It still hasn’t become real for me that Rick’s Quality Meats is done and over with. The last few days have found me teary eyed over the fact I’ll no longer find my fancy teriyaki marinated beef ball-tip roast (marinated for 5 days +) for an easy & luscious weekday meal. In spite of myself, life goes on. I must find another neighborhood grocery and meat counter to visit each and every day on my way home from work. Today’s adventure lead me to El Cerrito Natural Grocery.
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Fatted Calf’s Rind On Bacon – Fatted Calf’s Newsletter
Before you ask what the hell are you looking at and then you think you know, let me fill you in. That is most certainly not a clever plug-in for photoshop to make your digital image look like an Polaroid picture. That my good people is a good ol’ polaroid picture. I was without a digital camera last night and absolutely needed to get a fast picture of dinner. I was quite lucky and had a half dozen prints left in my Polaroid 680 SLR camera.
It was kinda fun attaching the old beast to a tripod for the this and the next shot. I even grabbed my 500 watt UV balanced photo flood for these shots, ya gotta have light for photography ya know.
Okay, why bother with all this? Holy fnorking pigmeat Batman, this bacon was fricken amazing. This, of course, is Fatted Calf’s Rind On Bacon. Why is it different from the last time? Why bother with yet another damned Bacon post?
2 reasons right off the top. One of which being the wonderful rich and deep smoking this batch received. While the cure seemed a little less sweet than the last, this one had a more pronounced smoke flavor. Just in case you don’t know, I’m a huge fan of that fancy rich and deep smoky love. The second reason is just LOOK. Check out the fricken shape and size of that bacon. That’s not a little city cut of metrosexual bacon, that right there friends is a huge ass rustic cut of bacon that only allows 2 slices in the pan at once! This, is why, I absolutely needed something to take a snapshot with for you today.
Just when you thought you had it all, I have one more little juicy treat. As a semi-general rule, I don’t cook the crap out of my bacon. But this time I took the last 2 pieces a little farther than I normally do. The heat came up just a tad and got things jumpin’. If you look, you can tell when the bacon is browning and getting crisper by the second, this is what I did. Then pulled and patted dry with a paper towel. I used to use a cloth one, but Mama put a quick stop to that. If you cook Rind On bacon this far it turns the rind in to cracklins, hard & snappy cracklins. So, now not only do we have a good smoky piece of bacon, but each bite has this insane smashing sound as it works around your teefs. SMASH, CRUNCH, KERPOW !!! I had chewy bacon, I had crunchy bacon and I had explosionny bacon in my mouth all at once. Man, just when you think you’ve done it all with bacon. Bacon is most certainly a multifacited meat.
I feel like a used tube of toothpaste. Time for a smoke.
This week’s Fatted Calf menu has the Porchetta pork roast back. It’s better than you remember, just buy one please. You certainly won’t regret it, that’s for sure. And if you have anything that you absolutely must have, please visit their web site and order it ahead of time. Remember, don’t wash it, it’s ready to enter your oven or smoker or grill.
One last thing before my mind shuts off, they’ve got Boudin Noir this week. This prized sausage only shows up once in a while and if you’re a fan, preorder right now. Please continue on to the Fatted Calf Newsletter that I didn’t write. This one sets the records straight as to when and where Fatted Calf’s store is opening, cool eh?
Biggles
Meathenge Labs goes toe to toe with Mr. Neighbor Man
Please take note that my Nikon D70 has taken a nose dive and been sent off for repairs. So until further notice, these images were taken with my first digital camera, a Nikon Coolpix 950.
Damn you to hell Mr. Neighbor Man and your nasty ass fluid, cheap crumbly briquettes and non-seasoned chicken pieces. And how dare you hit me with such vial smells just as I get home on a warm September’s eve. While I had planned something ovenny with my whole natural chicken, you sir have forced me in to action. I’m going to totally kick your ass in startup fire smell, grilling smell and finishing smell. And I’m going to do it right now! Prepare for thine beating.
Knife Skills Class Anyone? In Alameda …
HOOYAH !!! Man, I just love taking Shuna’s classes. I’ve taken prolly about 4 of her classes, knives and some wicked baking ones. Not only does the woman know what she’s doing, but she takes the time with each person to make sure they get something useful out of the class. This personal attention isn’t something one usually walks away with after taking one at a local kitchen supply store or school. If you tend to be a wall flower, you’ll get left in the dust. This can be kinda sad and leave you feeling empty. Not Shuna, she gets those wall flowers planted firmly in front with gaze centered.
If you’re on the wall about stepping up, it’s time to jump. The class is coming up this coming Sunday September 10th. If you’re smart, you’ll contact her immediately and get your place secured with a paypal payment. Spots go quickly for this class, very quickly. Last time a couple drove up from Los Angeles just to attend, that’s right. If you hesitate, you’ll lose.
