Butcher Heaven

I must have used the power of the secret and secreted a culinary education for myself after Hair ended its tour in Cleveland. here's what happened...

Hair's Closing night party Sunday after the show at the Green House Tavern goes down as one of those beautifully successful nights on tour. I always dread an end that doesn't feel like an end. But when our producer Joey Parnes got up to address everyone, I knew in his great NY dialect, his speech was going to be affective. Parnes was talking to us about the network we have created and are still forming from this show. And the power of Hairs message of peace and equality and what it does and how we'll each carry on that message after tonight.  I thought to myself how great this was.  You have the cast & crew of the Broadway musical Hair that on many levels (corporate & personal) truly DOES practice this message of human equality and nonviolence with this staff at the Green House Tavern, which stands for essentially the same thing. But lean a little towards food. As the 1st first certified green restaurant in Ohio they follow basic principles of organic and environmentally friendly ingredients, sourced from the local community and to recreate classic recipe's. Love people, serve them good food. Its pretty simple.

After some farmhouse ciders on tap I'm chatting up Chef Sawyers brain more about my burger truck and possibly thinking about getting a butchering apprenticeship somewhere in the city. You might have caught him deconstructing mint on Iron Chef in Kitchen stadium battling chef Geoff Zakarian. He didn't win but his mint parfait 'Stoner Sandwich' over waffle and chocolate crumbs is banging good. He asked if I'd stay and stage & I didn't have any obligations elsewhere now that tour was over so why not?

Stage [ pr: st-AHH-je ] is francais for apprenticing a chef. 

'Butchering's on Tues' Sawyer said.  call my assistant and we'll get you a room. we have hotel hookups all around downtown so don't worry. 'Its gonna be a fun week! and that was it. Sometimes life throws you curve balls. 

Ohio Pigs

My week stage was an educational beast! The cow and pigs and sturgeon came in at the beginning of the week. all are Ohio raised except for the sturgeon which was shipped the day before from New Zealand. the pigs and cows also come split in half so you get two of everything which is cheaper than getting separate cuts of meat. 

Ohio Beef

Sturgeon

Jenny Plank, one of the 2 sous chefs, gave me my demo's before I was left to cut on my own. she's like that classic, dry girl in the kitchen who you have mad respect for in her field. I was amazed at how many non culinary school folks there were and they're own stories of apprenticing...some for up to 8 months before getting hired like 'Danko', the pastry chef, who I also got to know well. Jenny's like a taller version of that Jeanine Garofolo 'chef Tatou' in the Pixar movie 'Ratatouille'.

My favorite job of the week was something she came up with called pig mittens. if you go from the front hoof of the pig all the way up to just past the arm joint and cut around, it resembles a 'mitten'. I hallowed out the meat and made my first sausage with sage, thyme and buttermilk soaked brioche. I then take the sausage and stuff the cavity as I sew up both sides of the skin and sew across the top like sealing a envelope. I pressed the needle (with the force of my whole body) through the half inch of skin and fat that had been drying for a day in the walk in. Its then roasted with herbs, braised in pork stock, cooled, and sliced deli thin. think homemade mortadella but surrounded by a layer of fatted flavor. 

once hallowed, the mitten dries out for 2 days in salt, chili, and coriander 

Bobs you're uncle!

On my last night, before service begins for the rush of pre-gamers for the Cavs match, Brian Goodman, the expediter calls the meeting to order. 

Brian's from jersey and falls much in line with a lot of the nyc sous chefs I met (like 'Josh' at the Spotted Pig)  who were mostly Jewish, in their early 30's, and a bit intimidating on their knowledge of food. Brian addressed problems that could come up and what to do in a worst case scenario's. Tickets are used here but minimally. All the orders rely on communication and teamwork from every person there-from the dish washer to the boss. It's very much a 'this is why we're here' vibe. To make good food, as and to have fun and play some music.

We all toss back vinegar shots. This is a ritual before service begins. Vinegars a probiotic after all. Tons of good stuff you're taking in.

At the end of the evening, everyone gathers for drinks. Danko and Jenny and friends, as a thank you for my week stage, gave me an old fashioned meat grinder.

'Something to help kick start your truck' said Danko. They also packed me up about 6 different bottles of Sawyers Vinegar he brews in his basement. a flight. from light to full bodied. Apricot sake, garlic wheat beer, viogner, rose wine, cote de haute, & vintage brook. I didn't fully appreciate the power of vinegar in what it can do to our meals and our bodies, until this week. Its worth a look.

I still haven't shaken the news about Whitney. Facebook still surprises me the things that ordinary people have the balls to say. this time about the number of people who kept bringing up her drugs and the tragedy of it all. Like Michael Jackson. even Joe Paterno. Instead how about steer toward what was accomplished. Or the doors these artists opened