This week we received our 2nd Niman Pig. 110 lbs, split right down the center. Whole animals are so much fun to work with. They really allow for total control over the finished product. In addition to custom butchery (which although time consuming allows for some pretty cool things like the cowboy pork rack pictured), they are a great source for endless possibilities in the world of charcuterie. This says nothing to the sustainability of utilizing ONE animal to feed a week's worth of guests as apposed to ordering a case of ________ (<---insert protein here)... where many animals were processed to put enough _______ in the box to call it a case. Again, much more time consuming, but worth the work. It is a love affair. This week's love affair ended up being much more charcuterie than usual. This must mean that the word is finally out about the charcuterie program at Julienne. Today's work included: Coppa, Buffalo Bresaola, Lonza, Chorizo, Italian Sausage, Guanciale, Braised Pork Belly, Pate with a Tenderloin Inlay, and Mortadella (which has to be re-done. My wife had a successful attempt once before and tried to tackle it again today. But, while multi tasking our staff meal for the crew she broke the emulsion. She's a hell of a women. She took it like a champ. It is never the lost product that is up-setting, it's the 45 minutes it takes to execute the damn recipe).