As a parting thought I absolutely do not want to hear anyone saying, “Oh I’d love to take it, but maybe next time.” These classes are not run by Kraft or Sears. They are run by Shuna the Pastry Chef and if she gets a fancy full time cheffin’ job, she’s outta here and once again, you lose.
Do it, you know you wanna.
Please visit Shuna’s blog entry for the Knife Skills Class for September 10th.
Biggles
Smoker for Sale – Rick’s Quality Meats Retires
Hello,
That’s right, you heard correctly. Rick is retiring and doing it soon. This means his custom smoker has to go.
Are you tired of those little round offset smoker rigs? The ones where it takes 20 pounds of charcoal to do 10 pounds of meat? With all the hot spots and horrible engineering? Or are you interested to see of smoking meat with real wood makes a difference over a propane rig?
Fatted Calf Newsletter – Basque Coils, Pork Crepinettes with pine nuts, currants & herbs and Cattail Creek Lamb Sirloin Roasts
Wahoo! Lookie, I got a mention in the Fatted Calf Newsletter, neat. Not only am I famous on the internet, now via newsletters as well. You’re most certainly welcome Taylor, Toponia and The Team. I wouldn’t have done it any other way and consider myself a greater person knowing you. XO.
This week looks exceptionally great and I can hardly wait to smell the lamb roast. No, not while it’s cooking, but raw in the wrapper. Taylor has this way with meat that not only allows wonderful wafts from the grill, but directly from the wrapper as well. You’ll see, this coming Saturday open the package and give a sniff. It’ll make you smile.
WOW !!! I haven’t seen these for a while, sausage coils. Basque sausage coils to be exact. Mama said they smell of garden fresh vegetables and fruits, very bright. I agreed, “Of course, it’s sausage.” What gives this sausage is rosey color and warm flavor is the Piment d’ Espelette (Basque chile pepper). That’s some pretty fancy ingredient usin’ there. I’ve already placed my preorder along with the lamb roast and a few other goodies. Hey, they’ve got the Knockwurst listed too. You should really try these if you haven’t. They’re smoky, smooth with a little spicy action. I boil them for 5 minutes in gently boiling water, pull and serve with a hot German mustard. I figure 2 per person is fair, at least for me anyways.
Hey, have you ever taken their Breakfast Sausage, made it in to a patty and grilled it? Served on a good bun like a standard beef burger? You should you know. Breakfast sausage isn’t just for breakfast anymore.
While the Pate and Salumi departments certainly hold more than a few treasures, the Rind On Bacon draws me to the bottom each time. The wonderfully rich flavors and nice chewy texture to this already smoky pork product are something I wait in anticipation for each time. I remember a few weeks ago this version was gone in about 5 minutes, no kidding.
It’s September 1st and I suppose the summer is winding down. Kids are back in school and Labor day is upon us. Start the weekend off right and head out to your local farmer’s market and get cooking. I know that’s where I’m headed. I hope to see you there!
Rick’s Quality Meats of El Cerrito calls it quits or retires as Rick likes to say
You read that right, Rick is on a fast track to retirement as we speak. He’s been making funny noises for the last few weeks and finally admitted earlier this week he’s packing up and heading out.
Rick and I visit on a weekly if not daily basis and he’s been pulling 50 hours plus, that’s just no fun no matter how you slice it. This coupled with a few other things has pushed him out of the retail business and towards the commercial/wholesale business. In other words, going back to his roots.
Rick’s future is solidifying each day. But mine is wide open, in a cold, dark and sad way. Where’s a needful custom meat kinda guy going to find solace in the world of grocery store packages?
Comon in and sit down. Open up my scrapbook of Rick’s Meats for everyone.
The Biggles’ Grey Poup BBQ Sauce Experience
Ever since I took delivery of the fancy charcoal last week, we’ve grilled and smoked nearly every day. I’ve still got about 280 pounds, so I need to keep up my head of steam, ya know. Besides, what I don’t use will have to be dragged off to the garage before the winter rains set in. And that my good friend, is work. Don’t need none of that, sir.
Because of such a grilling frenzy I’ve been poking about looking for a sauce I haven’t tried yet or would like to reinvent for myself. I came up with this one. Come have a gander and see what you think.
Custom Charcoal in Northern California – A Cooking Wood Adventure
How many of you have these stupid crazy nutcase passions for things? Raise your hands, excellent. How many of you kinda loose rational thought when even remotely near them? Raise your hands, excellent. Apart from the obivious, I have a few of those quirks myself. One of which being real wood charcoal.
Wanna come see what I did this time?
