The modern renaissance man has quite a bit on his plate. In a world with little sense and even less sensibility, a gentleman is expected to be well-versed in the arts and roundly educated, sartorially smart and eloquent, career oriented and financially sound, among other social constructs. Still, there are certain pursuits that deliver a primitive and uniquely fulfilling sense of accomplishment. Butchery is one of them.
Long before the renaissance man set the social bar, the well-rounded neanderthal man of the world was carving dinners, honing stones and his butchery skills. Much like men's hairstyles, preferred methods of butchery have evolved, but the foundation is the same among traditionalists, those who respect the whole beast.
Working under such auspicious sensibilities at The Greenhouse Tavern, chefs Jonathon Sawyer and Jonathan Seeholzer led a highly informative, concise educational program cum butchery clinic cum cooking demonstration cum dinner on Sunday, March 21, which I was kindly invited to attend. "We'll demonstrate to you what a farmer does and what you look at when you go to the market," said Sawyer. "With a little bit of education, you can get a lot done at the farmers market." The class, which met in the GHT downstair's area in full view of the kitchen, had nearly 300 pounds of education.
The Beast
Ohio locavores know the name Aaron Miller, as he's the purveyor of Miller Livestock Co., Inc, in Kinsman, Ohio. His farm raises grass-fed, free-ranging cattle, lamb and pork, in addition to chicken and turkey. Miller, who Sawyer met at last year's Terra Madre, was in attendance, able to answer questions about the subject of the class: a 5 1/2-month-old Yorkshire hog that originally weighed nearly 325 pounds. (It still weighed in at a hefty 228 pounds after being eviscerated.)
Miller detailed the humane slaughtering of the animals on his farm, and how it stands in stark contrast to methods found at macro processing centers. More than a morally just method, the process reduces stress on the animal, which many claim produces a higher quality meat, untarnished with the release of biological chemicals that impregnate the meat when the animal is under duress. The hog was delivered scalded, wherein the skin is kept intact and then scrubbed with paddles to fully clean it. Most often, hogs are skinned prior to delivery. It was an impressively graphic illustration of Sawyer's farm-to-table vision. "Thanks for supporting a local restaurant that supports a local guy," said Miller.
I don't know that I'll be ordering a 200-pound pig anytime soon. I've neither the space, nor the need. However, Miller does offer any number of ordering options geared toward home use. At the very least, I'll have the knowledge to do the job, should the need ever present itself.
The Butcher
Chef Seeholzer supervised the butchering process, though maneuvering a 200-plus pound hog often necessitated assistance from Sawyer. Seeholzer toiled for nearly an hour, sweat beading on his brow, engaging the attendees, answering questions and keeping things lively. He capably demonstrated a mastery of butchering technique while highlighting the various cuts most consumers are familiar with. The process involved a curious combination of surgical precision and strong man tactics.
Seeholzer explained how a basic understanding of anatomy goes a long way when butchering a whole animal, as knowing the placement of bones and naturally occurring flex in joints provides convenient guides for dismemberment. The chef began by finding the crease where the hams meet the body, quickly dispatching each. Moving to the opposite end, Seeholzer tackled the front shanks, working around the bone and cartilage to reveal two generous picnic cuts.
Splitting the breast plate, Seeholzer showed how following the spine with the tip of the blade allows for a clean cut that avoids damaging the prized loin and tenderloin, located inside the spine curvature. The lion's share of work followed, with Seeholzer working his way through the portioning of ribs and loin chops, followed by loin and tenderloin, the latter requiring a deft hand and providing a comparatively miniscule portion in relation to the work involved. That's why it's pricey, folks. The hog was decapitated, along with a discussion of jowl bacon.
The dispatching of pork belly illustrated the origins of more familiar bacon, and beget a discussion of fats, including back fat as cooking lard and intramuscular fat. Throughout, Seeholzer used different knives (cleaver for major hacking jobs, butcher knife for most tasks and a flexible boning knife for more delicate jobs).
Seeholzer did a laudable job, and I learned a lot, though I'll continue to leave the serious butchery in the hands of those who know what they're doing. My fingers and ego are safer that way.
The Cook
Culinarily speaking, what does one do with an entire hog? Lots of things, according to chef Sawyer, who supplemented the butchery demonstration with insights on how Greenhouse Tavern uses the entire beast, and how consumers may stretch their dollars by substituting underutilized cuts and adding a few professional-chef tricks to their kitchen repertoire. The world is one's, well, pig.
The discussion focused on charcuterie (Sawyer recommends Michael Ruhlman's authoritative tome, Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing), with the chef discussing some of his favorite international preparations, such as zampone de Modena and rillettes. Sawyer explained the finer points of dry curing ham for prosciutto, noting that traditionally the bone remains in the ham while curing, and uniform distribution of salt and lard around the cut insures it will age at an equal rate. One should expect a moisture loss of roughly 30 percent, reducing the weight of the ham by 2 to 3 pounds. For those apprehensive to hang meat in their homes, Sawyer said, "Prosciutto is one of the easiest meats in the world to cure because there are not a lot of places for mold to get in." Sawyer's dry cure recipe is as follows, though he encouraged guests to experiment, especially with a combo of coriander, black pepper and juniper, which will yield a product similar to pancetta:
- 8 oz Kosher salt
- 4 oz Muscovado sugar or dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp chili flake
- 2 crushed bay leaves
Combine all ingredients and rub on exposed flesh of meat. Place on parchment paper and fold over to cover loosely. Allow to cure 24-48 hours.
Among the more versatile cuts is the shoulder. Sawyer recommended using it in place of pork belly, when belly is not available or cost prohibitive. The cut finds its way into many of the GHT's dishes. Sawyer's brine recipe is as follows:
- 1 cup salt
- 1/4 cup Muscovado sugar
- 1 gallon water
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
Combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer in a pot, until salt and sugar are diluted. Remove from heat and allow to cool to 40 degrees. Place meat in brine for 24-48 hours. To confit the shoulder, use the above brine recipe, rinse the shoulder, then cook for 4 hours at 300°F (though 250°F for 10 hours is ideal). Sawyer demonstrated one of his favorite cooking methods using parchment paper, explaining that assembly should begin with starch, then protein, then condiment, then sauce. In this case, his en papier recipe called for French green lentil and fregula Sarda, dry-cured Moroccan olives, merguez sausage, pork shoulder, onion confit, preserved orange and lemon, and broth, cooked at 450°F for five minutes. This I can do. And will. Often.
The Meal
Thankfully, Sawyer and company are not sadists, and guests were treated to a four-course menu that deliciously illustrated the great versatility of pork, showcasing various cuts and preparations. The first course featured the pork (not) belly (aka shoulder) en papier, the aromatics released with the opening of the pouches to reveal an exquisitely tiered melange of flavors, the preserved citrus proving a succulent foil to the earthy grains and meat. Spring pasta with fettucini made by Ohio City Pasta, tossed with toothsome morel mushrooms, crisp fiddlehead ferns and rich pork bathed in a decadent butter-cheese sauce arrived second, followed by a nicely seared, pan-fried pork chop saltimbocca with sage, crisp country ham, creamy potato puree and red eye gravy. A hazelnut brownie alongside scoops of Columbus-based Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream's bourbon buttered pecan with caramel. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday – or any day, for that matter.
The Chef School Series happens once per month at The Greenhouse Tavern. April is the "Best of the Greenhouse Tavern", May is "Foraging Forest Food", June is "Roof Top Grilling", and July is "Sustainable Seafood". For more information, call the restaurant at 216-443-0511. To view a photo gallery documenting the event, click here. [Photos by Sarah R. Sphar]
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