside of the aitch bone on the beef carcass weighs only about 6 -8 ounces. On a 800 pound carcass this is a tiny percentage to say the least. Back in 1998 a project funded by the Beef Checkoff program and conducted by the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, http://bovine.unl.edu/ was completed . The purpose was to analyze the entire beef carcass according to the isolated individual muscle as opposed to larger multi muscled cuts that chefs are familiar with commercially. Each individual muscle was subjected to the Warner Bratzler test which detects tenderness. The discoveries were an awakening for the beef industry. Instead of cross cutting through each large section of the carcass, muscles were isolated and sold as "new" cuts. Old world butchers and various cultures around the world have been doing this for years. Often a European chef will ask for a cut that is not the same here in the US. These cuts are smaller and more difficult to isolate than the typical cutting style. An example would be the "flat iron" steak which was isolated from the shoulder clod. The upside of this research is a higher profit margin from the entire carcass. The downside is the problem when one of these small cuts gains in popularity to the point where the cost becomes prohibitive. If a restaurant decides to put a small isolated cut on the menu, such as the Teres Major or Petite Tender, which weighs about a pound, and it becomes a popular item, the price may shoot up. If the menu states "petite tender" then the restaurant cannot substitute with another cut that might work instead.

Middle meat cuts such as the tenderloin, strip loin and rib eye have always been more expensive because of their tenderness, flavor and also shape, that is conducive for portion cutting. A completely cleaned and denuded tenderloin only weighs about 4 pounds so in a 800 pound carcass there is only 8 pounds of tenderloin medallions. Wow! The larger tougher cuts from the round and chuck take up a much larger percentage of the carcass. Recently I have encountered the rib eye divided into its main eye muscle and its tender cap piece, reducing its size and raising its price. I'm not suggesting these are bad ideas. These are very tender cuts and wonderful for flavor and plate presentation but the chef must realize the cost and reduce the portion size. A 6-8 oz portion should suffice on these cleaned isolated cuts.

How does this relate to other meats? Another cut that is very popular but is a low percentage of the whole is the veal hind shank. There are only 6-8 quality bone-in portions of veal hind shank osso buco available in a 400 lb veal carcass. Veal osso buco maintains its popularity and cannot be substituted with another cut so the price is high, over $8.00 per lb. Another example is the boneless eye muscle of the lamb loin. It weighs only a little over a pound from a 70 pound carcass.

As a chef decides what meat to put on the menu they are often confronted with the many options available today. A menu that is locked into a specific cut makes it very difficult to buy a larger cut and be able to utilize all of the other leftover parts. Its even harder to purchase a full carcass as many local farmers and small processors like to sell. How can a chef put a single item such as loin medallions on the menu when it is such a small portion of the whole carcass? It is the dilemma many chefs encounter when considering local meats. A menu designed with larger cuts or full carcasses in mind requires the overlapping of uses and maybe stockpiling some cuts in the freezer. Its a different mindset.

A chef may also often wonder why a specific cut is expensive. Prices of individual cuts are all based on the full carcass. If a certain small cut is unnoticed then its prices remains low. A chef should be flexible with menu items to realize the most profit. Or, at the very least, keep up with price fluctuations to adjust the menu prices.

Hog Start to Finished!

2010-11-26T20:38:00.011-05:00

My Nephew, Austin Schneller raised 4 hogs for this year. They were born in spring and reached a little over 6 months. He fed them a combination of oats, alfalfa hay, corn, table scraps, garden scraps, pumpkins, apples, lots of acorns and a few Dunkin Munchkin treats. They lived in a nice large pen about twenty by forty feet on a rocky ledge with plenty of muddy places to wallow and a nice hay strewn shed to hang out in when it was hot or rainy. Oak and hickory trees cover the plot and drop their nuts right over the hogs. This year there was a phenomenal acorn crop. I have a few large oaks in my own yard and raked up a few 5 gallon buckets for them. Pigs love acorns, especially those from white oaks. They also like hickory nuts and can crunch them up without trouble. They escaped their pen a couple times and foraged the local woods for a few days ( hence the Munchkins to lure them back.)

All in all it cost Austin just over $2,000 to raise them. Each hog ended weighing about 300 lbs dressed carcass, with two slightly smaller, so they ended up costing a fair amount. But cost was only part of it, Austin was going for ultimate quality. Austin contracted with a few people who bought them for a price they all previously agreed upon.

These pigs didn't need an antibiotic or any other pharmaceuticals other than worming, because they started out healthy and lived an active robust life. All foraging pigs need to wormed a couple times because they can pick up parasites from the ground they root in. These were last wormed back in August.

The hogs were Hampshire Landrace crossbreeds from a quality herd. They were mostly black with a large white stripe around their middles. They were extremely marbled and had a cover fat of well over an inch on the loin. The bellies were large and almost two inches thick. The meat color was a deeper red than most pork. The fat melted in my hands and was creamy smooth. The flavor was rich and full...porky!

Last Saturday, Nov 20th, we did the slaughter. My father Robert, my brother Rick, nephews Quinn and Dean along with a few other strong armed friends were up to the task. We had a core group that knew the process. Harvesting hogs is a fair amount of work with each part of the process as important as the next. First they are stunned with a 22 caliber rifle; then bled. My nephew Dean was the "sticker", hitting the main blood vessel in the neck. I did the first one and he did the rest. Hogs need to be bled out correctly and soon after stunning to ensure there is no blood "splash" or broken capillaries in the lean muscle. Then we scalded the hogs, dipping in 150F water for a few minutes to loosen off all their hair. This requires some heavy lifting and shackling to be sure the hair is loosened. Then the scraping, which is done by all, at once, using bell shaped scrapers and knives. The hair was becoming thick due to the cold fall weather making this process difficult.

Once cleaned on the outside it was time for the evisceration. Removing the entrails of a pig is careful work. First the gambrels are opened along each foot and the heavy rope is hooked to the "spreader". Each foot is hooked up and then the hog is lifted using a pulley to a height where its nose is just about 3 inches from the ground. A sharp knife is required to cut the skin carefully but not pierce the intestines or other vitals. This work is a little rough for those who have never been around it. For me, I sort of set myself outside of the situation and just do it, similar to a surgeon. Just apply the skills learned and don't think about the gore etc. I had the opportunity to teach Austin's friend Jesse how it was done. Jesse had worked as a cook in the famous Fore Street Cafe in Portland Maine where whole hogs, already cleaned and eviscerated, were brought in from local farms from time to time to be cut and used. He had worked with cutting the meat etc but had never done the whole thing from live to finished carcass. We salvaged the liver, kidneys, heart and caul fat but we didn't feel like cleaning out the intestines. Then we loosened off the leaf lard so it would be easy to use when it hardened.

The next step was to split the carcass which requires a cut directly down the spine and no more than a 1/4 inch wide. A couple years ago we came across a new method of splitting, we used a thin long handled Japanese pull saw which slowly but very accurately cuts through the back bones.

Finally the two sides are lifted off the spreader and rope simultaneously, requiring teamwork and strength. We hung the sides in the barn and hoped for cold weather. Sunday it was cold, high around forty and low of twenty seven. Monday reached a high of over fifty but never over forty five in the barn. Austin set up fans to keep the air moving. We hung them until the Friday after Thanksgiving and by that time the fat had set up beautifully. This process of allowing the meat to hang is crucial. The carcass must stretch out and set up before it should be cut. This is one of the key lessons to Austin's quality pork. Let them chill and set up for a few days and the meat develops a very nice flavor. If the weather is right, I would hang the loin with the skin on for about three weeks for a very deep concentrated pork taste.

We cut the hogs a little out of the ordinary. Two of the hams were made into large steamships for Christmas dinners. The other hams were seamed and turned into roasts, with the top round well trimmed for cutlets. We cut the foreshanks into osso buco. The shoulders were boned out using seam butchery rather than the straight through the muscle techniques used by large commercial processors. We cut off the chine bones of the loin and then hand cut the pork chops; no band saw work here! The huge bellies and jowls were rubbed with the salt recipe for bacon and then were pressed together for later smoking. Some of the fatback was saved for cured lardon and most was cut and rendered to lard for frying. Some of the bones were roasted for a stock and later reduced to a sort of pork glace. Some of the fatty pieces were saved for making, fresh breakfast sausage, smoked liverwurst and country pates. My dad took the heads and will make homemade headcheese and scrapple. He also took the hearts, sliced them into thin strips and made a Hungarian soup with lots of paprika and sourcream.

While cutting the pigs we threw a few slices into the pan, CIA meat class style, just salt and pepper and a hot skillet. The taste was so satisfying!

The idea of raising a pig and then harvesting it is not all that fascinating. Its a lot of work and requires a fair amount of equipment and some valuable knowledge for it to go well. Many parts of the process could go wrong and ruin the whole plan. Austin is getting to the point where he is now growing a true artisan pork. A flavor so deep and rich accomplished partly by the breed but mostly by the feed style and the space allowed. The taste of place or terrior if I must use that word. His pigs taste of the place they were grown. All of the feeds came from farms nearby ( except the rare Dunkin Munchkin). They also taste so good because of the techniques used during the harvest and the aging after, and then the curing and spices used on the food itself. The garden fresh sage, the local hardwoods used for smoking, all playing a part in the taste. But there is something else about the pork we were tasting. It was about the age old traditions of families getting together during harvest times to put up food for the coming year. It was about the culmination of all that hard work finally paying off. Its about looking at what we eat and saying well there you go, I made that! Not just bought the ingredients and cooked it, but really made it from start to finish. Its about developing a product that not everyone is going to taste. I felt honored to have helped in this process and to taste such a treat. Congrats to Austin on a very successful hog harvest!

Cutting Boards...Polymer vs Maple

2010-10-17T20:18:00.009-04:00

Years ago the local health department came through my kitchen and told me I should think about removing all of the wooden cutting boards that we had on our line. " Plastic is better, easier to clean" the inspector said. I always resisted for a few reasons. First, I was in busniess and we didn't see the need to replace anything that wasn't broken unless there was a monetary benefit. Second the wooden cutting boards were nicer on the knives. I find the plastic boards take the edge off faster, especially when doing a lot of chopping, such as mincing garlic or parsley. Third was simply aesthetics, the wooden boards looked warmer, more "homemade" so if we took a photo of a rustic dish with a wooden board it just looked better. So which is best?

Today I work on large plastic tables in the meatroom at the CIA. They are used by three seperate classes daily. There are thousands of little nicks and dings and a few larger saw cuts from the many classes that have used them over the past 5 0r 6 years, since they were last replaced. We wash them and sanitize them each night, then allow them to air dry in a cold room.

So which is better? First lets talk about what they actually are. Plastic cutting boards are made of polyethelene and can be made in a variety of thicknesses. Over time they get nicks and cuts in them which can harbor bacteria, making them difficult to sanitize. There are some that claim antibacterial surface but the effectiveness of this is questionable. Most carry a warning stating "This product does not protect against bacteria". Once the antibacterial board is cut into bacteria will also be found in it. Plastic boards can be planed and resurfaced if thick enough, getting rid of all the nicks. Cleaning plastic can be done in a dish machine if small enough to fit which sterilizes the surface. Another aspect of plastic boards is they can be colored to designate uses; yellow for poultry, green for vegis, white for meat etc. Super thin plastic cutting mats can be used for small portable cutting and these can also be washed in a machine. Plastic boards can be sanitized with harsh chemicals such as bleach and then rinsed thoroughly whereas wood will absorb the flavor of the chemical.

Wooden cutting boards are made of hardwoods that have a tight grain. Maple is most typical, hickory is possible also, teak and other tropical woods are found but very expensive. Oaks' grain is too wide enabling moisture to penetrate. Pine and other fir trees are way too soft and fragile. Bamboo is cut and layered to make a very hard board that resists cuts but can dull knives somewhat. Bamboo boards can be light and thin and very easy to clean. Wooden boards can be cleaned with abrasive scrubbers such as steel wool which actually take a tiny layer off, healing the board's cuts. Maple boards resist bacterial growth and are found to be safer than a over-used plastic board but wooden boards cannot be allowed to be continually moist or soaked in sinks. They can split and mold can form in the cracks. Wooden boards can be planed, also to resurface. They must be kept dry and may require an occassional conditioning with mineral oil. I have seen old school butcher shops pour salt on their boards every night and then wipe it off in the morning to kill any harmful bacteria. Small wooden cutting boards can be sanitized in a microwave. Wood is also a "green" renewable resource as opposed to plastic.

Another type of board is made from rubber. Two inch thick rubber boards are expensive but feature some of the best of both worlds. They can be sanatized like plastic but won't dull your knives as easily. Rubber is also renewable. They can warp but they also can be heated in an oven to be reshaped. Rubber boards "heal" like wood so the small cuts seal back up keeping it free of bacteria harboring nicks.

When chopping with the cleaver, plastic and rubber boards will be damaged. Normal wooden boards will chip and damage also but the maple "chopping" block is designed for it. The grain is set so the cleaver is chopping down into it as opposed to across.

Whatever board you choose its imperative that it is cleaned correctly and replaced when worn. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages and inital cost plays a part in the decision. I welcome any comments on this and ideas from you.

Butcher Skills for Restaurant Chefs

2010-10-08T06:53:00.006-04:00

A meatcutter in a large packing plant can fabricate an enormous amount of meat in a single day. They have the advantage of the "assembly line" arrangement with all of modern techniques and equipment. For instance, the task of boning a leg of lamb and tying it into a roast is done over and over by a single person working off of a moving conveyor belt. The cutter doesn't need to carry anything or move from his or her spot. The its a simple 1-2-3 step proceedure, pull the leg off the conveyor belt, bone it out and throw it back on, and then the roast is formed and netted by someone else. On larger cuts, such as beef, the task may be aided by hydrolic pullers and tools specifically designed to reduce stressful labor and increase speed of fabrication. The result is a product that is cut accurately to industry specs that is standardized and available from purveyors with regularity. The same goes for portion cut items. Steaks and chops are cut on machines that can regulate thickness and weight and done in huge volume so the processor can pick out all of the like-sized portions for accuracy. You can buy a perfect 10 oz striploin steak over and over.

So why would a chef decide to do any fabrication in house? There is no way to match the speed of the large plants and they would need to pay someone to do it. But the restaurant chef that has some butchery skills has an advantage over those that don't. They can custom cut things that are outside the norm such as instead of simply boning the leg of lamb they can french off the end of the shank, remove all other bones, stuff the interior and then tie it to create a look that is unique. Meat cutting, especially on the small custom restaurant or meat market level can go in directions that a large processor can not possibly do. Other examples are chefs who dabble in curing meats. A ham, custom partially boned in the true prosciutto style, leaves the femur and shank intact but the aitch bone removed except for a little corner of it to protect the interior from mold. You can't buy this from a large processor. All sorts of little tricks and custom ideas can be done to maximize yields, create unique looks, convert tougher cuts to tender all by butchery skill.

Another situation invloves chefs that want to sell meat from a small local processor. Most small processors cut meat from local farms but cut for retail freezer orders. They focus on quick volume band saw work which may not be good for a restaurant. Today we find some chefs buying the entire primal cut and breaking it down themselves. This enables them to utilize all of the trim, bones and even fat to make a large variety of sauces and dishes that wouldn't occur if they purchased pre-cut items. This cutting requires a lot of skill and time. There is no assembly line. Meats need to be cut on a large table instead of off the hook. Meats are out in a warmer environment than in a meat plant so spoilage is an issue. Crosscontamination can occur if proper care isn't taken. But the end result can be a taste and texture that is as signature as a fine pastry or a great sauce. A restaurant that custom cuts their meat can use the fact on the menu or in advertising. Even an inexpensive bistro can offer an in-house ground burger that is made from whole muscle cuts rather than buying pre-ground beef that may have contamination.

I must admit that I am partial to chefs cutting some or all of their meat in-house, afterall I have trained a lot of them. I also realize in many situations such as very high volume hotels or casinos can't possibly do all their fabrications but there are often ways to save money or create new presentations by custom cutting.

Buying local:Right way, wrong way, NO way!

