Belly ( pig project)

So we have broken the pigs down and now it's time to compare



Tamworth


Meishan/Berk


Berkshire


Mangalista

Pig project

So Micheal Sullivan and I have started the pig project for the fall. We are taking four different breeds of pigs and comparing and contrasting. We plan on curing all of them and comparing the way they cure as well. We will be video recording most of it forArtofthebutcher.com(cochon555 and Primal) which is a awesome company that Brady has established and " the reverend of fat" Micheal Sullivan will have more to do with in the near future.







All four together starting in upper left Mangalista, Berkshire/Meishan cross, full Berkshire and a Tamworth








Tamworth








full Berkshire






Berkshire/Meishan







Mangalista

Worm composting

Jeff Ross and I have had this project on the back burner for to long and finally have gotten to work on it. We started with an old apple crate and Lined it with a pond liner and a spout to be able to tap the "compost tea", we then put milk crates in to separate the feeding cycles and lined it with newspaper. We took some food scrapes and old hay and distributed it into a few of the milk crates and added the worms. We keep the top covered with a blanket to keep it dark and to insulate.

Location:W Millers Cove Rd,Walland,United States

True Hoe Cake

Hoe cakes done the old fashion way over a fire on a hoe!!!

Smallest "popcorn"

This is another Jeff Ross amazing find he grew this popping sorghum and had some hilarious times popping it in the air popper.

Sassafras

Another great foraged item here in the mountains. Jeff Ross and I dung a few sassafras roots for a little R & D. First up sassafras mustard I will let you know how it comes out.

Onion Jams

New project Onion Jams
Not sure if you can read my labels but they are

Hickory, anise
Lemon, Fennel, Vanilla
Caraway
Lemon, thyme

In that order as my favorites as well

Never to young to start

My daughter, my wife and I making veggie pizza from our garden. She loves playing with the dough.

Gotta love the mustache.... And the pigs

Barley finished pigs for 100% curing

Mobile Chicken House

I have had the pleasure of helping my buddy Chris Burger ( Century Seed Farm) on his farm. The latest project is this mobile chicken house. When it is finished it will have two runs one on each side and will be pulled daily for the chickens to have a rotational grazing cycle with the cows

Romesco Research

Working on a new product in the larder a "Tennessee Romesco" these are just a few of the peppers coming out of the garden with a lot more to come. I fell so lucky being able to pick jeff and john's brain about a million different veggies.

Pickled Okra before and After

Getting closer to the end of pickled okra

Elderberry Capers

This is a great way to preserve locally forged elderberries

Whole Barley Feed Pigs completly Cured

So these Pictures have been collected over the past few Months But we started with 6 amazing Barley Feed Pigs and used every piece for charcuterie.

Bladders and Stomaches For Stuffing!!!!

A whole bunch of Pepperoni snap sticks and Culletello in the stomaches

Stuffed Coppasatta and Some regular Coppa

All the Coppas and some Lomo in the Background getting ready for stuffing

Suckling Pig and Crispy Blue Prawn Heads

So I am Still Working on my Suckling Pig dish it is slowley coming. Marc-Jean Was helping me get there the other night and also our Crazy Butcher Sully Came in to Eat so I had To throw some things together he has Yet To see.

Blue Prawns with Benton's Ham, Local Aspargus Pickled Garlic Mingonette, Red Bud Flowers and the Wonderful Crispy Prawn Heads

So We Recieved this 35 lb suckling Pig From Sylvia in PA and naturally you have to use the whole thing. So I decided to Make Porchetta using the Loin, and the Belly, then Individual "Pot Roast" Using the Shoulders then every other part of the Pig was then Skined and all meat and Organs Ground. Braised the Skins ( using stock from the bones Naturally) and Sulley Deboned all Four leggs and We had to Make Cottechino and Stuff them right back into the Trotters and Braise them in the Hoof. So Far we have Finished the Dish With simple Spring Potatoes, Our Gardens First Spring Onions, Arugula Puree From Last Years Arugula and the Flowers of the Arugula Plants. Still Coming Together but I really do like the Direction it is Going.

Spring is Finallllyy Here

Spring is here and sorry I haven't been keeping up on the blog butttt....

This is a Spring " Gazpacho" made up of a bunch of fresh Vegetable juice, Sauteed spring onions, Ramps and Fennel. We then mix it with an Arugula and fresh Herb coulis to make it nice and spring green and to add the nice pepper flavor that you have to have in a well seasoned Gazpacho. We put the soup under a silver cloche using magic naturally and fill the bowl with every vegetable I can play with. It really is a fun dish and welcomes Spring and guest are usually surprised to see soup fall out of the cloche. I must apologize for the bad picture it came off my phone.

Little Baby Pigs and Squab On the Coals

I love Suckling Pig and I love using this method my Big Brother Tarver King taught me.

Whole Suckling Pig, Roasted Marble Pot Arugula Puree, Tobacco Onions, Glazed with Hickory Gastrique ( Another Tarver OG)



The Only Way to Cook Squab

Trying To Wait For Spring

Chestnut Ravioli, Parsnip, Rye Air, Caraway Scented Red Cabbage and Celery ( Sorry for the bad Pic I was in the Weeds)

Pinenut "Pate de Fruit" Playing around for a new Pine Dessert

One Thing we do not have a short of is unbelievable wines and when the whole bottle doesnt get finished ( did not know you were even allowed to do that I thought it was a law to finish) but I get the benefit of being able to make some amazing vinegar I call it million dollar vinegar I cover it with a chifonade of hundred dollar bills.

James Beard House Dinner

First Off Sorry For the Absence. Second I was lucky enough to Travel To New York with The Blackberry Crew and cook at the Famous James Beard House. We had to ship all kinds of things that seem funny to ship (eggs and grits from the Farm) but everything arrived saftly and we had an amazing dinner. I will Post Some Pictures that the James Beard house Has sent me but you can check out more on the James beard house Webpage.