Fatted Calf News – Rabbit Crepinettes with Nicoise Olives & Heritage Berkshire Pork Brochettes with Herbs de Provence
I FINALLY FOUND IT !!! While this isn’t the original, it’s fricken’ close enough (a scan of the print). This here was my inspiration for naming this web site, Meathenge. I took this in the way way early 1990s, probably 15 years ago, eeek. If you want to read About Meathenge, click on the about link to the left there. As soon as I can, I’ll be putting it up there, some place. You bet.
Oh thank goodness, the Fatted Calf Newsletter just rolled in. It’s been a painfully dull week here in regard to food or anything food related. And I haven’t had the time to head out on a Meat Adventure, nope. I can say a Wood Adventure is coming soon though. No, not like that. Fancy cooking wood, that’s what I’m talking about. But I haven’t taken ownership of it yet, it’ll be a few days.
Until then I would personally like to thank the FC Newsletter for making my day brighter. While I sit in my office, I get visions of warm Saturday mornings walking up and down the farmer’s market. The pace is one of leisure with moments of inspiration as I notice new and fresh goodies. The maters have finally begun to show up tasty and the melons are still juicy, sweet and fragrant. Up at the top of the market I find my pals at Blue Bottle Coffee toiling away at water science and calming the jittery crowd. Tracy is always spot on with a cup o’ fresh drip, slurrrp. My pace usually slows at this point cause my coffee is really hot and I have 2 full bags of treasures that I need to balance, carefully. Up around the tippy top I get to put my bags down and hang out with Eric the Knife Guy. He’s got this little wobbly card table with all his tools, display and Mountain Dew linearly placed. It’s fun to see what knives, scissors and shears roll in. Last week he had an English slicing knife that was probably 80 some odd years old. One of the interesting points on this blade was that it had scalloped edges, like the newer kullen type knives. Eric said it was popular back then, but quickly fell out of favor. So, if you think that Kullen edge is so new and fancy, it ain’t. It’s been done and done 80 years ago by the English. HA !!!
On my way back I like to see what Ted from Highland Hills Farm is up to. His stall is usually piled high with meat and ice and more meat and ice and a scale. I search high and low for bacon, you know me. And I check out the menu for fresh goat, I love goat. Since Ted is a rancher and the rancher that ranches his heard, you can ask him all kinds of ranching questions. Such as, “Hey, it’s really hot, how are your cows doing in this heat?” And, “how’s the grass growing? It’s there enough for the cows?” You get the idea.
While Fatted Calf is always my first stop at the market, it’s also usually my last. Why? Because I get so giddy the first time, I can’t concentrate. Or I’m not awake yet and need some fresh cup o’ drip. I’m usually calm enough by pass #2 I can figure out what I need or want or really neeeeeed. Such as a carefully cured stick of salami, man love that stuff.
These are the bright day dreams the Fatted Calf Newsletter brings to me on these Thursdays when I’m a few days out. It speaks to me and says, “It’s okay Biggles, just a few more days until your rabbit crepinettes. You can make it, just a few more days.” Thanks again Newsletter, you’re the best.
Now please read on to the most fabulous FC Newsletter not written by me.
Fatted Calf Newsletter – Herb stuffed Cattail Creek Lamb Sirloin Roasts & Duck Crepinettes
You gotta know, I get to the market just about when it legally opens. That’d be 10am every Saturday morning. I arrived at the Fatted Calf stall a few minutes after and I’m not talking 11:30, I’m talking about 10:05. Toponia was erasing the crepinettes and the rind on bacon right off the board, sold out. So, if you’re looking forward to something specific this week, order now. Got it?
I would really, truly recommend picking up the lamb roast. Taylor has a real knack for finding excellent cuts and they’re painfully fresh. He uses organic herbs and stuffins. I know what some of you are thinking, “I’m not so concerned with everything being organic, just tasting good.” This is something to be thoughtful about when at Safeway and buying their own branded organic milk or produce. Their definition of organic ain’t mine. It does make a difference when you get to know your farmers and ranchers and how they raise their stock and produce. The fruits, veggies and herbies are organic at the Berkeley farmer’s market and I can’t reproduce the goodness at my local Safeway, not even remotely. Taylor grabs all these things and more and introduces them in to meat. What do we get? The best damned lamb roast ever, that’s what.
“Okay Biggles, you talked my poor ass in to buying this hunk of gorgeous lamb, but now what?” Says you. “Cook it and don’t screw it up, foo!” Says I. Use grill or smoker or find someone who does. And that’s how I’d recommend doing it. Sharing is caring.
Don’t wash it! There’s most certainly pepper dust on the outside that needs to stay. It’s ready to be cooked. Be gentle though, sear it directly first. Then remove off coals, close lid and cook indirectly until an internal temperature of 138 to 140 is obtained. This will probably be within an hour or so for these little dudes. Pull and let rest 15 mnutes. Eat.