2010-09-03T18:26:00.007-04:00

At the CIA we are buying some local meat for our St Andrews Restaurant. We have found that the Hudson Valley has a large variety of meats raised by farms within 60 miles of our location including, beef, lamb, pork, poultry and even some veal. We have been getting beef from two producers Meiller's in Pine Plains and Rykowskis in Rosendale NY. Both have quality beef breeds, Meiller's has some very nice Angus and Rykowski has Hereford. These livestock are on pasture and are supplemented with corn and fermented silage which fattens them up. Meillers has been reaching high choice marbling scores and Rykowskis are reaching at least select levels. We have aged the striploins and rib eyes from both with great success. With both of these farmers, sometimes the marbling is high, sometimes low but the cattle are young enough to still have fine fibers and therefore a quality meat.

I have experienced some very high quality strictly grass fed beef from a grower in mid state NY that had the distinct grass flavor but also some marbling. The rib eye we sampled was tender and savory. An innovator in this field is a company called TallGrass in Kansas. http://www.tallgrassbeef.com/ Bill Kurtis, ownner, has a philosophy of raising quality beef on pasture and is gaining some market share. Jo Robinson, the pasture feeding advocate, describes a good pasture fed beef farmer as more of a grass farmer, growing a high quality grass as the main food stuff.

In past posts I wrote about Scottish Highland cattle and their ability to fatten on grass and forage. They have a very fine fiber and produce a lower fat but quality meat. They are not typically raised commercially due to their excessive furry coat and very large horns but there are numerous farms throughout the US that do raise and sell their meat. NY state has over 35 farms registered as raising Highland cattle and many more in New England and Pennsylvania.

Recently we recieved a pasture raised Highland that was raised in Rhinebeck NY. It was not what I expected. The beef had absolutely no fat on the exterior and no marbling at all!. Surely this was not inducative of what this breed represents. It was by no means quality, but not because of the breed but how it was raised. The term "grass fed" doesn't simply mean the animal is allowed to roam a pasture and eat down all the grass, even though this is what, many people believe. High quality grass fed is placed on ripe fresh grass and then moved from pasture to pasture to insure the animal gets plenty of nutrition, even to the point of marbling. I have tasted numerous grass fed steaks that had marbling and might have graded low choice. I understand that Highland cattle develop less fat and maybe it was that it was an extermely hot time of year but this was a waste.

Another issue was the lack of USDA inspection. Farmers can be exempt from USDA inspection if they are selling directly to the end user. The meat must be stamped "NOT FOR SALE" as was the case on or carcass. I called the NY Ags and Markets dept. to confirm my suspicion. This meat was not legal for sale in a restaurant. But what about using it for demo in a school setting? The meat would have been consumed by students, therefore it would be considered part of their meal plan and in effect would have been sold to them, making it illegal.

The third issue was the price. I know that locally grown, fully pastured beef is going for a high price these days but this 500 lb carcass was over $3,000! I recognize the need for farmers to recoup their investment but this seemed excessive, especially considering the quality of the meat.

Lessons learned? Know your farmer if buying local. Local does not simply mean better! Be sure to purchase inspected meat if selling it in a restaurant or shop. Uninspected farmer's market meats are ok for home cooks that are not re-selling but a chef needs to be more cautious.

This post by no means was meant to discourage the use of quality grass fed beef or heritage Highland cattle but there is a right way and a wrong way to buy local meat and there was NO way we could use this example.

Over grazed pasture.

Angus Veal is Real!

2010-08-09T09:34:00.008-04:00

Veal in the US is traditionally from Holstein cattle due to the fact that it is primarily the male offspring that aren't usable on the dairy farm. The Holstein can be raised as beef and this is done often but the meat quality is not as desired as from other "meat" breeds such as Angus or Charolais.

About three weeks ago we had the chance to break down an entire veal carcass in class. Chef Soileau purchased it from Hackett Farm, Salt Point NY. It was unique in that it wasn't the typical Holstein veal that we find in most markets, its was from Angus. The idea of taking a higher quality meat breed and harvesting it much younger enabled us to compare these veal. The carcass was a true milk fed product and the calf had been feeding on real milk for its early life but had started to eat some pasture. It was about 4 1/2 months old and weighed about 225 for the cleaned carcass, which is smaller than most of the veal that is found in the commercial marketplace today.

Chef Dave Kamen divided the carcass into the primal cuts and then my class turned everything into roasts , stew, cutlets, chops and grind. We left the breast whole for stuffing.

The color was a little more red than most veal we get but the conformation was very good. The Angus traits could be seen in the nice oval chops. We had aged it for about 8 days so it was nice and firm when we cut it. Most veal is packed about a day after slaughter and it never gets a chance to set up properly. The aging improved its flavor. When I called Chef Soileau about what he thought of it he said " Oh Man! Butter! Best ever! "

Don't expect the veal industry to jump on this band wagon though. Angus calves are very costly as a feeder stock and it may not make economic sense to raise Angus for veal but it was a delight to see this meat and taste the end result.

Wagyu Woes

2010-07-08T14:08:00.004-04:00

The other day I assigned some research for my class after reading some disturbing news reports about Wagyu beef in Japan. The assignment was basic, write about the situation in Japan and also find out about Wagyu production in Australia. Being a casual sidebar assignment I allowed a simple web source to be the citation. This is what Maxim Pettersen handed in....

What happened to Wagyu in Japan?:

Japan's prized Miyazaki beef is under threat from the country's first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease since 2000, which has spread to more than 100 frams. Foot- and- mouth disease is a highly contagious and sometimes fatal viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, and pigs, as well as antelope, bison and other wild bovids, and deer. The disease is highly transmissible and the icubation period has a range between 2- 12 days. It is characterized by high fever, blisters inside the mouth, drooling, blisters on the feet that cause lameness. The outbreak in Japan has forced the slaughtering of 49 seed bulls, leaving only six prized seed bulls that breed the tender beef from Miyazaki. Prime Minister Yukio Hatayama has pledged 100 billion yen ( $1.08 billion dollars) to assist farmers who are expected to lose 16 billion yen from slaughtering their livestock. The foot and mouth otbreak, also known as FMVD, was detected on April 20th, and has spread to 111 farms in Miyazaki, Japan's south, involving more than 85,000 cattle, and pigs. Fears are growing that it may spread beyond Miazaki. http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1259427/Foot-and-mouth-threatens-Wagyu-beef

Wagyu Production in Australia:

Australia received its first Wagyu genetics from a Wagyu female in 1990. Frozen semen and embryos have been available since 1991 and there have been numerous imports of live purebreds into Australia, and specifically in 1997, the first fullbloods came to Australia. The Australian Wagyu Association is the largest breed association outside of Japan. Both Fullblod and Wagyu Croos bred cattle are farmed in Australia for domestic and overseas markets. The Wagyu cattle represent only 100,000 of the 28.8 million cattle in Australia, however takes up 40% of the Australian feedlot space in a 12 month period. The FMVD outbreak that has banned the export of Wagyu cattle in Japan, has increased the demand for Australian Wagyu producers, and some producers hope to double their exports to overseas markets such as the U.S. http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2010/06/07/193891business-news.html

Kiwi, Papya and Sharp Pointy Things

2010-07-02T21:53:00.006-04:00

Last class we decided to test out some meat tenderizing techniques. A while back I had purchased a Jaccard knife and we use it regularly to tenderize tougher veal cutlets, skirt steaks etc. I tell the students about how it is used on a larger scale by many portion cutting processors and has its attributes for introducing marinades deeper into the meat. It also has come under some scrutiny because of the problem of possible crosscontamination of bacteria into a steak type cut that will be cooked to medium rare or less. http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?seq_no_115=250404

The Jaccard has its place in the kitchen and if used and cleaned properly it can be a good way to get cuts that are sitting on the tenderness "fence" to be made more palatable.

On to our testing. We chose to use the Beef Sirloin Flap which is palatable but often a little tough to be served as an unsliced portion. While the Jaccard works well we decided to try some other techniques that will do the job. We experimented with two other methods, applying Papya and Kiwi fruit to steak cuts. We peeled and sliced both fruits and messaged them into two separate steaks and left them loose wrapped over night. The third steak was simply Jaccarded without any marinade or spice. When it came time to cook them we seasoned all three with salt and pepper, lightly so as not to interrupt the naturally occuring tastes. They were cooked to medium rare individually in a heavy black skillet with a little rendered beef fat in the pan to prevent sticking.

The results? All three methods were effective in tenderizing the meat with the two fruit methods differing somewhat from the Jaccard. The mechanical method worked well but without any marinade, it turned out a little dry. It also cooked faster due to the ability for heat to "chimney" up the tiny holes that were pierced through it. Moisture had leaked out of the meat but it was still palatable.

The Papya worked well but left a lightly sweet flavor and carmelized quite a bit in the pan. Papya contains a protease enzyme, papain, which chemically breaks down the collagen muscle fiber sheaths within the muscle. Kiwi fruit also contains protease enzymes and the effects from placing it over the steak was also very effective. The Kiwi didn't have quite the same amount of sweetness but did leave a residual flavor. Both fruits broke down the fibers about equally resulting in a steak that could be cut with a regular steak knife with ease. At 24 hrs we did not experience a "mushy" texture that can happen when steaks are left too long. In a previous test we left a steak with Papya over a weekend and it became overly tenderized and very soft which resulted in an unatural texture. The meat fibers had basically disolved.

None of the three in this test were disagreable in taste but there were certainly differences. The question is how would they be used in the kitchen? If you are trying to maintain the original flavor of the meat, the mechanical system is probably best. There is no added flavor. If looking for an ingredient that will add some flavor and can do a nice job tenderizing these two fruits worked well. Other fruits containing protease enzymes are figs, pineapple, and honey dew melon. All of these will do the job but will also add flavor. Be sure not to over marinate due to the mush factor. A half of a kiwi can be enough for about 4 lbs of meat and it is easy to overuse it. http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tips-techniques/tip-tenderizing-with-kiwi-011683

Steam Bath

2010-06-06T21:36:00.011-04:00

The other day we were cutting beef top rounds into trimmed roasts in class. Half the class was cutting Certified Angus and the other half were using regular IBP Choice XT. XT stands for Extra Trimmed, I believe. I was asking the class to observe any differences between the two, hoping for some comments on the fat trim level or marbling scores. Instead what they noticed the most was the fact that the CAB had a discoloration on the exposed meat and the XT did not. The CAB top round was a basic untrimmed subprimal which was packaged "as is" when taken off the bone. The XT had the cap fat trimmed to 1/4 inch and the discoloration trimmed off. The grayish tint is not caused by any spoilage or pathogen, it is the result of the carcass steam cleaning process.

Steam cleaning takes place in most large beef processing plants today. It is typically a combination of whole carcass washing with water, hand held steam vacuums during evisceration, and a steam pasteurization cabinet for the whole split dressed carcass. Often carcasses are also sprayed with an organic acid to further guard against pathogens. IBP, owned by Tyson, developed the "Triple Clean" method after a huge beef recall of about 750,000 lbs in 1998. This method applied the hand held vacuum steamers and a huge car wash type steam cabinet on their line for the first time. The end result is a cleaner beef but also a sort of pre-cooked layer on some exposed cuts. The top round, flank steak, skirt and hanger steaks, and sometimes the tenderloin can be found with some slight discolorations caused by the steam. Most other cuts are protected by the exterior fat or bone coverage.

The basic reason for this extra cleaning is E. coli O157:H7 which is found in the fecal matter on the outside of the hide or in the intestinal tract. The speed of the processing and the fact that cattle often arrive with contaminated hides and intestinals makes extra cleaning a safer alternative. But all this extra cleaning is expensive and errors can be made.

Another idea is to reduce the amount of E coli before the animal leaves its feedyard. This can be done a couple of ways. First by cleaning out excessive waste so animals are cleaner and dryer when they leave. Many times, especially in rainy summer months, cattle are standing in muck. Some feedyards are a lot better about this than others and there should be a standard.

Another is to feed the cattle hay or barley a few days before slaughter. This causes a change in the intestine that helps to reduce the E. coli dramtically. This is not to say that the animal should be on pasture or not ever grain fed but simply creating a dramtic switch from a corn ration to hay for the last few days could reduce E.coli counts significantly. http://www.horizonpress.com/cimb/v/v11/67.pdf So why aren't most large processors demanding this switch to keep the cattle cleaner? Maybe its a weight loss issue or a cost that makes this impractical. But the cost of the steam cleaning must be high too.

Other interventions, such as Lactobacillus-based direct-fed microbials, vaccines and irradiation are also being suggested. Diet introduced probiotics can reduce E. coli. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12747680 There is a vaccine for it too. But both of these add extra expense. One company developed a vaccine and spent $15,000,000 in doing it ( also $50,000,000 in advertising it!) http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6138682

The goal of irradiation is to "pasteurize" the carcass. This would eliminate a lot of pathogen risk and contrary to popular sentiment, it wouldn't glow in the dark. My issue with this method is when a meat is irradiated will the good flora that enables part of the flavor of a proper dry aging be destroyed? How much vitamin content will be lost? Also if the goal of irradiating is to eliminate E.coli by sterilizing it and E.coli is typically found in fecal matter then are we to accept sterilized fecal matter as a food? Not my idea of a fine dining experience.

Steam cleaning is a good idea and it has made our meat supply safer. Hay, you know that dried stuff grown in open fields, seems like a good idea too. There is no one solution but there are some that make more sense than others.

2010-05-15T08:48:00.008-04:00

My friend and butcher Josh Applestone had the opportunity to appear on the Martha Stewart Show. The show's theme was butchery and Josh and Martha cut up a half hog. http://www.marthastewart.com/article/how-to-butcher-a-pig

It was interesting to see how casual Martha was with this process but understanding her background as a kid hanging around a butcher shop, it was no problem for her. Today we just don't find kids that grow up around the craft of cutting meat. As children grow into adulthood they simply haven't experienced meat cutting or even shopping for meat from a real butcher. Maybe some people, with parents that hunted or who grew up on a farm setting, have witnessed some butchery, but with the demise of the local butcher, meat has become a distant thing of mystery. Many don't wish to know where their meat comes from or how it is processed. They want it quick, simple and easy to cook. But another type of consumer may want to know how their meat was raised and processed. In days gone by there were numerous local butchers that selected meats from large markets or from farms. Some shops were focused on quality while others on price, depending on the clientele. The butcher could answer some questions about where the meat came from, local or not. They were still in touch with the farm to table trail. Today we find the supermarkets purchasing through large volume jobbers who buy from the processors on a huge scale. The butcher in a supermarket will only know the brand name of the product and that may give a regional clue as to where the meat was raised or how but not as specific as the old style market butchers.

Now we find some individuals wanting to know more about butchery. So where can they go? To the local butcher shop? Not too likely. There are some demonstrations of butchery available at culinary schools. The CIA which I am partial to, of course, offers a basic meat class which I teach a few times a year. Josh and Jessica Applestone are offering some classes now through their shop at Fleishers in Kingston NY http://www.fleishers.com/, there are some locations on the west coast that offer classes now such as Avendano's in SanFrancisco. http://www.avedanos.com/classes.html I attended a class in NJ hosted by the Mangalitsa farm Mosefund in Northern New Jersey. It was taught by an Austrian butcher who showed some alternative cutting techniques. http://mosefund.com/ A quick search on the internet revealed a bunch of classes all over the place, often offered by small shops or restaurants. Some focus on curing and sausage making more than butchery and others focus on game fabrication. I have viewed a lot of clips on Youtube, some good, some very poor, be selective.

Often people claim the art of butchery is lost but today I find a lot of new interest and willingness to explore new techniques. So get out there and learn, like Martha!

Bookbinder Makes Pastrami

2010-04-20T21:14:00.006-04:00

My teaching assistant, Steven Bookbinder, decided to make some pastrami a few weeks ago. The process is a simple one but it requires patience and a feel for slow cooking. A good quality pastrami starts with a quality cut. My father often makes it from the plate section but it tends to be very fatty. Most places, such as Katz's Deli in NYC or Schwartz's Smoked Meats in Montreal, use the brisket. At the CIA we got in a case of Prime grade briskets so Steven was in luck!

