The image you see above is last week’s special, Lomo en Adobo. A double rib pork loin roast with garlic, sherry, paprika and fresh herbs

Well, this is an absolutely amazing menu for Fatted Calf. My usual spew would be to talk about the food and how tasty they be. This week I think I’m going to talk about cooking the little dears instead. Why? Because they have two specials listed, Hoffman Farm Quail stuffed with lemon & herb sausage. And “Porchetta” style Heritage Pork Loin Roast with rosemary, fennel, pepper and garlic.
The way I figure it, because these roasts & stuffed quails are so unique and so perfect just the way they are, I don’t blend them with other ingredients. What I mean by this, I don’t use vegetables and roots in the pan while roasting. If you’re ah choosin’ the Porchetta roast? Smile. Remove your pork roast from the fridge 45 minutes or so before you plan to pop it in to the oven. Don’t wash it. Drizzle a little extra virgin over and set in a roasting pan with a trivet or rack. Try to use something with low sides, want heat all over. I suggest the rack because it’ll keep the roast out of the fat and allow more of the roast to brown and be highly edible. Preheat the oven to 375 or 350, it’s up to you. Install the roast in and on the lower rack. At 40 minutes check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer, pull roast at 138. This may take an hour and a half, keep watch! Remove roast from pan and let rest for 10 minutes on cutting board, slice and serve. Or do what I do, just stand over the cutting board and eat.
The quails, while similar in roasting, one wants to take a lot of care with the little dears. They’re very tender and when done, can be torn to pieces very easily. In fact, it would pay to oil the rack before laying the quail down. Yeah, just follow the instructions for the roast, it’ll result in a wonderful quail. But it’ll be done in 40 to 50 minutes. When testing the temperature of the quail, please insert your instant read thermometer in to the sausage stuffed cavity, when 138 to 140, pull and let rest a few minutes. One per person, even for my appetite it’s plenty.
Of course these two can be smoked and/or grilled. If you’re going to grill them, set your fire up for indirect cooking. Oil your grill for the quail, for sure. For the roast, sear it over high heat until a little caramelly, then cook indirect with plenty of smoky wood chips. Remember, don’t adjust your fire with the exhaust vents, just the intake. Full open exhaust, this way you won’t get creosote build-up on your meat. Nasty ol’ bitter stuff. Keep an eye on your fire so it doesn’t get out of control or go out. If you think the fire is too darned hot? Pull the meat and let the fire burn down for 10 to 20 minutes. In fact, that’s true for anything in the grill or smoker. If things are getting out of control, if the fire is too hot, it’s okay to pull the meat or whatever you’re cooking. This way you can manage the fire and get yourself back in shape to continue.
Next up are the Rabbit Crepinettes! As most of us know, the crepinettes are a sausage patty wrapped in caul fat (fatty webbing). What this tells us right off is that they are going to create a mess no matter how you cook them. So, my first choice is always the grill. If this isn’t possible, use a heavy pan with high sides. A dutch oven would be a perfect candidate, with a splatter shield. Use a medium to medium low heat and don’t overcook the little pillows of meat love. I use my instant read thermometer here too or just cut in to them a little. These are exceptionally good with scrambled eggs for dinner or breakfast. mMmMMMMM, Mama love.
If you are going to be cooking any of their sausages this coming weekend, I would most certainly plan on doing them grill/smoker side. Fatted Calf’s cased sausages are exquisite little bundles of juicy. You’d want to build your fire to a medium heat, nothing crazy. Set a few on and see how they do. If they start to spazzle and split, pull to side and cook indirectly or wait a bit. Do not go and do household chores or get too loaded while grilling. Stay ready with tongs in hand. These sausages cook pretty darned quickly and they must NOT be overcooked.
Lastly I’d like to say that you should most certainly order your goodies ahead of time. This is Mother’s Day weekend and it’s going to be a sell out for SURE. Please place your order HERE.
Well, that pretty much lays that down for that. If you have any questions, even on the weekend, don’t hesitate to contact me at drbiggles at cyberbilly dot com. I’m here to help!
I most certainly will be attending Saturday’s market in Berkeley and hope to see you there. Remember, FC is also at the Ferry Building on Saturday too. Share the love.
xo

Fatted Calf
Phone/Fax (510)653-4327
Mother’s Day is the busiest day of the year for most restaurants. For anyone who has ever toiled at the hands of the fine dining industry, there is nothing worse (with the possible exception of Valentine’s Day) than having to work a Mother’s Day Brunch shift.
You work late on Saturday night. You have a few drinks to take the edge off, help you forget about the stinging in your lower back and guide you into slumber. Then, at some evil hour when you thought the sun did not shine, your alarm goes off. You briefly contemplate over your third coffee how you are neglecting your own familial obligations and try to remember what the hell you did with that card. Before you know it you are standing in the same spot you occupied less than eight hours ago. But the menu has changed and you need to make twenty omelets right now. It’s enough to make you want to cry for your mommy.
Spare these poor souls and skip the out to eat routine this year. Show your Mom you’ve got some skills in the kitchen and roast her up something divine. Brunch is quite possibly the easiest meal to execute at home, especially with a few elegant eggs from Marin Sun Farms, some lemon and herb links and a big bowl of glorious berries. Maybe you’re afraid to let your Mom see your apartment with its potential embarrassment lurking in the corners? Nothing could be lovelier than a stroll in the park and lunch in the grass with a little basket of goods you picked up at the market. You have become a productive, free thinking citizen of this world with an appreciation for good food thanks to (or, in some cases, in spite of) her and the day has come to let her know.
See you at the market!
Saturday, May 10
Specials
Hoffman Farm Quail stuffed with lemon & herb sausage
“Porchetta” style Heritage Pork Loin Roast with rosemary, fennel, pepper and garlic
Sausage
Rabbit Crepinettes with roasted shallots
Boudin Noir
Calabrese
Merguez
Fennel Sausage
Toulouse
Mexican Style Chorizo
Breakfast Sausage
Lemon and Herb Links
Pâtés, Confits & Terrines
Pâté Maison
Rabbit Pâté with Chives
Duck Pate with Brandied Currants
Duck Liver Mousse
Duck Confit
Duck Rillettes
Rabbit Rillettes
Salumi
Fegatelli
Petit Sec Aux Herbes
Mortadella
Saucisson Sec
Pancetta
Other Meaty Goods
Sugo di Carne