I had confidence that Steven would make a quality product but I was pleasantly surprised when it was finished. It was one of the best pastrami I've tasted. So what went right? Well first, the Prime brisket was a great start, then a quality recipe supplied by Chef Dave Kamen was valuable. The recipe was varied slightly by Steven to test out a couple things. One was that he did not trim the brisket much, another was the fact that Steven let the briskets dry out for a day after the brining. The spice mix was applied during this time which really got the seasoning deep into the meat. Another variation was the smoking time. The brisket was cold smoked overnight like bacon rather than a hot smoke. Then the last variation was that he steamed it in an intense pressure steamer for about 30 min, until the brisket was super tender! This was no quick process and the key to all of it was patience and allowing for flavors to develop correctly.

Upon finishing it we got a loaf of fresh rye bread from our bakeshop and some Gulden's Spicy Brown mustard. I ate two large sandwiches before I realized that I was ready to explode! As you can see in the photos it was carnage in the meat room as we all enjoyed this treat.

Pastrami is not a fancy food but its hard to find a real one. Thanks to Steven for the treat!

Here's the basic recipe for 2 large briskets....

Ingredients:

Brine:

Water 3 gal.

Salt 2 lbs

Dextrose 10 oz.

TCM 7 oz. ( I've reduced it to 5 oz. before)

Garlic cloves 6 smashed

Pickling Spice 2 Tbsp.

Prime beef Briskets 2 pc.

Spice Rub:

Coriander( cracked) 4 oz.

Black Pepper ( coarse cracked) 4 oz.

Mix the brine making sure all solids are dissolved. Steven used a large, clean plastic bucket. You can pump the brisket with a few oz of brine and then place the briskets in the brine for about a week under refrigeration until thoroughly cured.

Rinse off the brisket and rub the spice mix all over the outside, deep into the fat and meat. Let stand on a rack for about two days, allowing to dry.

Cold smoke slowly for about 8 hrs, until golden brown. Cook in steamer for about 30 min until fork tender and gelatinous.

Austrian Butchery Techniques

2010-03-24T09:40:00.005-04:00

My grandparents on my father's side were immigrants from Austria and growing up I experienced a lot of Austrian dialect and customs. Part of that was the foods my father's family would create for our large celebrations and picnics. My grandfather was a stone mason and was trained in the classic European tradition of apprentice / master. Besides his skilled craft he and my grandmother were also a part time farmers, as were many people in the days before the World War II. My grandparents always had a huge garden, some chickens, grapes etc. Farming was part of their existence. My grandfather also had a smokehouse in the back yard. He could fit about twenty slabs of bacon in it if he wanted. He would cure his own sausages and bacon and let them hang out in the smoker for weeks, weather permitting.

My father decided butchery was his craft and he opened a store in the mid-nineteen fifties. His customers were from many backgrounds but mostly German/Americans. It was a classic butcher shop with whole primal cuts being carried in the front door and sawdust on the floor. The store was filled with specialty sausages, smoked products, cheeses, specialty imports. It was a family business and we all took a lot of pride in it. My father was an innovator of sorts. His was the first market to sell Brie cheese in our area in the mid 60s. He started making pate' and smoked goose liverwurst. Some of our products were created for our German customers but my father would sometimes give it a little twist. His Austrian roots would show through. Austria and Germany, though they share a common language and many cultural similarities, will differ on some foods including meats. The Austrians are more influenced by their other neighbors such as Hungary to the east and Italian Tyrol to the south. These differences result in cuts of meat that are somewhat unique to their area.

Over the winter I had the fortunate experience to be invited to a seminar presented by Magalitsa hog producers, Woolypigs and Mosefund Farm. The hosts of the event Micheal Clampffer, Heath Putnam and Tom Canaday invited the president of the Mangalitsa Pig Breeders Union, Christoph Wiesner to do a demonstration on Austrian style pork cutting. Mangalitsa is a deliciously fatted specialty breed that is now available in the US thanks to Heath and Woolypigs. ( I have other articles on this as well, look under pork) This was a two day seminar of which I could only attend the second day so I missed the slaughter and sausage making section but I got to observe the cutting of the carcass. It was interesting to see the differences to the American style and even the German style of c utting. The Austrians will cut without cutting through the middle of muscles like we do here. Heath has been kind enough to share Christoph's cutting diagrams with us so I've linked them. http://woolypigs.com/mangalitza_cutting2010.pdf It was great talking with Christoph. He reminded me of some of the foods my Grandfather would make and how his dialect and terms used to describe pork were somehow familiar. This you tube has Christoph describing some of his bacon styles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oslQKtzG3M Someday I hope to visit Christoph in Austria and have a few slices of homemade Mangalitsa Speck. Wunderbar!

Fall for Spring Lamb

2010-03-13T14:53:00.005-05:00

As spring creeps into the air and the snow banks turn the ugly brown and the first shoots of green pop through the soil we start to think about the traditional foods of the season. One meat that comes to mind is lamb. Lamb has traditionally been a meat used to celebrate religious and seasonal happenings. Roast leg of lamb is often the choice for many Easter feasts. It also can be part of the Passover dinner. It can symbolize the "re-birth" of the earth and the passing of the winter season. So why lamb and what is "spring" lamb? In the days of early sheep farming in northern temperate climates lamb were often born in the spring which would make it very young to eat at this time of year. The term spring lamb can mean the lamb that was born in spring and raised throughout the summer into early fall. So spring lamb really wouldn't be ready until mid-July into September. It would be actaully the best lamb in that it would have eaten first mother's milk and then the best pasture throughout the summer months. A Spring lamb traditionally would be around 6 months old, weigh about 30 -40 lbs and would not have reached its full size yet. Today most lamb produced are just over six months but are weighing about 70lbs. This is due to larger breeds being grown and feeding methods. In reality almost all the large commercial lamb we buy is "spring" lamb and the calendar is no longer a factor as much when considering lamb quality. Niche market, grass-fed product can still be effected by season and end of summer product is typically the best.

So why lamb in spring? Originally the "Spring" lamb was meat from the English Dorsett breed that would give birth in the fall, feed its offspring on milk throughout the winter and then on the first early grass of spring. http://www.edibleportland.com/2008/03/edible_seasonal_6.html so spring lamb is really fall lamb. Lamb imported from New Zealand, Australia and Argentina , which have opposite growing seasons are often sold as "spring" lamb and their breeds tend to be a little smaller which adds to the size issue.

Lamb remains a favorite this time of year with many menus serving a roast. This will often increase the wholesale price for the legs and racks, leaving the extra shoulders to be sold off at a more reasonable price. These can be boned and roasted as well with a little more skill. I like to stuff them and roast it slow for about 2.5 hours.

Aging 3

2010-03-03T20:13:00.005-05:00

At the CIA I have been experimenting with aging meat for a while now. Over the years many classes have sampled the flavor of aged beef, lamb and even pork. We have compared dry to wet aging methods and discussed the advantages and disadvantages of both during our lectures. Most often we dry age a bone in 2x3 beef striploin for about 3-4 weeks and cut off all of the exposed area, conduct a yield test and then sample a few slices of steaks simply cooked in a hot black skillet. We compare this to a three week wet aged 0x1 boneless striploin cooked the same way. These are both non-program standard choice, not expensive prime or certified beef, but its not tenderness we are testing so much as the depth of flavor. Consistently the dry aged has more depth of flavor but a severe yield loss. I always try to encourage my students to think of how each would apply in the restaurant setting. A dry aged would be great for a stand alone steak where the flavor of the meat is the highlight. Wet aged might be more appropriate for a steak that is served with a rich sauce or spicy rub where the taste of the steak is lost to the seasoning.

The longest dry aged product other than cured stuff, was a leg of lamb that was aged for about two months. I thought for sure it would be spoiled but to my surprise it survived and presented a rich flavor and ultra tender texture. We also did a six week striploin over the summer break which was right on the edge of palatable. Some students didn't like it while others thought it was divine. We had some products that were wet aged too long and had a very funky "feta" cheese smell. We didn't sample those. Beef reaches maximum tenderness at 21 - 28 days after slaughter if held at normal walk-in temperatures so there is really no reason to wet age beyond that amount of time.

Many students and associates ask me if they can age in their small fridge at home. We age at the college in a large walkin with great fan circulation and good humidity control but a small fridge is a different situation. I often suggest using an extra fridge and sticking a small computer fan in it to circulate properly. Also place a small pan of water in there to keep up the humidity.

A while back we received a sample of a product named DryBag. I had read about this product on Chris Raines Penn State blog and I called DryBag. They generously offered a few for us to try. The concept is to be able to dry age beef without having to isolate the cuts in a seperate fridge. It is a water permeable bag the bonds to the meat when vacuum packaged. It dries out just like regular dry aging but without the worry of crosscontamination or air flow. It does require a quality vacuum machine and may not work with an inexpensive foodsaver, but a higher end home vacuum system will work. http://www.drybagsteak.com/

We tested all three methods to see how this technology holds up. We took one very fresh striploin that had never been in a bag, cut it into thirds and aged it three ways. So what was the result? We conducted a basic yield test, not a cut test but a simple test to see how much the meat shrank over about three and a half weeks. The wet aged lost no yield at all, the regular exposed dry aged lost about 20% and the DryBag portion also lost an almost identical amount, 20%. So we concluded it was truly water vapor permeable. The wet aged was the usual dull off red of in bag meat that soon bloomed once the air hit it. The regular dry aged had developed some exterior mold and had its usual distinct salami-esque smell. The DryBag was discolored but not to the point of the regular dry aged. It had a slight odor but not drastic. We tasted it all and the three were all different. The regular and the wet aged followed their predictable flavor profiles and the DryBag steak came in about in the middle. It definately gained some Umami flavor but not as much as the traditional dry aged. I wanted to share the tasting with another chef so I sent the three to Certified Master Chef Brad Barnes and asked for his honest opinion. I sent him trimmed 8 oz. steaks that all looked pretty much the same. Brad has judged numerous chef competitions and has a quality palate so here are his notes:

Wet;
Fragrance, none
Color, same
Flavor, mild
Normal texture

Dry Bag;
Fragrance, light
Color, same
Flavor, Mild, pleasant nutty hint
Moderately tender

Dry;
Fragrance full, pleasant
Color, same
Flavor, moderate strength, typical aged flavor
Tender

Peidmontese

2010-02-16T22:44:00.002-05:00

No time for a long article right now but heres a beef breed to hold you over. http://www.jakobsbowl.com/jakobs_bowl/2010/02/heritage-hall-of-fame-piedmontese-beef-cattle.html
This is some of the best beef in the world. Different idea than the ultra-fat Wagyu. It is known as the "original" crossbreed.

Beef and Beer!

2010-02-06T15:16:00.007-05:00

I knew that title would grab your attention. A lot of beer is sold through some very heavy marketing as I'm sure we will see during the Superbowl. The big players in the US are Anheuser- Busch, Miller Brewing and Coors. Samuel Adams takes a chunk of the upscale market and then there are lots and lots of midsized, small and micro- brewers. There is also a large selection of foreign beer companies that also know how to market. The big companies have national distribution and lots of advertising power, midsized companies may have national distribution but not nearly the advertising bucks. The small ones distribute regionally or even within one city and then you have the brew pubs which only sell to their customers directly. Some large companies are now international super giants like the InBev corporation that bought Anheuser- Busch back in 2008. This Belgian-Brazilian company now owns over 200 brands including such polar opposites as Rolling Rock and Spaten Brau. They own brands produced all over Europe, Canada, US, South America, China and Russia. They own Becks and St Pauli Girl, two German icons. For each brand they own they produce numerous types of beer, for example Bud lager, Bud Light, Bud American Ale, Busch, Michelob are all Anheuser Busch brands.

So what does this have to do with Beef? Well the beef industry has some similarities. You have the larger beef processors in the US such as IBP, Excel, Swift, National, and Smithfield beef. Then there are some mid-sized companies such as Creekstone Farms, Greater Omaha Beef and Aurora Angus Beef which are focused on more specialty meats. You have the really small local type meat lockers and then the local farmers who distribute directly. Just as in the beer industry you have giant multinational corporations such as the Brazilian JBS S.A. that own multiple brands that appear to compete with each other. Swift, National and Smithfield are all owned by JBS today and Tyson, the poultry giant , owns IBP's beef production. As with beer, national distribution and advertising are dramatically increased with size. Also each company has multiple brand names under its umbrella. Tyson sells regular IBP brand but then also features Star Ranch Angus, Chairmen's Reserve, Open Prairie Natural Angus branded products. The same for National Beef with ten brands including Vintage Natural, Black Canyon Angus, Certified Hereford and Naturewell Beef. Excel Beef is owned by the food giant Cargill and has Sterling Silver Beef as a brand name.

Another aspect of the beef industry is name brand ultra- quality wagyu or naturally raised beef. This small, very expensive market is like the fine India Pale Ales that I buy, with small label companies craft brewing the beer. Some of these expensive beef items have higher than Prime marbling scores and typically are hitting some high scores on the Japanese rating system. But even these are not exactly what they seem. Take Snake River Farms, a well known wagyu brand; they are actually a brand name of Agri Beef Co. which also owns Double R Ranch Beef, St. Helens Beef and Rancho El Oro Beef. They are a high quality cattle grower and focus on feed, genetics and humane practices but they are not one small ranch or farm. Another is Strube Ranch in Texas. The other day I was checking the label on a box of Strube Wagyu beef and it stated "Elkhorn Valley Packing Co.", Kansas. I am still waiting on a response from Elkhorn which is a small, high quality processor that has its own line of Angus. What I think is happening is Strube is contracting with Elkhorn to process and distribute their Wagyu beef. Niman Ranch is now owned by Chicago Natural Food Holdings which took over two years ago.

Smaller processors are selling ungraded beef either regionally or over the internet. These very small operations might not really have any distribution other than a delivery truck or the UPS man. They typically will sell heritage breed, grass fed or naturally raised without hormones or some other feature that will attract the customer. Even smaller, direct farm distribution is available at many farmers markets all over the US today. Many of these operators are seasonal and by mid-winter meats are typically no longer available in cold weather states.

So what is the point of all of this? I just thought it was an interesting comparison between two of my staples. I guess comparisons could be made for many other products and this wasn't an opinion on quality. Many of these products are very high quality but I find that consumers often have a perception of where their beer and beef are coming from and who controls the company. This week I sampled a steak from Rykowski's Farm and enjoyed a glass of Hurricane Kitty IPA, both produced within 6 miles from my house, I guess next week I'll try some Australian Wagyu and a Czech Pilsner.

Austrian Artisans

2010-01-25T19:55:00.007-05:00

One of the unique things about meat cutting is that each culture has its way of breaking down carcasses into the final product. The US style of cutting is well established in our food service purchasing culture and chefs are used to buying cuts a certain way. But worldwide we find a variety of methods that reflect the cooking or curing style of the meat. For instance in the US we cut our pork shoulder directly in half without regard for the muscle structure. This is done because it is very fast for the processors to break down the carcass and the end resulting primal Boston butt and picnic are often slow cooked as BBQ or pulled pork. In retail, the Boston butt is often cut across the bone to make "pork steaks" and both cuts are often boned to make a huge variety of sausages. In other cultures the cuts are divided with more regard to muscle structure and natural seams.

This past weekend I had the privilege of attending one short session of Pigstock 2010, a three day seminar put on by Mosefund farm. http://www.mosefund.com/pigstock2010_XX.htmlIt was interesting to watch an Austrian butcher, Christoph Wiesner, break down a half of a heritage breed Magalitza hog. His techniques reflected the end use. Cristoph and his wife Isabel raise this very unique breed in Austria and sell to a number of very high quality shops and restaurants. Besides raising the pigs they are involved in making many sausages and specialties from the by-products.

So how is Austrian butchery different than the US style? The shoulder was separated similar to beef or veal isolating the shoulder clod away from the chuck roll and brisket. The shoulder is divided into the Dunne und Dicke Shulter or the "thin or thick shoulder". The cuts are often cured whole, pressed and smoked and sliced like ham. My grandparents were Austrian so I had a chance to talk about some of the terms my father, a life long butcher, uses when talking about pork cuts. We sampled homemade headcheese and bloodwurst for lunch and Isabel was cooking a skin- on section of the shoulder for dinner.

Leg cuts are cut longer to include the entire sirloin so the ham is bigger and stays more moist when cured. This is similar to the style of the Serrano of Spain and the Italian Prosciutto.

The Austrians don't cook BBQ ribs the way we do so the belly or bauchfleisch is boned with all of the rib meat left intact. This results in a much meatier belly and a thicker bacon.

The loin is typically cut away from the shoulder between the fourth and fifth rib so the shoulder is longer resulting in a long " cottage" butt section that is excellent for curing, similar to the Italian Osso di Coppa or French Echine. It is known as the Schopfbraten in Austria.

Austrian food culture, especially cured meats and sausages are influenced by their neighbors. There are some similarities to German cutting but also to Swiss, Italian and Hungarian / Slovic styles. Even though Austrians speak a Germanic dialect they have a nomenclature for cuts that are quite different than Germany. Their curing and spicing techniques are different also. The sutble differences in salting and packing will change the flavors. Austrians will often smoke their cured meats creating such things as Schinkenspeck. Plus the pigs themselves will have a flavor profile that makes the bacons and hams unique. As shown in these photos the Mangalitsa has a very thick fat covering and makes for some very tasty bacon.

Some "artisan"butchers here in the US are starting to cut in these old European styles to create unique cuts and better utilize the entire carcass. It was fun to discuss these techniques with a room full of them. Thanks to Cristoph and Isabel for the chance to talk Fleisch and to Micheal Clampffer for allowing myself and my TA, Steven, to join the cutting. He ran a great program and I would suggest anyone wanting to learn some alternative cutting styles to join a future seminar. Also thanks to the folks at Wooly Pigs for chatting about the pigs and answering questions. http://woolypigs.com/index.html They are responsible for bringing in this unique breed into the US.

Frrreeeezing!!

2010-01-12T06:35:00.004-05:00

This might be a topic that you don't want to discuss this time of year but I say its perfect! Over the holiday my father gave me a prime Top Sirloin Butt weighing about 14 lbs. I was planning on cutting it up, making nice steaks so I threw it in a small cooler and put it outside the back door. That night the wind blew like crazy and the temperature plummeted. The next day I went skiing in the Catskills and forgot all about the Sirloin. The temperature barely got to the teens. One more frigid night and the beef was solid! So did I ruin a perfectly good prime steak cut? Well today's post will focus on the effects of freezing meats and how and when to do it correctly.

Meat is at least 70% water so freezing it creates ice crystals. If meats are frozen slowly ice crystals grow large and break through the muscle cell struture and and damage the delicate sheaths that bundle muscle cells. This damage results in moisture loss upon thawing. When meats are frozen rapidly such as blast freezing using fans and temperatures well below zero, much smaller ice crystals are created. This results in much less damage to the cell structure. When you buy a frozen duck or turkey it was most likely blast frozen so the quality level will be higher than if you froze a fresh bird slowly in a normal freezer. Thats not to say you should never freeze, just do it carefully. I will spread out products to ensure a rapid freeze instead of freezing in a large lump.

Other effects of freezing are changes in flavor. The environment of a freezer is much like that of a high peak mountain, very cold, windy and really really dry. This dryness can result in freezer burn. Freezer burn is non-pathenogenic but destroys flavor quality. The burn occurs when meat is exposed to the air of the freezer creating a leathery layer on the outside, resulting in toughness and a stale, off taste. Freezer burn can be trimmed away. To prevent it, be sure to keep meats in air-tight packaging.

Although the act of freezing stops the growth of many pathogenic organisms it does not sterilize meat. Salmonella, campylobacter, yeasts, molds and other organizms can "hibernate" during freezing so when meats are thawed they are reactivated. Also bacterial toxins can be present even if the bacteria themselves are destroyed. Meats that are starting to spoil should not be frozen to protect them.

http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/consumers/food-safety-topics/foodborne-illnesses/freezing-thawing/fact-sheet-frozen-foods4_6.htm

Certain fats, especially those in pork, duck and goose can go rancid even while in the freezer. Fats become oxidized and the flavor changes dramatically. Prolonged freezing even in air tight packaging can result in self oxidizing fat. Rendered fats are not effected as much and can be stored much longer.

What about the effects of freezing on nutritional values? The protein and fat values stay the same but some more delicate vitamins are reduced by freezing. Thiamin and vitamin C are both greatly dimished by freezing.

http://www.nutritiondata.com/topics/processing

Freezing is a part of meat purchasing today and many foodservice operations depend on it. So what can we do to minimize its downsides? At the CIA we try to freeze rapidly as cold as possible. We vacuum package most meats and we try not to freeze longer than needed. In other words we use the freezer as a purchasing tool as opposed to a long term storage shed. Six months should be the maximum for most meats and even less for fragile high cost meats.

The other part of this conversation is thawing. The best way to thaw is slowly in the walkin. Rapid thawing at room temp can result in rapid bacterial growth. Thawing in a sink with cool running water is OK but it is wasteful and if there is any leakage in packaging the meat product is waterlogged and ruined. Thawing in a microwave is a possibility but can result in partial uneven cooking if done incorrectly and also wastes energy.

By the way, the temperature rose to 32F today so I put the Sirloin in the freezer. I'll pull it out just in time for Memorial Day weekend and no later!

Cold Weather Cows

2010-01-06T09:20:00.008-05:00

This has been a tough winter for many areas in the US with temperatures dropping each night. Cattle need a lot more roughage and feed to keep them going and fattening is more difficult this time of year. So which cattle do best? Aberdeen Angus, being dark, absorb more sunshine and are a hearty breed to start with. Scotland has its share of cold damp weather so Angus do well in cold weather. But there is another Scottish breed that shines above all other winter cattle, Scotch Highland. The Highland have thick wooly coats and are well suited for this weather. They have been known to wander outside at temeratures well below zero and they don't mind the snow due to the oily content of their hair. They are so well protected by their double layered hair and thick hides that they minimize the need for a heavy subcutaneous fat and therefore the energy from its feed can form more marbling within the meat itself and its overall yield is higher. In warm weather they sometimes shed their thick coats. http://www.vermonthighlandcattle.com/history_4.html These cattle are excellent foragers and can be raised on grass alone but will also perform well on a hay/grain finish. They are somewhat smaller than typical crossbred meat cattle with a live weight at about 1,000 lbs meaning the end product foodservice cuts will be about 30% smaller. This is general and there are some that are allowed to grow larger, beyond the typical slaughter age of 18 months. The smaller size could be an advantage for restaurants wanting to do a high end small but flavorful beef portion. It might be ideal for a multi-course dinner or tasting menu. http://www.midwesthighlands.org/main/content/view/50/87/

Highland beef are raised in the many states with herds found in Vermont, Minnesota, but also down into Texas. The cattle are great foragers and can live on some relatively harsh pasture. Highland have a great eye appeal when out on pasture so they are a favorite among "hobby" farmers who only want a few head. But it is gaining notariety as a viable heritage meat breed. It is now found on menus and at local farmers markets. It is a difficult animal to feedlot finish due to the amount of hair and its large horns so it isn't popular with any large scale feeding operations. http://highlandcattleusa.org/ Many of the small farmers are finishing on grass when in season but this time of year they need more energy so they are fed silage and grains.

As the thermometer plummets, restaurants looking to present truly seasonal dishes this one makes sense this time of year!

Today's word...Plasticized

2010-01-01T10:14:00.007-05:00

Many chefs are looking to Sous Vide to create the great flavors without loosing moisture. Sous vide requires some basic equipment; a water bath circulator, a vacuum sealer, the right bag and a thermometer. Foods are cooked at low temperatures for long periods. Cooking is typically done between 130F - 165F over varying times depending on what is to be cooked. There is no doubt that sous vide is a highly effective cooking method. Ferran Adria has embraced the technology. Thomas Keller's book Under Pressure explains the process and gives very compelling reasons to do the slow cooking method. The technique requires exacting temperature control and can put food on the border of unsafe if done incorrectly. Conerns of cooking too low may create an anaerobic bacteria fest in the bag. Around the country many states and county health departments are requiring strict HACCP plans to be approved before cooking and some require training for the kitchen staff.

How effective is the sous vide? Well when discussing meat cookery we need to understand that when cooked very slowly coagulation of proteins resulting in breakdown of meat fibers and connective tissues can result in dramatic increases in tenderness. In this research conduct by Dr. Douglas Baldwin http://amath.colorado.edu/~baldwind/sous-vide.html we find cooking a tough chuck cut at 130- 140F for 24+ hours will result in a tenderness level that will rival tenderloin. Basically it could be eaten with a spoon. His research also discusses pathogenic dangers and much more. Many chefs have discovered all varieties of tougher cuts such as lamb shanks, briskets, short ribs, pork bellies turn into mouthwatering tenderness and hold much more flavor.

Not all plastic is the same. So lets presume all is correct in the restaurant and proper procedures are being followed, why wouldn't a chef decide to put sous vide on the menu? There are those that question the bag itself. Plasticizing is the process of making plastic film pliable enough the be used as a sealable bag. This requires the plastic be "doped" with chemicals such as phthalates which have been found to migrate into foods, especially fatty foods, when heated to certain temperatures. Phthalates have been found to be endocrine disruptors acting like synthetic "hormones" in humans and animals. How these phthalates react in each individual varies but it is thought younger, developing, children are more at risk. Highly plasticized items include clingy thin plastic wrap and certain bags. Most plastic wrap contains DEHP, a phthalate that has been shown to cause cancer and a number of hormonal disruptions in lab tests. http://www.cansa.org.za/unique/cansa/documents/plasticizer.pdf Bags designed for sous vide are coated or layered to minimize the leaching of plasticizers into the food. Non toxic coatings allow the meat to be sheilded from the plasticizers. The problem is that when misused and overheated even coated bags can leach toxins. Coatings break down at about the boiling point or higher. Many chefs, unfortunately, continue to poach high fat content foods in plastic wrap or inexpensive "zip lock" type bags. Also using thin plastic wrap to wrap up hot foods for catering events etc. can cause the reaction and leaching into foods. Mock sous vide attempts are being done in many kitchens without the health department knowing and without chefs realizing the dangers. Aluminum foil is a better choice for covering fatty hot foods. So many of you may be saying " Ah come on, everything gives you cancer!" This may be true but the fact that these chemicals disrupt hormones is most disturbing especially to us macho butcher types!

To me there is someting ironic about buying the finest locally free ranged meats and caring about how they were raised in a sustainable fashion, free of hormones etc and then putting them in plastic. Even the correct bags, if not toxic, are not reusable and they add up. It is not unlikely for a busy restaurant that has embraced sous vide to go through 1,000 bags a week! Recycling is an energy waste and not viable for plasticized bags. Meal components are individually portioned out and sealed and then served when needed.

The meat industry in general uses a huge amount of plastic bags and many are shrink wrapped in steamers. These all go to waste as well. Its not that sous vide is the only plastic that will touch your food and I don't begin to think about how to reduce it all. I think the technology is amazing but we need to think about reusable containers. Any comments?

Get the Lard Out!

2009-12-20T22:27:00.005-05:00

Here is a very interesting article about lard and its use in a modern society. http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/lard-the-new-health-food

The use of hydrogenated oils has taken over where lard was once king, but this article may change your mind about using it. Fat from hogs that are eating a diet that is higher in Omega 3 will result in fat that is also. Lately I've experienced fat from a Mangalitsa hog that was fed primarily a barley diet with lots of kitchen scraps. It was a creamy fat that is much different than corn fed hog fat. Another example of "healthy" fat was that from the wild Ossabaw hogs found off the coast of Georgia. These hogs actually have the genetic capability to create a lower saturated fat. Both Mangalitsa and Ossabaw pork are niche market and the fat is not available on a large commercial level. Here is where you can find some http://woolypigs.blogspot.com/2009/12/wooly-pigs-brand-leaf-lard-available.html

There is a producer in Canada that has developed the brand Prarie Orchard Farms that is high in Omega 3 and could help change the lard industry. This company is feeding hogs a plant based high Omega 3 diet consisting of a lot of flax seed. http://www.prairieorchardfarms.com/main.html

Some farms are supplementing with fish oil to raise up the Omega 3 acids. Here is an example http://www.willowgrovehill.com/About.aspx

The problem with any of these changes is the fact that the cheapest feed available for hog producers is corn and corn creates fat that is not as healthy. Alternative feeds and additives are much more expensive but...you are what you eat and what your food eats.

2009-12-20T21:48:00.003-05:00

Big Beef in New York??

2009-12-19T22:25:00.005-05:00

Raising high quality beef in NY State is nothing new. There are many small but very high quality cattle producers that raise not just for beef but for genetics. A CIA graduate, Ami Goldstein and her husband Barry operate Brookefield Farm in eastern NY. They raise some of the finest Angus genetics in the country and many of their breeding stock get shipped out of state to rear the next generation of feedlot Angus in the Midwest. But what if they didn't have to travel that far?

There is a proposed large scale beef feedlot and processing plant to be located in Oswego County, NY. The proposed project wouldn't be your standard operation that are found in the mid-west; instead it would be a state of the art facility with the goal of minimizing its environmental impact. Included in this project would be a large ethanol plant, feedlot, processing plant and its location positons it within a market of over 50 million people. The closer proximity to a large population and having a water port further reduces impact by reducing shipping cost and emmissions. The feed operation would handle about 72,000 head of cattle making it the largest feedlot east of the Mississippi. Bion Environmental Technologies is the company that developed the plan and has won preliminary approvals from the local town board near Syracuse. Bion is an innovator in technology that deals with feedlot waste. http://www.meatpoultry.com/news/headline_stories.asp?ArticleID=108041 Bion has proven plans that eliminate waste water runoff and reduce ammonia emmisions while creating ethanol http://www.biontech.com/

Like it or not feedlots are part of beef raising today. This project will provide a huge benefit to local dairy farms that can diversify with beef production. It would also supply beef to the northeast at a more regional level and provide about 600 jobs.

Many chefs concerned about the environment are considering alternatives to feedlot beef such as grassfed. They often put on the menus terms like "local" or "sustainably raised". The question is will beef produced in this feedlot be considered local? And with the new technologies this plant could be considered sustainable. These are the terms that each chef must define for themselves. What is local? What is sustainable? In my position as an instructor it is my job not to make those decisions but simply to inform. Personally I can see two sides to this coin. The good part is this project will result in a state of the art facility that will have a reduced environmental impact. The downside is the fact that feedlot beef can require a lot of corn and supplements that might negate the positives. One thing is for sure, whether its grass fed or feedlot finished, upstate New York and its neighboring states, will be producing more beef in the future and we have the genetics and the farmland.

On A Beef Chuck Roll

2009-12-15T22:55:00.009-05:00

The beef side is divided into the rib and chuck between the 5th and 6th ribs. The cut is made right through a series of muscles one of which is the longissimus dorsi, otherwise known as the main muscle of the rib eye steak. In the rib it is our popular Delmonico and cowboy steaks, or "prime" rib roasts. In the chuck it becomes the chuck eye roll. This cut is actually a number of layered muscles that vary in toughness somewhat. The chuck roll is the larger section containing the chuck eye roll and is often cut for retail stores as chuck steak. It can be grilled but is not a fine dry cook steak. More typically it would be slow cooked as a pot roast or BBQ.

A few months ago we had Jeanne O'Toole from the NY Beef Council to the school to conduct a demo on the chuck roll and she showed how it can be separated into some palatable steaks. They are being marketed as the Denver Cut, Sierra Cut and the mock Delmonico. These cuts run some risk of being tough and benefit greatly by Jaccarding or marinating them. If considering them for dry cook, choose higher quality beef such as prime or CAB. If the meat is Select, low Choice, or even leaner grass fed, braise/slow cooking is probably best.

The photo here shows the typical chuck roll cross section with all of its many sections and textures. The top part would be the chuck eye which is a continuation of the rib eye and is quite tender. The bottom section is a bit tougher.

The price of the chuck roll remains a little more expensive than beef top round and shoulder clod this time of year due to buying habits. Those cuts rise in the summer when they are sold as London Broil type steaks. The chuck roll is often used for stew or braise so the price of it goes up when it gets cold out. But it remains fairly reasonable at nearly half the cost of the rib eye or striploin.

I remember back to when we used to buy whole arm chucks for our store. Some would age for about a week or so. These would always be better than the fresh beef with more flavor and tenderness. I'm thinking about aging a bone -in chuck to see the result on the chuck roll. I suspect if dry aged for about 3 -4 weeks it would roast like "prime" rib and make a great carving plate presentation. I'll keep you posted with the result once we try it.

Here is a link to the Beef innovations group web site explaining alternatives for the cut. But realize they may need some tenderizing. http://www.beefinnovationsgroup.com/chuckroll1.aspx

Campylobacter??

2009-12-06T10:09:00.005-05:00

When asked what is the typical pathogen associated with poultry most of my students will answer Salmonella but there is another pathogen that is also likely to cause illness in customers, Campylobacter. This bacteria is found primarily in poultry; chicken, duck, turkey and game birds are all effected. It is found in healthy poultry stocks, in some cattle and sheep, dogs and it has even been found on farmyard flies. It does not effect poultry but can cause some reproductive problems for cattle. From 20 - 100% of chicken have it in their systems. Even free ranged poultry and wild birds will have it regularly. It is found more typically in industrialized countries but it may or may not have anything to do with modern farming techniques. It is also easily spread through wild populations.

The bacteria, more specifically Campylobacter jejuni, is a major cause of intestinal distress in humans. Estimates are from 2 - 4,000,000 people are effected each year in the U.S. The disease causes gastroenteridis and includes symtoms such as diarrhea and vomiting and lasts about a week. Typical home diagnosis is "stomache flu". The bacteria takes about two or three days to incubate so tracing its source may be difficult.

So what can be done? Cooking to proper temperature, 165 F according to USDA guidlines, will destroy it. Storing meats appropriately with poultry on the bottom shelves or seperate from other meats, washing all contact surfaces properly, possibly using seperate cutting boards are all ways to prevent contamination.

It is estimated that about a 400 - 500 bacteria count is needed to bring on symtoms in some people. For others it is higher depending on the digestive health of the person. It is not typically lethal with few deaths occuring and only in those who have a compromised immune system.

Now the stinky part, Campylobacter is spread primarly through fecal matter. Animals raised in close quarters may be more likely to have it but free ranged poultry populations are very likely to have it too. Many chefs today like to cook duck to less than 165F, so be sure to rinse the exterior and sear the duck well to reduce risk. Ducks are defeathered and then dipped in parrafin to remove very fine down feathers. This may help to reduce risk but if they are eviscerated poorly there could still be problems. Fresher poultry is less likely to have a high bacteria count and keeping poultry very cold is also important. http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodborneIllness/FoodborneIllnessFoodbornePathogensNaturalToxins/BadBugBook/ucm070024.htm

Small processors, small restaurants

2009-12-01T21:52:00.005-05:00

Running a small slaughter facility is no easy task. Here is an interesting article that describes the trial and tribulations of small niche market producers. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2009/03/little-piggy-goes-home

With all of the talk about eating local and chefs looking to buy from specific farms, the link between the farmer and the table has gotten very crowded. Do you realize many farmers must book kill times weeks or even months ahead? The fact that NY state doesn't have any in state slaughter facilities means meat must be processed in a USDA inspected plant. This typically means the animals must be driven far from the farm, sometimes up to an hour or so away. This results in animals that can be stressed and exhausted upon arrival, lowering the quality of the meat. Also if the goal of eating local is to reduce the carbon footprint then driving animals around certainly makes no sense.

Another option might be to bring the slaughter house to the farm. http://www.mobileslaughter.com/ Mobile units might be the answer to a lot of problems in the northeast. No more trailering the animals. The end user could simply show up at the farm to pick up their meat. Small vendors could deliver cut product around the neighborhood or sell at the farmers market or to local small restaurants and caterers.

What was in that bird??

2009-11-28T08:13:00.008-05:00

The annual decision of buying a turkey for thanksgiving is done by millions of people. For most it requires a trip through the frozen bins at the supermarket, for others a visit to the local butcher shop to have the fresh bird, even less will seek out local farmers which have taken orders months ago, and finally those who purchase via the internet. So which is it? What did we eat this year? There are so many choices and price ranges. First lets start off with the standard commercial birds.

Most commercial turkeys are raised similarly to chicken. They are a single breed, the large breasted Holland White; this bird dominates the market and is raised in large crowded outdoor pens. They are typically fed a corn based diet with a soy protein mixed in. This premixed "ration" has vitamins, minerals, and a variety of possible antibiotics including tetracycline, various sulfates, bactracin depending on the grower or company that supplies the grower with feed. Many farms are vertically integrated with the grower being supplied the birds and feed from the processing company. But there are also small farmers that use many of the pre-mixed rations as well. The goal is rapid growth. The price of these birds is consistantly low. Hanaford supermarket was offering a turkey for $.40 per pound. Others are giving away turkeys with a purchase of a certain monetary amount of other groceries. But not all supermarket birds are the same either. Many offer fresh or organic, quasi niche market birds on the days just before Thanksgiving.

Natural - No added ingredients, after slaughter ( has nothing to do with feeding methods)

Naturally raised- This may mean a few different things but typically the bird was fed a ration that had no antibiotics or animal byproducts such as bone meal.

Naturally enhanced- Has a solution of salt, turkey broth up to about 10 % and often "natural" flavorings.

Enhanced- Turkey that is pumped with varying amounts of salt, water, sodium phosphates and flavorings. Most contain around a 12% solution but I have seen a higher and lower amounts.

"Super" Enhanced- Think Butterball, bird is enhanced with water, salt, sodium phosphate, but also hydrolyzed soy protein, autolyzed vegetable protein. These are basically nicer ways of describing MSG (monosodium glutimate) which are typically frowned upon by consumers.

All added ingredients must be listed on the label but the meaning of those ingredients is up to the consumer to research.

Fresh- This means the bird was slightly frozen quickly after slaughter but not frozen solid and should not require a thaw out.

Frozen- Bird is blast frozen right after slaughter and stored at 0 to -20F. Can be stored like this for many months without much harm.

Organic- Bird was raised without antibiotics, fed all organic ingredients, has more space to roam etc. ( organic rules are listed on the USDA web site)

As far as pricing goes, the least expensive is the basic naturally enhanced bird, next would be the phosphated bird and then the super enhanced product. Fresh birds are typically twice the price of regular frozen and organic were at least three times the price.

Brand names for supermarket birds may include the forementioned Butterball, Jennie-O, Perdue, etc. Many brands are actually owned by much larger meat companies such as Hormel , Tyson, Smithfield.

The top turkey producing states are listed below in order of production.

Minnesota
North Carolina
Arkansas
Virginia
Missouri
California
Indiana
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Iowa

So what about the local butcher or specialty market? Most small butchers will sell a single brand that they consider quality. Often a non- enhanced small market bird. Brand names such as Jaindle or Bell and Evans, Eberling provide a quality that is considered higher than the larger market birds. The local butcher also provides cooking instruction and advice on how much to order. Small butchers are more likely to sell a variety of naturally raised birds and even local, very small market birds. Fleisher's of Kingston, near where I live prides themselves in knowing the farm where the turkeys are from and can guarantee the way they are raised. Some exclusive markets will offer heirloom breeds too.

For those who frequent farmer's markets there may be a poultry farmer who raises a few turkeys. These would need to be ordered in advance. The sizes may be varied and the price will be high but the fact that you personally supported a local farmer and you know exactly where the bird came from is something you can brag about to family and friends. Many small farmers are also selling "heritage" breed turkeys. Heritage breeds are those which have fallen out of popularity for one reason or another. They often require a longer growing time but have a deeper, richer flavor. Some breeds I've seen are the Standard Bronze, Blue Slate, Bourbon Red, Narragansett and Royal Palm.

Internet sales of turkeys are another way to purchase niche market style birds. There are hundreds of small market producers of heirloom, naturally raised, organic turkeys. They tend to be expensive and shipping is another part of it. Expense can be quite high for example a "WillieBird" organic turkey from Williams and Sonoma is $116 for a 18 lb bird. Other sites list birds from anywhere from $3.00 to $6.00 per lb. They come in styro boxes and shipping can be expensive also.

To avoid all of this decision making you could simplt take your guests out for dinner....but thats just the chef in me talking.

The world of turkey products seems to grow every year and its up to the consumer to really think about the purchase ahead of time. The good thing is you have more options than ever before.

Old Lamb??

2009-11-22T07:58:00.004-05:00

Dry aged beef is a standard on many high end steakhouse menus. The aroma and flavor is deeper and more complex and the price tag is warranted. At the CIA, we age a new beef strip loin every 10 days or so. They sit for around 4 weeks until a deep, dark, semi-moldy crust is formed. We do a tasting in class and the students get to taste the difference between a dry and wet aged beef.

About 2 months ago we were breaking down a lamb carcass. The students watched the demo and then teamed up to bone out a leg of lamb. We had a mix up and opened too many bagged legs. I decided to save one leg from the whole carcass and hang it in the cooler, thinking we would bone it the next day. Then I decided to let it age for about three weeks, like the beef.

Lamb, like beef, has a nice fat cover on the outside and a deep red color. In beef we typically age the middle meat cuts from the loin and rib. In lamb, the leg is the largest primal and can be aged as long as a beef striploin. We trimmed off the small flank steak piece and hung it where there was plenty of air circulation at about 35 F. In three weeks it shrank about 15% and became much firmer. It didn't lose much to trimming due to the fact that not much of the lean muscle is exposed. We boned the leg and cut off the sirloin and then did the same with a fresh leg. Out came the cast iron skillet and a little salt and pepper. The flavor differences were very similar to what we find in beef. The aged had a deeper, richer flavor and the taste lingered longer.

So is it worth it? I think of aging almost like another spice. It adds flavor but costs extra. I've served dry aged butterflied leg of lamb years ago at a function and the response was very positive. If you dry age beef, try dry aging lamb.

Frenching a Rack of Lamb

2009-11-15T09:53:00.009-05:00

This weekend I taught a food enthusiast class on butchery. One of the tasks was frenching a rack of lamb. But why? Well it is a long standing debate with those who love lamb whether or not to remove the extra bits of meat along the bones. Some will remove it right to the eye, otherwise known as lollipop chop; others will leave over two inches of extra fatty meat on the ribs and just clean off the tips of the bones. Most New Zealand pre-frenched racks come with about an inch and a half of material above the eye. So its is up to the individual to decide. If serving mini appetizer chops, I would lollipop them. When creating a crown roast I go with about an inch and a half. My dad would leave on all of the trim on the ribs and simply trim some of the exterior fat. The meat crisps up almost bacon- like and is very tasty. Rustica!

Techniques vary for frenching. Lately I show how to do it with a butcher twine. There are a series of steps to it and if done correctly the bones will be very clean. In class I am also showing how to french using a drawer handle. I saw this on Alton Brown's You Tube video. Check it out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfcbueO7bBE

Veal, Milk and Money

2009-11-06T09:02:00.007-05:00

These are hard times for NY dairy farmers. Milk prices remain historically low when accounting for inflation. Small, mid-sized and even large dairy farms in NY are taking it on the chin. The fact that many farmers are not able to make it on milk money alone means hundreds will close up and many may need to sell off their herds. This is a sad situation that mimics what has happened in the pork industry as well. Over production of product by very large companies in the mid-west and west has forced many smaller northeast producers to rethink their farm. Do they go "organic"? This requires a lot of red tape and there again, you have huge operations in the west that are certified organic and flood the market with product; plus the economic downturn has put a damper on organic purchasing at the retail level due to its higher price. Some have begun to think about cheese making. Artisan cheese is a growing area of agriculture but it takes many years and equipment to develop a quality product. Others have diversified the farm and become crop farmers.
Another direction is meat. Some dairy farms are now starting to raise animals for meat production. If for beef, this often requires a change from dairy breeds to meat breeds. This is an investment but local meats are demanding high prices these days. Chefs are increasingly looking towards the local sustainable products to differentiate their operation from others. The local hook is not only good for farmers but good marketing as well.
Enter veal. Dairy farmers often sell their male offspring at auction which often ends up as veal. A recent article in the Washington Post explains what some farmers are considering, milk feeding the offspring to raise expensive free ranged veal. To me it makes a lot of sense to sell a product that helps out the struggling dairy farmers and have a product that has more true veal flavor. The product, though a little redder than most veal, has a deeper flavor and the bones make for fantastic stock. I think that even the larger veal distributors, who are also hurting during this tough economic time, are looking to get veal back on the high end table. This might be the way.
Here are a couple articles on the subject I found intrigueing
http://www.cantonrep.com/lifestyle/food/x1972888334/Veal-cast-in-a-kinder-light

http://www.dcfoodies.com/2009/08/the-politics-of-food-veal.html

Foie Gras Flavor

2009-10-28T09:20:00.006-04:00

On Tues. Oct 27th the CIA meat room and the Gourmet Society hosted a demo and tasting conducted by Rougie Foie Gras. Rougie is the largest producer of Foie Gras in the world and they have an extensive operation now outside of Montreal, Canada. Benoit Cuchet, President of Rougie Canada and Lisa Petrucco, area manager for the US joined us for a tour, dinner and then presentation and tasting for the student body. Rougie had very generously donated 20 lobes of Foie which arrived on Fri. The Gourmet Society, with some help and explanations from Chef Rapp, Chef Martini and the meatroom MIT Steven Bookbinder, prepared over 150 taste portions each of Torchon and seared foie for the sampling. The students did a very fine job of preparing and serving the portions. The teamwork was great and it showed, once again, what a great organization the Society is.

Before the demo I took Benoit and Lisa for a tour of our facility including the baking and pastry classes. It is always amazing to see the craftsmanship going on in classes all over campus. We then proceeded to have dinner in the Escoffier Room. Chef DeCoster was a wonderful host and treated us to some of his Foie terrines. The meal was superb and instructor Miller's front of the house crew was quality as well. Our guests were impressed by the professionalism displayed.

Benoit's lecture and powerpoint were well received by all who attended. He was very informative, presenting the history, nutritional info, and describing the Rougie way of fattening ducks and how it differs from other producers. He held the attention of students throughout the demo and it was interesting yet concise. On closing, students asked some very valid and pointed questions which made the demo that much better.

Thanks to all involved and to all who attended but especially to Benoit and Lisa for providing the wonderful taste. http://www.rougie-professional.com/

Is all dry aged the same??

2009-10-19T20:41:00.013-04:00

On Monday a few of the meat room crew, Chef Elia, Steven and Kevin, went down to NYC to check out some meat shops. First we stopped at the premier meat distributor Debragga and Spitler in the old meat district on Washington Street. Upon arrival I took them up to the elevated rail/park that sits above the street. This was how all meat was brought into Manhatten in the hayday of the market district. There are still some old rails showing how the meats were loaded off rail cars straight into coolers. Gravity was used to move all the meats down during processing to the street level. It is an amazing park and it is nice to see the bit of meat history preserved.

Back in the day all beef was sent to New York as whole sides. There was no vacuum bag and it took a few days to get it from slaughter to the market, then it would sit a few more days in warehouses and maybe again at the local butcher. It was often 10 - 15 days old by the time the customer put it on the grill. It was well on its way to being dry aged. Today almost all meat is sent in bags and is wet aged.

So what is the difference? Dry aged is much more concentrated in flavor. Moisture evaporates about 13- 15 % leaving a fuller flavor. But there is more to it. When beef is aged a certain flora is created. Molds that are unique to a meat locker develop on the outside like those of a fine Salami.

We met Marc Sarrazin at around 9:30 after some introductions and small talk we started our tour of Debragga. Marc is a meat purveyor supreme. As we walk through a large cooler full of dry aging beef he explains his processes for creating some of truly the finest beef in the world! I have seen a lot of quality beef over my years buying beef with my father in the old markets that are now mostly gone from lower Manhatten, but Marc has the knack for exceeding the old traditions of the past. Between the newer genetics bred into today's beef and the old coolers that have just the right environment and flora the beef is better than ever. http://debraggaandspitler.com/home.html

We have been getting some dry aged at the school lately from a different purveyor but it doesn't have the same tangy "prosciutto" undertone flavor. It is good, but not great. Not all dry aged is created equal!http://www.debragga.com/default.asp#

After touring the dry aging room we took a look at the boxed beef in another cooler. Kevin's classic line was "This is the Fort Knox of meat coolers!" with box upon box of assorted Wagyu and specialty niche market beef and Kurobuta Berkshire pork. Take a look at the extreme marbling and quality of these products. A true treat for all of us who talk about quality each day in class.

After our tour we enjoyed a superior lunch at Rothman's Steakhouse in mid-town. Marc brought along a couple of wagyu steaks, one domestic and one Japanese which we had as an appetizer. Rothman's is a true steak lover dream and sells some fine dry aged beef.

We left Marc, who graciously picked up the tab, and ventured to Eli's Vinegar Factory on York ave. We met Billy Angelletti, the head butcher, who came up to the school and did a demo for my class a few months ago. Billy gave us a tour of the entire facility including the greenhouses on the roof. The meats were extreme quality again with lots of dry aged beef, quality lamb and veal, homemade sausages and Berkshire pork. The clientele of this and Eli's other store are willing to pay for quality and they never do "sales". Thanks to Billy for the great tour. http://www.elizabar.com/zabar/

We decided to walk over to another premier dry aged butcher shop, Lobels on Madison Ave. Along the way we stopped in Ottomanelli Bros which is another small but very good quality shop. They keep the tradition of sawdust on the floor. This shop should not be confused with the Ottomanelli and Sons shop on Bleecker St in lower Manhatten.

We also found a small Hungarian Deli that had homemade Keilbasa, Paprika Spec and dry spicy sausages. When I asked the woman behind the counter if she made the salami she gave me a look and said "No....my husband makes it." I waited until we got home and ate the Keilbasa with my son. It was good quality. We also bought some headcheese but that was a little too mild.

When we finally reached our final destination and talked with Mark Lobel about the school and business. Lobels is a very unique place with all sorts of businesses rolled into one. They have very succesfully published some great books on meat, they have a super mailorder/internet delivery and now the have NY Steaks set up in the new Yankee Stadium. Mark invited us to visit that location sometime during next year's baseball season. http://www.lobels.com/

As time began to run out we headed out of town before the traffic got too bad. I wanted to visit the meat markets in Grand Central Station and the forementioned Ottomanelli and Sons. Saved for another day I guess.

This trip was a joy with my colleagues. It was a pleasure to show them some of the history and quality that exists just two hours from the school. If you have any free time take the train down and visit some markets!

Butcher's tour of Montreal

2009-10-17T07:54:00.002-04:00

Here is an article I wrote last year. We are on a three day weekend and just 4 1/2 hours from Montreal, a trip worth making!

Teaching just ninety miles from New York City, I am spoiled by the food bounty that can be found there. I boast to my students about the dry aged beef, custom Italian salumi, quality Glatt Kosher veal and Eastern European smoked sausages that are now found in NYC. It is hard to imagine a city that has more variety from a butcher’s standpoint. I tell them that New York should be part of their studies. After a recent trip, I now think of another nearby city that I can direct my students.
Over the winter The Culinary Institute of America hosted a demo by Rougie Canada, a producer of duck Foie Gras located near Montreal. I asked if they would allow anyone to tour their facility. The answer was a resounding “Yes, please come up and see what we do!” So arrangements were made and in late April two of us from the school set out for Montreal.
By April in the Hudson Valley, the snow has gone everywhere except in the high country of the Catskills. As we set out on a rainy Sunday we pass Albany and head up the Northway through the Adirondacks. The rain squalls turn to snow and the temperature drops. Snow is visible along side the road and on the higher peaks. We stop at a rest area and the wind feels like winter again. As we get closer to the border the snow is gone and the flat farm fields span into the distance. Once leaving the border we head into Quebec and our goal, Montreal. We arrive just after noon and find our 1960s vintage hotel. Another snow squall hits and everything turns white for a few minutes but just as quick, spring returns with a little sunshine. With about two hours to kill we head to the Old Montreal section. Chef Bruce Mattel and I tour the tourist part of town with its cobble stone streets and many souvenir shops. The site of signs written in French and the old architecture gives a feel of being much farther away than the quick four and half hour drive from home. Hunger starts to creep in and we decide to find a place to eat. Before leaving on the trip a friend mentioned a place called Schwartz’s Smoked Meat. I have the address and we head to another neighborhood to find it. Bruce has an uncanny sense of direction and knows the city a little. We find the correct street and search for the restaurant. We find that Schwartz’s has a line out the door on Sundays so we walk around a bit. Schartz’s will wait until tomorrow. We are in a food neighborhood with lots of small quality charcuterie shops. We walk into Charcuterie/ Boucherie Hongroise, a small family owned butcher. The showcase is full of Hungarian, German and Polish style sausages. There are all sorts of smoked meats, hams and specialties presented in an unpretentious way. This is not a café and there are no chairs, it is simply a quality butcher shop. This is where local neighborhood people shop regularly along with the local bakeries and cheese shops. The customer served in front of us orders a cooked sausage cooked and split on a roll with sauerkraut and mustard. We decide to mimic the order and also buy some spicy dried salami chunks and a little homemade headcheese. We eat our treats U.S. style, in the car because at this point we can’t wait. The sandwich does not disappoint. The sausage is spiced perfectly and the sauerkraut is cooked with chunks of pork in it. The headcheese is a little too gelatinous but very well spiced. It would have been better sliced thin on a roll as a lunch meat. I grew up on the stuff so I find it a great treat. We check a few more spots and decide beer is also in order. Good local beer is found everywhere.
Nearby, on Duluth st., is the very famous Au Pied de Cochon. Our Foie Gras hosts have suggested this location and colleagues at the Institute confirmed its intrigue. We walk in to find the restaurants crew preparing for the evenings work. Marc Beaudin greets us to take our reservation and arrange to eat at the bar, which is the front row for where the food is created. Au Pied de Cochon’s menu reads like a wonderful calorie fest. It is loaded with pork, duck, game, braised lamb, sausages and very little “middle meat” meaning there are no over-trimmed tidy medallions of loin. There is big food with richness. And of course there is Foie Gras. Rich seared Foie shows up throughout the menu. The owner, Martin Picard, has developed this menu with the goal of serving Quebec’s food and bounty. It is designed with eating in mind! He seeks out quality farms, local ingredients, seasonal specialties, and even has a connection with a single fisherman to bring in the North Atlantic’s bounty. We make our reservation and eagerly anticipate our return.
Upon entering Au Pied de Cochon we are greeted and seated at the bar as promised. The place is packed and the cooks are flying. Philippe Poitras and Marc Baedin are directing the floor and the waitstaff is in the dance of full service. We order way too much including another round of homemade headcheese and a Venison tartar as appetizers. Bruce orders “Duck in a Can”, a specialty of boneless duck and foie gras cooked in a sealed can for a unique braise. I order the “Pied de Cochon” or stuffed pig’s foot which is actually meant for three or four people. The foot is first hollow boned and then stuffed a pork and foie gras force meat. It is cooked sous vide and then breaded and pan seared. Another specialty is hand cut “frittes” cooked in duck fat. Rich and delicious! The food is splendid. I think of the menu and wish I could start again. Anthony Bourdain, when talking about Au Pied… “We have wandered so far from the roots of cooking – from our own roots- and from the source of our ingredients that we, many of us, nearly forgotten the simple and many-splendored delights of such fundamentally good things like pig, duck, the potato…and fire. Martin Picard has not forgotten” sums it up.
The next day we are to tour the Foie gras production. This will happen around 1:30 which leaves us a morning to further explore the city. Bruce knows the addresses of the two large market places. On Monday these markets are quiet and every one is recouping from the busy weekend. It gives us a chance to talk to local butchers and shop owners.
We first tour the Jean-Talon market and then the Atwater market. Both markets are European style with lots of open booths and stalls. The stalls are filled with local meats, specialty game, poultry and of course foie gras. We talk to the local butchers and discuss breeds and farms. These butchers either know exactly where the meats are from or they raise them themselves. We find every sort of butcher, charcuterie shops with fine pates, Halal shops with goat and lamb, shops with butchers cutting whole beef loins, sausage specialty shops with twenty types of grilling sausages. There is pork with some of the fat left on and a novel idea, marbling! And all the accoutrements such as specialty mustards, stocks, sauces, many homemade right on the premises. These shops are where locals find the food for the week. Don’t miss understand, there are large typical supermarkets in Montreal as well but these stalls represent the soul of Montreal’s food culture. Along with the butcher shops are many “fromagerie”- cheese shops selling “Lait Cru” or unpasteurized cheeses. There are bakeries, green grocers, egg shops, fish markets and florists. We find a Polish coffee shop that sells fresh homemade Paczki yeast doughnuts with a natural raspberry jam.
Soon it is time for lunch. We set out to try Schwartz’s again. This time we quickly get a seat and order the famous smoked meat sandwich. Smoked meat in Montreal is basically cured brisket covered with pepper and smoke roasted, basically Pastrami! You can order it a number of different ways but it is basically the same with the meat as the main event. We again order as locals and get an overstuffed smoked meat sandwich, cherry soda, a pickle and some non-creamy coleslaw. The smoked meat is cooked perfectly and slightly thick but very tender. We exit stuffed again.
We leave Montreal and head to the Rougie / Palmex plant in Marrieville, about 20 minutes drive. Palmex once a stand alone producer, has partnered with the French foie gras giant Rougie. We are warmly greeted by the US sales rep Natalie who acts as our interpreter. We meet Pascal Fleury an original partner in Palmex, and Jacque Besonette, a manager. They promptly shuttle us to the “gavage” farm where the ducks are fattened. Gavage is the process of fattening the liver by feeding it heavily. The ducks are raised on a separate farm to twelve weeks then trucked to this farm. All ducks are Moulards which is a cross between the Pekin and a Moscovy Barberi. They are almost full grown at this age and can handle the heavy feeding. Each duck is fed a specific amount of a corn meal pate twice a day. The corn is a high grade variety only purchased from specific distributors.
The feeding is quicker than I thought. It only takes two or three seconds to feed each duck. The feeding is done with a tube that easily slides into the ducks throat and is removed rapidly. The ducks are fattened within twelve days and ready for market. I was surprised to find that it only took twelve days to engorge the liver to a foie gras standard. The farm is divided into sections of ducks that are in various stages of fattening and when they are finished they are trucked out for slaughter. The barns are then power washed and very clean for the next group.
When we return to the plant we tour the new wing to be used for processing the ducks. The plant will produce the plain liver, boneless breast (Magret), legs, confit, tourchon of liver, rillets, and rendered fat to name a few items. The goal is to expand the value added items for both the retail and foodservice markets. The livers are graded with numbers 1, 2, 3 with one being the highest quality. We find that Rougie Canada produces about 200,000 ducks per year. Most of the plant is brand new and the entire place is very clean. It is divided between fresh and processed sections ensuring food safety.
After our tour, Bruce and I return to Montreal and get ready for our final dinner of the trip. Monday in Montreal is not the best night for dining out. Most restaurants are closed. Our host, Jacque, has found a location and we are not disappointed. We arrive at the Bistro Cocogne to find it primarily empty. No surprise on Monday. Our waiter greets us warmly and we begin another session of quality dining. We decide to try the tasting menu and are first treated to some fine British Columbian oysters. Courses are built on each other and we sample Salmon tartar, fennel soup with shaved dried chorizo, and again foie gras seared and served with a trumpet royale mushroom sauce. Our host comments on the foie and how it differs from the Rougie product. I must admit it was different than the previous nights version at Au Pied de Cochon but both are very good. I ask our waiter about the meats and all are locally produced. This course is followed by a very tender venison medallion, a wonderful local cheese plate and finally a pudding Chomeur made with maple syrup with a touch of homemade ice cream. We depart our host and thank him for the hospitality anxious to return the favor when he tours our institute.
Bruce and I awake the next morning to return to NY. We stop at the Atwater market one more time to grab a piece of local cheese and a nice fresh baked bread. A little taste reminder of the trip.
Montreal is a relatively short drive from the CIA and well worth the trip for any culinarian…especially butchers.

Robots Rule?

2009-10-10T08:00:00.005-04:00

Here are some videos of the direction the meat industry is going. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kum7BCOkE5A http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diUYXITWt0w&feature=related With the introduction of more robotics, speed of fabrication will certainly go up. So why learn how to cut? The reason lies in the niche market. If you are buying local or wish to custom cut, then you will need to take the time to learn how.
Don't get me wrong. I think this type of machinery is amazing and accurate and for a large plant it eliminates a repetitive job that is not very high skill. Plants that process over 20,000 hogs a day can afford to invest in robotics and probably should. But a true artisan chef should know how to break down a hog if they want to buy from local farmers. I like that hand held knife though.
That arm is kind of creepy!

Dry Aged Beef Fabrication

2009-10-09T21:08:00.008-04:00

Lately my students had the experience of fabricating dry aged beef striploins in class. The process is one of the more difficult tasks that I have taught. Dry aged beef is much firmer making it a challenge for even a seasoned butcher to work on. The bone structure of the striploin consists of part of the lumbar vertebrae and is an odd shape. It is basically 2/3 of the T-bone, the finger and feather or back bone. There are two basic techniques to boning this. First the single 13th rib is removed. Then the first method would be to loosen the feather bones along the back and then cut from the finger bone side to remove all the bones as one. This would be the technique used by a restaurant that doesn't have a band saw. It is more difficult and the yield is typically poor, especially by an inexperienced cutter. The second method is to seperate the finger bones away from the feather using the band saw. This act alone takes some serious saw skills but once the cut is made the feather bones are removed in one easy cut and then the finger bones are removed one at a time. This method improves the yield if done correctly.

Steps for fabricating a dry aged bone in strip loin:

Cut away the feather from the finger bones at an angle using the band saw

3. Loosen the 13th rib starting from the small end. Outline both sides of it and then pull up cutting around the end

4. Cut away the flat feather bones the length of the loin.

5. Cut around the small "button"bones at the end of each finger bone and lift using finger.

6. Cut up and underneath each flat finger bone peeling them out one at a time.

7. Trim off all severly aged crust and mold including the ends.

8. Trim fat and collagen bands to desired thickness. Be sure to trim all moldy fat off. Also occassionally there will be "hook" holes if the meat was not hung in the right spot while aging. These need to be cut out even if part of the eye is damaged. Hook holes will harbor mold and bacteria.

These striploins went as roasts to the CIA annual board of directors meeting and I got a chance to test it out. Fantastic! The flavor was deep and rich. Although dry aged is more expensive you don't need as much on the plate.

Thanks to my class for doing a fine job of cutting these. I was paranoid at first but they showed the attention to detail that is what makes our students a pleasure to work with.

More Manga!

2009-10-01T22:37:00.007-04:00

Here are some photos of the delectable swine thanks to Micheal Clampffer. We are now curing the belly, jowl and coppa in class. Being true to the breed and its background, we added some paprika to the cure. We made some Italian sausages from the trim.

Mangalitsa Mania!!

2009-09-27T10:35:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone,
On Monday Sept. 21st Michael Clampffer from Mosefund Farm brought us a half of a Mangalitsa hog. On Thursday he joined us for a day of fabrication, dinner and finally a demo for the Gourmet Society. The hog was really something! For those of you who don't know this breed it is known as a very rare and high quality lard pig from Hungary/ Austria. (View my previous posting on the breed.) The fat was thick, soft and very white and the meat was a deeper red than most pork. The feed and genetics make this hog a pork lovers dream.
Before our demo we enjoyed a remarkable dinner at St Andrews and Chef Mullooly cooked off the Mangalitsa tenderloin for our table. It was fabulous! Very deep red color and rich. Thanks to Chef and his crew!
We then conducted a tasting for the students at the Danny Kaye Theater which consisted of a slow roasted loin and fresh ham and also some sweet Italian sausages that were about a fifty fifty fat to lean ratio. Very rich all around. You simply can not eat too much of this because it fills you up so much. Michael did a wonderful job explaining the history, genetics, raising techniques, and customers that are now using his Mangalitsa. The word is spreading about this very high quality hog! Michael is offering a class on how to divide a carcass and make some very unique lard products in the early winter. Check out his site. http://www.mosefundfarm.com/mosefund_mangalitsa.html
My teaching assistant, Steven Bookbinder helped with the fabrication and we are currently in the process of making bacon, lardo and rendered fat among other things. We have photos of it and I'll post a follow up soon.

The Master Retires

2009-09-23T21:51:00.000-04:00

On September 16th 2009 Hans Sebald retired from the Culinary Institute of America. Hans had taught the meat class for over twenty years. Hans, for those who never met him, is an old style butcher originally from Bavaria, Germany. He was a "master" butcher meaning he had been trained as an apprentice and moved his way up in skills, understanding the entire process of butchery, start to finish. I worked with Hans for the past eleven years and when I say he was an old "style" butcher I can also say that Hans was always on the "cutting edge" of the meat industry. He was always learning and reading about our industry and how it intersects with the foodservice world. He was never old fashioned in his thinking and lessons. His students were always presented current knowledge about new style cuts, modern processing methods, foodsafety concerns and new menu ideas. I learned from Hans. His cutting skills were always very smooth and accurate but at the school it isn't simply about cutting but about showing students how to cut, explaining the steps in a way that a person who has never cut meat before can feel comfortable attempting the task. That lesson, the one of patience and clarity, is a lesson that I use every day. Hans was above all a great teacher. He taught literally thousands of students the basics of butchery. His priority was never showmanship, instead a desire to share his skill. As a teacher, he was stern, professional and always fair, but also he had a sense of humor that was never lacking. He often had a quick witted response to situations. We were touring a pork plant in Iowa once while on our summer break. The typical worker attire was big boots and heavy coats. He wore shorts! We asked him why and he simply answered "I'm on vacation".
I'll miss working with him and I can only hope to be as devoted to my students as he was to his. They were all lucky to have such a "master" of education as an instructor!

Paul, Porchetta and more....

2009-09-19T07:24:00.000-04:00

The other day we had the honor of working with Chef Paul Canales from Oliveto, Oakland CA. Paul was at the school to work on a harvest dinner and he wanted to serve a Porchetta. Porchetta is typically a pork dish stuffed with fennel, herbs, salt and can vary depending on the chef. It is like a street food sold during festivals or picnics. Here at the school we typically use a small suckling pig and bone the entire thing, leaving the skin intact. The skin becomes a crispy addition to the dish.

For Paul, we got in a number of local market size half hogs that weighed around 100 lbs each. He conducted a great demo for my class in which he described so many ways to prepare pork. We discussed curing and also how pork is fabricated differently in Italy compared to the US style. He decided we would make the Porchetta from the loin and belly section.This meant boning all of the ribs and back bone. It was a great show of butchery craftsmanship and Paul attributed part of what he learned to the CIA's meat class. He pressed my students to absorb as much of the class as possible because the butchery skills it provides gives you so many more options in a restaurant.

Once the bellys and loin were fabbed he seasoned it with salt and an amazing ground red pepper from Scicily and some fennel flowers that he brought from Oakland. Then he rolled the belly into the loin creating a large roast.

After his demo, Chef Sebald's class arrived and I took my class upstairs for lecture. Paul was gracious enough to do the entire demo again which I know Han's class appreciated.

That afternoon my two TA's Steven Bookbinder and Kevin McCann worked on the rest of the hogs and got a chance to really hone some skills. All in all it was a great day for butchery at the CIA.... and we still have all the hams and shoulders to make into other stuff! (Steven has already salted a ham for a dry cure! Chef Elia wants the fennel flowers and shoulders for sausage.)

Half Hog Fabrication

2009-09-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

Ok, enough commentary. This is a site that is supposed to be focused on butchery skills so here is a video that a student of mine, Patrick Smith, put together. It is long and unedited but I divided it into three videos. It is actual class footage.

Foraged Burger

2009-08-29T10:19:00.000-04:00

I was out riding my bike in the woods the other day and I came upon a huge patch of Chanterelle mushrooms. What does this have to do with butchering? Well I began thinkinag about how we eat and how much of our food is "arranged" for us by stores. I brought home a handful stuffed into my emptied water bottle and thought about lunch. I scoured the fridge and found I had some hamburger, home smoked bacon ( from Bob Schneller) a lttile crusty end peice of Tol Epi Swiss cheese, a half of a Vidalia onion, a cheapo roll and some fresh picked red leaf lettuce from the garden. I was foraging through my own fridge to make a super burger. Oh yeah, I had some homemade, fremented garlic dill pickles too! I sauteed the mushrooms and onions, fried off the bacon, grilled the burgerand melted the cheese over the top. I had successfully foraged some great mushrooms ( I later went back on foot and harvested overr 12 lbs!!) but I also had "foraged " through my fridge to make the combination. This is an act that many of us do all the time. Instead of planning a meal we look at what is in the fridge and pantry and concoct something.

Butchery?? Where is the connection here? Well at the CIA we are starting a new concept restaurant that will focus on local, sustainable foods. The meat components are partially my responsibility in that we will no longer be receiving HRI type cuts that are in the bag but instead, whole carcasses of locally raised pork, lamb and beef. It will be easy to sell the high end middle meat cuts such as the racks, loins, high end steaks etc. but what do we do with all of the rest? Only about 20% of the beef carcass is ribeye, striploins, tenderloin, sirloin. The rest are big bulky cuts from the chuck and round as well as the fatty cuts from the plate and brisket. How can a chef sell these cuts? It is a challenge. The menu might need to change often and things may be 86ed throughout service. Dishes might need to be planned using interchangeable cuts. A braise? Does it need to be a specfic cut? It makes it alot more difficult to recreate the same dish with different cuts that may cook slower or faster than others but this is the exciting challenge that chefs that choose to use the whole carcass enjoy.

I like the idea of the fridge forager. What do we have left? Think on your feet, create 20 portions of this or that and when they are gone move on to the next cut. You have to explain this to the waitstaff and communication will need to be instant. The chalkboard updated! You also need to train the customer to trust the kitchen in that whatever is on the menu will live up to their expectations. And, oh yeah.... you can always grind a variety of cuts to make that ever popular dish that was featured on the cover of Saveur recently....the burger.

Grass Fed Brisket and Gab

2009-08-14T11:16:00.000-04:00

Fleischer's in Kingston had some nice grass fed brisket of beef the other day so I purchased a piece and did a basic BBQ. Slow cooked until it shredded and dropped on a roll with some cole slaw for a summer treat! If you don't know Fleischer's you should take a trip up to Kingston, NY to check it out. They break down all their beef on a table and all of it is from whole local carcasses where they know how the animals were raised. It isn't an inexpensive shop but thats not what they are about. Its about artisan butchery and traceability of the meat. I worked with Jessica and Josh for about a year, just cutting and re connecting with my small shop experiences of my youth. We cut whole beef carcasses, lamb, half hogs etc and I developed a great friendship with them. The skill level you can achieve when breaking down a whole carcass as far as it will go is amazing. Bench breaking a beef primal is like a wrestling match. Alot of it is leverage and using the handsaw. The chuck was the most challenging. I would come in and they would say " Oh we already did the loins and ribs, but we saved you the arm chucks" Thanks alot! It was a good workout any way. http://www.grassfedmeat.net/about_fleishers.html

The other skill I re- honed was the gift of gab with customers. I actually had the chance to wait on a few of our old customers from Schneller's Meats while I was there. We closed up shop more than 10 years ago but our customers still remember the place. We talked about family and food etc. The relationship between the local butcher and customer rekindled.

Another part of my time there was the comeraderie and joke telling with Josh and Jessica, their crew and some of the other "guest" butchers we had work there from time to time. My old friend Bill Swann came by a few days to cut. He is a classic butcher with lots of stories and a lousy golf game ( except for his drive!) My own father, Bob Schneller, would stop by and tell a few jokes and give hints on how to sell some cuts. We worked with Julie Powell for a while while she was researching her next book. You know, Jule and Julia ? She was a rank beginner but by the time she left she could cut pretty good. I brought in some of my students and they were always so intrigued by the carcasses and the shop. Also the fact that we would listen to everything from ACDC, Mozart and old disco while cutting! It was work but fun and different than the experiences at a restaurant kitchen setting.

In my class, I recently hosted Bill Angelleti, a butcher at the prestigious Eli Zabar's Vinegar Factory in NYC. He conducted a demo for my class and we talked over a light lunch. He has a very upscale clientele who are demanding yet he develops relationships with them and they trust his judgement. They believe him when he says "No, tenderloin is not the best cut for stew, even though it is $40 per lb." They also known he his providing some great quality not only in the meat itself, but in his craftsmanship to cut it correctly. http://static.elizabar.com/stores-locations/vinegar-factory/index.htm

Local butchers were once a trusted source of information on how to cook meat and how much to buy ( they would always sell you just a little too much!). They were part of the shopping experience and the larger community as a whole. Today we find high quality artisan butchers making a comeback in some neighborhoods. Sure they are more expensive than supermarkets but it may be worth it for more than just the meat itself.

Artisan Butchers, all together now!

2009-07-18T07:46:00.000-04:00

Recently I've been reading articles about artisan butchers. Younger men and women who choose to carry on the craft of butchery are becoming noticed by some food writers and there has become a certain prestige for a restaurant that buys whole carcasses and breaks them down. Buying locally produced meat typically means buying the whole and using it all. But are these "new" butchers the only ones carrying the craft into the future? As more and more supermarkets trend towards pre-cut meats, the butcher or meat cutter's skills are focused on simple steak and chop cutting. Most stores are buying pre-trimmed sub-primal cuts that don't require much skill. Not that there isn't any skill involved but it isn't the same as breaking a whole carcass.

With thousands of meat animals being harvested daily aren't there a lot of butchers who understand the process of breaking down a carcass? Most meat processors hire with the intention of teaching one or two specific cutting skills to the employee and have them repeat it in an assembly line type production. But who teaches the new hires? There are those managers in the meat processing plants that understand the breakdown probably better than any other modern butcher. They understand speed, efficiency, yield and waste. It is not artisan nor does it involve the skill that a chef might consider applying but it is certainly a high level of skill. I often tell my teaching assistants that they should tour a modern meat processing plant to see how it is done on a large scale. This is not to "dis" all of the artisan butchers out there. Bravo and Hooray! I am glad to see my craft being celebrated but there are lessons in efficiency that can be learned from large processors. For instance: How long should it take a chef/butcher to break down a market style half hog into primals? 15 minutes? How about breaking down a primal beef rib? 7 minutes? I've toured a few large plants and I always learn something new. Granted a chef/butcher will not have all of the equipment that the large companies do, but there are tricks to be learned. If your operation decides to process a whole carcass get everyone involved. It may make sense to set up a mini- assembly line in the kitchen. If rendering pork fat, teach the prep people or dishwasher how to skin off the fat back. Trimming and cubing are simpler tasks that other staff can do. Line cooks that are involved in some aspect of the butchery will be more likely to respect the product if they are part of the process.

To me artisan meat cutting is like great writing, you first need to know the language and study the grammar, spelling, sentence structure etc and then use the words to create what you really want. When looking at a meat carcass with a creative eye you first need to know all the basics and then how to get it done.

Is Mangalitsa the new Berkshire?

2009-06-29T21:14:00.000-04:00

By now many of you have heard of or worked with the heritage breed of hog known as Berkshire. Berks have become popular in many quality kitchens and the popularity seems to grow every year. Berkshire is to pork what Angus is to beef, quality breeds that produce quality meat. So what else is out there? Specialty farmers have been trying a variety of heritage breed hogs here in the Northeast for the past 15 or 20 years. Breeds such as the Tammworth, Old Spots, Hampshires, Durocs have all found their way to various farmer's markets. Most are raised by small farmers who allow the pigs some freedom and feed them with a variety of stuffs such as locally grown corn, apples, old pumpkins and squash, acorns, and a huge variety of kitchen scraps.

Enter the Mangalitsa breed, a heritage breed from Austria/ Hungary. My grandfather Karl Schneller grew up in the southeastern portion of Austrian, near the Hungarian border. My Aunt Mary was born in Hungary and our family has a long food history that maintains many of the specialties from that area of the world. My father would make Speck in his butcher shop that was the same as my Austrian grandfather made. The Mangalitsa is a breed of hog from this part Europe. It is considered by many as the best tasting pork in Europe and is prized for its fat. It is unique in that it has a thick sheep-like wooly coat and does very well in colder climates. In 2006 a entrepreneur, Heath Putman, brought some breeding stock to the US and started the company Wooly Pigs http://woolypigs.com/index.html Wooly pigs is located in the state of Washington and they have recently sold some stock to Mosefund Farm http://mosefund.com/ in northern New Jersey, about an hour and a half drive to the CIA in Hyde Park. Michael Clampffer , CIA alumni, manages the raising of hogs and is involved with selling the meat to chefs in NYC.

On Saturday my nephew Austin and I met up with my teaching assistant Steven Bookbinder and his girlfriend at the Mosefund farm to ask some questions and see the old/ new breed. Austin raises a few hogs each year in Stone Ridge NY and this year he has a Berk, a Hampshire and a crazy mixed breed that is part Duroc. Both of us hadn't seen anything like the Mangalitsa. Michael was an excellent host and answered our many questions about feed and raising techniques. He explained that some of the forty or so hogs were either purebred or crossed with Berkshire. The smaller pigs were all 75% Mangalitsa and 25% Berk. They are fed restaurant scraps, and a mixture of barley and wheat. They are allowed to graze on fields of chickory and clover from time to time which they destroy in hours! Like most heritage hogs, they love to root and dig.

Mangalitsa has been praised in articles recently in the NYTimes and Saveur to name a couple. It is touted as the best tasting pork and has a fat that is lower in saturated fat. Don't be mistaken. It is not a low fat pork but the fat is higher in monosaturated fat as opposed to most pork on the market.

Michael wanted us to experience the pork so we received a fresh ham and I broke it down into subprimals and tied some roasts. While cutting it I trimmed some of the fat and rendered it. I also cut a small steak off the sirloin side and panseared it with nothing but salt and pepper. It was very nice! I gave a slice to my 16 yearold son who also knows something about pork and he said only one word which tells the the story "Good".

Michael will attend a demo, lecture and tasting featuring the pork at the CIA this fall and he will be hosting the president of the Austrian Mangalitsa Society this coming winter for a three day seminar demonstrating traditional cutting styles and curing techniques.

As we as a food society constantly search for the best flavors it is exciting for me to find a hog that I never knew existed gaining in popularity. Mosefund farm is located in north Jersey which is very much like the foothills of the Catskills where I live and the hogs are in the shade of a beautiful mountain side, like somewhere in Austria.

Glutaminase - Glue?

2009-06-15T07:02:00.000-04:00

A few years ago I had a student who, unintentionally, made a major cut through the middle of a beef tenderloin while trimming it. We used what we could and shaped medallions from it but we lost a fair amount. I joked about it and said it would be a great test for " meat glue". Then last year my TA at the time, Carlos, brought in a sample of a Japanese product, Activa. Activa is a product made by the Ajinomoto corporation that is a protein binder enzyme transglutaminase. Transglutaminase is a naturally occuring enzyme that is created by a frementation process. Glutamin is the major amino acid that is found in muscle tissue. It is considered a non-essential amino acid due to the fact that the body creates it so it doesn't need to be consumed but many body building supplements contain it due to its abilty to promote muscle strength. It is also used for digestive health and is an essential energy source for the intestinal lining. Glutamin is used for many treatments medically and its attributes are still being discovered.

Transglutiminases are a number of enzymes that bond proteins. The transglutaminase found in the blood stream forms a fibrin bond when an injury occurs, initiating clotting. The Ajinomoto Co creates this type of enzyme by using a fermentation process and, once isolated, mixing it with a delivery powder that can either be mixed with water or sprinkled over meats. MEAT GLUE! It physically binds raw meat proteins together.

In class we have used it to bind a variety of meat items. Certainly it can be used to repair cuts made in error but it can also be used to dramatically increase yields on certain cuts. We used it to bind tenderloin sections to minimize tail and tip trim. We also took two boneless lamb loins and joined them to create a larger circular medallion. It worked really well for stuffing items. Boneless chicken breasts can be stuffed and rolled and will hold without any string or toothpicks used. It will bind any type of animal protein but will not hold fat well.

Recently we had to fabricate 725 portions of tenderloin medallions for a graduation celebration. We used PSMO tenderloins and we averaged almost 12 - 6 oz steaks per tenderloin which is a really good yield. I made a slurry of Activa and glued the tail sections and head sections together to create a much more uniform medallion. We wrapped them in plastic and let them set overnight. The only issues were when we attempted to mix tenderloins that were slightly different colors. You could see the different sections which looked odd but once seared you could not tell. Activa basically creates a bond that is undetectable and is basically like a new meat.

There are three basic formulations of Activa and the difference between them is the type of protein you are trying to bind. We used Activa TG- FP which is meant for leaner raw meat proteins such as beef or pork. The other two types, Activa TG- RM and TG- RI, have different uses. RM is used for either seafood, poultry or processed meats. RI is used to bind protein for milk products such as yogurt and cheese.

The companie's site is not very high tech http://www.activatg.com/ but it explains the product well. Carlos got them to send a sample by simply requesting it. It is available commercially and is relatively expensive about $100 for a kilo ( 2.5 lbs) but a little goes a long way. I used about 1/4 lb for 725 medallions which more than made up for its cost in yield savings.

Here are the basic steps we used for

Jambon de Paris

2009-06-06T06:37:00.000-04:00

Last week we finished a very special ham, Jambon de Paris or the Ham of Paris. Today I find a trend of chefs attempting to recreate high quality dry-cured hams. This can be difficult and takes a few trial and errors to get it right. The right environment, temperature, humidity all must be right for the ham to mature. Time is another factor and it may take at least 6 to 12 months to properly age a dry cured ham. A quality Prosciutto is typically aged 18 months. Another issue is place. My friend and colleague Chef Albert Vernoli tried a slice of dry cured beef we created in the meat fab classroom. We thought it was OK, the salt was right and it sliced really nicely but Chef Vernoli put it very simply with his Italian accent "...it taste pretty good, but it tastes like the meat room. It should taste like mountain air." Thats the thing about high end dry cured meats, they are created in an environment that helps to create its flavor.

Enter the Jambon de Paris. Jambon de Paris is not dry cured at all, it is a wet cured ham, not really anything more than a quality boiled ham. For most people who consider themselves knowledgeable in food don't typically spend a lot of time thinking about the finer attributes of the boiled ham but this ham is different. My teaching assistant Savannah Jordan helped with this project. First we started with a fresh pork leg from a local hog that I broke down in class. The ham was boned and trimmed really well. Do not trim any of the exterior fat or skin.We cut off the knuckle to make it a more manageable size and then prepared a brine and cured it for about 10 days. The brine recipe was a basic wet cure. Don't tie the ham until after the curing process.

3 gal water

2lbs salt

3/4 lb sugar

5 oz TCM ( tinted curing mix, which has nitrites)

1/4 cup pickling spice

4 cloves garlic, crushed, not chopped

Blend all ingredients until all salt and sugar are dissolved

Place in a deep bucket ( pickle buckets work great) or stainless steel pot. Be sure to keep ham in brine by placing a weight on top. ( we used a plate) You can pump the ham using a needle brine pump to shorten brine time.

Once cured, soak the ham for about 3 - 4 hrs in cool water to release most of the saltiness then tie the ham very tight using a proper butchers knot. Savannah simmered it in about 2 gallons of water, covering the ham, adding a few chopped carrots, celery, onions, a clove of garlic, and a sachet espice. Slow cook it for about two and half hours until the skin becomes gelatinous. Chill the ham in its stock overnight. This may add to the cooking time so don't over cook the ham during the simmering stage. Remove the ham and slice thin with the exterior fat and skin.

Traditionally served on a buttered Baguette with a little Dijon mustard. I like it on rye bread with Emmenthaller Swiss and spicy horseradish mustard ( and a cold IPA)

It makes a nice non- salty alternative to homemade dry cured hams.

Grass growing time!

2009-05-23T17:28:00.000-04:00

This time of year in the Northeast the grass is growing like crazy. For me it means mowing but for cattle it means fresh high energy food. Grass can contain all the natural nutrients beef cattle need, especially this time of year, and depending on the type of grass and its protein value cattle can gain significant weight on grass. So why do farmers feed cattle grain, primarily corn? Isn't it more expensive than simply feeding grass? There are many reasons. First cattle will gain weight faster when they are finished on grain. They will put on more weight and will be ready for market faster when they eat a high energy carbohydrate ration. Grass fed cattle will take longer to get to the same market weight. Realize no cattle are fed just plain grain, they all get a mixture of grains and roughage of some sort, typically hay or fermented silage.

Second a larger percentage of customers tend to prefer grain fed beef over grass fed. The difference is about 4 to 1 depending on the demographic. An interesting review of grass fed beef ran in the times union this spring http://www.timesunion.com/ASPStories/Story.asp?StoryID=802219&LinkFrom=RSS&TextPage=1

Another reason is the grain fed farm to market system is in place and commodity animal futures can be traded on the open markets. In other words there is no standard price or commodity structure for quality grass fed beef. Non-grain finished cattle are typically priced by small niche market processors and these prices can vary widely. Some prices are at least forty cents more per lb. for the whole carcass which is significant. Basically grass fed is often more expensive than prime beef.

So why all the talk of grass fed? Many customers feel that the health and environmental issues can easily outweigh the extra cost and stronger flavor. There is much more of a seasonality to grass fed and this time of year the cattle are just starting to reap the benifits of new grass. When is grass fed best? That all depends on where you are in the country but for most grass fed beef is best in mid to late summer into the fall. Winter time is when grass fed cattle are fed stored hay and the quality tends to dip. Much of the quality of the grass fed beef depends on the grass quality and the genetics of the beef. High quality alphalfa grass, clover and many others are important when feeding cattle. The soil also has something to do with it. Some soils are lacking in Selenium which cattle need for health. supposedly the best grass pastures are found in Kansas...go figure!

Breeds such as the Belted Galloway and the better known Angus do very well as grass fed cattle. The french Limousin has a very fine fiber and is lean normally. Grass feeders are trying to build a stock of animals that will perform well on grass but this takes time and a gauranteed market for the animals to be sold at a higher price.

The question remains if 20% of customers say they might consider grass fed beef as an alternative to grain fed, why aren't any large producers creating a brand name grass fed beef? Its not an easy answer. The beef industry runs on a very tight profit margin and in these times it is very difficult to make a major shift. But with corn prices high due to ethanol production and the grass growing in full swing you can bet on niche market producers to capitalize on grass fed. I look at it like microbrewing, there will always be the large producers like Budweiser, Miller and Coors but there are thousands of small brewers that produce high quality uniquely flavored beers. What I suspect will happen for is the Sam Adams of beef to come along, not too big, not too small, very honest and in every supermarket.

Butcher vs Meatcutter

2009-05-13T12:02:00.000-04:00

As part of my introduction to a new class I compare the work and knowledge of a "butcher" to that of a "meatcutter" To those who are not familiar with these terms they may seem the same. Is not a meat cutter a butcher? The term butcher dates back to times when farmers brought live animals to the market and the butcher would need to select the best for their customers. Then the butcher would need to be able to conduct the slaughter and convert the parts of the carcass into salable meat. In the European guild system the butcher's guild was often a politacal voice in the town or village. They controlled a major part of commerce and could influence farmers and land owners to raise animals to their liking. The butcher's guild developed a system to renew itself by creating levels of skill that would place the cutter in a rank. This still continues in some European countries today even though it is not nearly as prominent as it once was. There are three categories, the apprentice, journeyman and master. The apprentice would work for a master for a number of years until graduating to journeyman. At this point the journeyman would work for a number of different shops and had a high level of skill. The journeyman could attend a school to earn their master degree whuich would typically take about two years. They would learn all facets of the industry including slaughter, selection of animals, food safety and disease detection. They may learn sausage, ham, smoking, curing and various preservation techniques. They would also receive a business education and understand profit margin etc.

http://www.woolypigs.com/_kropf.html

When the journeyman graduates they are considered a master butcher and can own a shop or slaughter facility. They also can hire apprentices. Only masters could teach the craft and continue all of the traditions. This sytem is still in place in some European countries today and the traditions are carried on even though there are now many meat cutters there as well.

A meat cutter on the other hand is more of a factory worker. They are highly skilled in one area of the industry. Maybe they remove striploins off of a primal cut all day and become very proficient but they don't really cut anything else.

The difference between a meatcutter and a butcher is similar to the relationship between the line cook and the chef. The line cook can be excellent at cooking a fine dish but the chef understands the entire process of putting that plate together.

There are many cooks out there that call themselves "chef" and the same goes for meat cutters.

What about Bob?

2009-05-07T21:14:00.000-04:00

Today we did our lesson on veal. I showed the class a leg of quality choice graded veal. It weighed about 46 lbs and I explained that this was a typical size for veal in today's marketplace. We divided the leg into sections and then cut some very nice scaloppine cutlets.

Afterward, we began our lecture for the day and I started with the different classes of veal available. The youngest veal found in the marketplace is bob veal. Bob veal is extremely small compared to regular veal and has a very mild taste. About 15 - 20% of all veal slaughtered in the US is Bob veal and it is typically sold as an inexpensive alternative to larger formula/ milk replacer fed veal.

So what about Bob veal? Is it tender? Yes, very tender. So why not use it? It is so young it hasn't developed any real flavor and it is almost too tender where the meat is almost jello-like. I know of a chef that used bob veal racks cut into small chops, frenched to the eye ( lollipop chop) then breaded with Panko breadcrumbs and shaved Parmeasean cheese. It was served as a passed appetizer. I've seen it also sold as "suckling veal" also even though it is typically only a couple weeks old and may never had actual milk. It worked Ok in these applications.

Another issue I recently read about is the fact the some producers were giving their cows a dose of antibiotics while pregnant and it resulted in the antibiotic ending up in the veal. Typically an animal must be off antibiotics for at least thirty days before slaughter. Unfortunately the bob veal are younger than that when slaughtered resulting in a positive residue test on some.

The decision to cut down on food cost has resulted in many chefs considering Bob veal as an alternative to quality veal. It is a decision that should be made with the chef understanding the downsides.

Sausage....simple

2009-05-02T08:43:00.000-04:00

Friday we made sausage in class. We covered the basic techniques of establishing the fat to lean ratios, spice mix, grinding and stuffing. I explained the fact that sausage can be a complex combination of textures and spices. It can be like baking in that the texture of a sausage can be altered by over- working the mix or processing at the wrong temperature. Sausage,especially a fine emulsion type, can break like a Hollandaise sauce, if it is over worked and heats up. The result is a dry fatty taste that will not be detected until the customer bites into it.
If you have ever watched a great bread baker they know about the texture of their dough. They know exactly when it is ready and how long to bake to make that perfect crusty exterior. A great sausage maker has a similar feel. They know, from doing it over and over, when a sausage texture is ideal. I once watched a "wurstmacher"preparing an emulsion sausage at Schaller and Weber's in NYC. He was processing a 250 lb batch of Knackwurst. His machine was like a giant buffalo chopper and he turned it on, waited a few seconds, then added some ingredients, then at another moment some ice etc until the batch was smooth and creamy. The end result was a perfect sausage. I asked him "How do you know when to add the ice etc?" He just shrugged and said "I just know".
In class we followed a recipe for basic breakfast sausage. It was a simple recipe of pork, salt, white pepper and Bell's Poultry Seasoning. I showed everyone the process and at the end it came time to mix it. It was ground correctly and all of the proper amount of ice water was added. Mixing it is the final step to get the sausage to stick together and bind the proteins. How long did I mix it? Could it be over-mixed? It is one of those baker/sausage maker things. I just mixed it until it was tacky and stuck to my hands upside down.. but not more. I could have said 35 seconds but that would have been me mixing it and not someone else.
While we were starting to clean up there was about 18 lbs of trim left over. I quickly measured out some salt and threw in the white pepper and poultry seasoning to make up a quick batch. I wasn't really measuring and I didn't let the students know. I ground it with some ice and quickly mixed it up. We threw a sample in the pan and it tasted exactly like the other batches we had made. I've made thousands of batches of this type of sausage over the years so it was simple.
I didn't intend to brag and I'm certainly not suggesting recipes don't need to be followed. I believe great recipes can inspire chefs. But recipes are one person's idea and procedure as they see it. Great cooks and chefs can look at a recipe and get the procedure but after they do it a few hundred times they know the recipe and they may have also unknowingly changed that recipe to their own liking. Thats what makes our work great. It can be repetitive and become drudgery but it is human and it changes sometimes. Changing recipes for the sake of change is foolish but changing a recipe slightly or changing a procedure in that recipe because it works better happens when a chef truly understands the food. As with all recipes, doing it over a few times makes it easy and doing it a thousand times makes it simple...but really good!

2009-04-28T22:41:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone,
Today was pork day! We started by boning some centercut pork loins. My teaching assistant Savannah explained the basic cutting to the class and we tied part of the boneless loin with a standard slip knot and the other section using a continuous knot. Jason, the meatroom manager, took my Honda Civic and picked up a half hog from a local distributor...don't ask!
The local pork was very nice but was lacking a thick fat back. It did have good marbling and I found it unique that it had the marbling without a heavy fat. It made me wonder which cross breed was used. It was a white pig and weighed about 210 lbs. It was fed a primarily grain diet and cut like a typical market style hog.
Many of our chefs need fat back for barding or using in recipes but these new breeds that are leaner present very little outerfat. Most of the commercial swine herds are now much leaner but the fact that I am often seeing some decent marbling. Like some beef crossbreeds, the pork producers have the genetic resources to create leaner exterior fat but now grow them with marbling as well. I'll do some research to find out what specific breed was used.
On another note I think we will start a classic Jambon de Paris, which is a classic boiled ham with the skin on. Many chefs are trying to create dry cured hams which require the right humidity, temps etc. but this is a wet cured ham and will be relatively easy to do. I think a simpler ham is a good starting point for those just getting into curing their own products.
I'll post a photo and recipe if it comes out ok.

Welcome!

2009-04-25T23:15:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone,

This is the first posting to the Butcher's Info Blog.

This week was an interesting one at the Culinary Institute of America. Chef Michael Pardus suggested I start sharing some of the daily info that goes on in the meat room at the CIA so I started this blog. My new class fabricated a bunch of beef shanks. It is always fun to show this basic fabrication to people that have never done it before. We also took a look at some dry aged beef striploin from Master Purveyors in the Bronx. The students were amazed that something that looked so bad on the outside could result in such fine steaks. It was dry aged for about 5 weeks and had a smell that reminded me slightly of Prosciutto.

This Saturday afternoon I created 10 lbs of Bratwurst in our kitchen at home. I went down to Fleischer's in Kingston and picked up our old hand crank stuffer. The recipe was a basic combo of fine ground fresh pork, salt, white pepper, mace, ginger, paprika, nutmeg, sage and a little sugar. I have to admit I didn't really follow an exact set recipe other than the fat to lean ratio and the salt. Typically I use 3 oz of salt to 10 lbs of meat for all my basic fresh sausage recipes. They came out just fine and we'll be grilling them tomorrow! I also made some potato salad and some slow cooked sauerkraut.

Well hope you enjoy this and many more postings.