By the look of the menu this week you have all kinds of good things to choose from. I see Spicy Beef Links. I know previously these were best cooked in a smoker for a few hours. I would ask when you show up and see if that is still true. Either way though, the spice blend and the meat flavors really come through on this link, try a package and see. The duck crepinettes will most certainly be on this coming week’s menu for Meathenge Labs. They got brandied prunes man !!! Duck and brandy? Oh yes.
Please read on to the Fatted Calf Newsletter not written by me. And I hope to see you at the market, I can hardly wait. I saw some grapefruit the last few weeks and I want to try.
Biggles
Bacon tasting then off to the new Applewood BBQ!
Yup, it’s my birthday week and I took yesterday off. I didn’t have much planned but a nice lunch at a new BBQ joint out in Antioch with Chilebrown. He sent me an ad a week ago and thought we should go check it out, considering who we are and all. They’d opened July 31st, so after only being open a week we didn’t know what to expect. It was a day to throw caution to the wind and head out for an adventure.
A few days before, CB’s co-worker made a trip to Oregon for bacon. Apparently he’d filled 2 giganticus sized coolers full of bacon and bacon like products. Some of which I knew CB had asked for and hopefully a little would trickle down to me, heh. This also means we get to have a bacon tasting before lunch, how nice.
I showed up at CB’s early, about 11am. He tossed 2 cast iron skillets on his fancy commercial range and removed a plastic bucket from the fridge. He pulled back the top and said, “Here’s 14 pounds of pork belly curing for bacon.” It sure was, dang. After the bucket was out of the way, he removed about 3 or 4 huge sized bags of bacon. First up he sliced some of Redmond Lockers & Custom Meats Inc bacon, oh man. The fresh porky smell along with sweet smoky wafts was wonderful. Next to slice was the A&B Meat Market bacon, both of which are belly bacon. Each got its own skillet, we have to make sure the flavors of each are preserved!
The gentle caress of the gas range gave us the the bacon doneness we needed. Little bit chewy and a little bit crunchy. This way we can see where it comes and where it goes. I need to taste the cool white smoky fat and the crunch of the belly, it’s all good. I went for the Redmond bacon first and CB did the A&B. It was a moment held in time, we both stood in the kitchen, leaning against the counter. Ghod the Redmond bacon was good, excellent sweetish flavor with a smoky pork finish. I grabbed a slice of the A&B while CB grabbed a piece of the Redmond. Munch munch. Lordy. The A&B was a little milder on the sweet side, but the smoky goodness along with the excellent pork meat flavor was an contender as well.
I veered towards the Redmond bacon and CB was very happy with the A&B. But when it comes down to it, they’re both amazing hunks of cured smoky goodness and get four thumbs up. That was the appetizer, now for lunch. Ready to head out to Antioch to Applewood BBQ?
Pork Spare Ribs cooked indirectly on a grill – Smoky Pork Goodness!
There are so many wonderful ways to cook pork. This is one of the many reasons pork and I get along so damned well. I used to be a pain in the ass purist and would beat any passers by in to my figurin’ that pork spare ribs needed to be smoked for approximately 5 hours before they were ‘correct’ or edible. Now I’m just a pain in the ass that enjoys good food. And I have to say that after Saturday’s grilled pork rib meal, both Mama and I enjoyed great food. However, it just doesn’t happen by mistake. There are a few finer points that needed to be adhered to so your meat makes your teeth smile.
Interested?
Flat Chicky Redux – Just wanted to make sure.
I’ve been accused more than a few times that some of what I do here isn’t reproducible in their kitchen. I feel kinda bad because most of what I do is quite simple, straight forward and doesn’t require rocket science. I think it was Shannon that tried this Pressed Chicken and the first time was a complete disaster. Meathead attempted the salt marinated chicken and ended up throwing it away, so sad.
What to do, what to do? Tinker and Tanker knew what to do, and they did it!
Fatted Calf Newsletter: Heritage Berkshire Brined and Smoked Pork Chops & ‘s Gulch Rabbit Crepinettes with Roasted Shallots!
Ever wonder what the inside of Fatted Calf’s quail stuffed with sausage and a fig looks like? Smoked? Wonder no longer.
Holy cow, or rabbit as the case may be. The Fatted Calf Newsletter just rolled in and man, do they have a full menu for this coming Saturday’s Farmer’s Market. The special this week would be Heritage Berkshire Brined and Smoked Pork Chops. These are legendary in the San Francisco Bay Area and have been for years. You’re a silly bird for not reserving yourself a few. A good method for preparing these beasts (and easy) would be to preheat your oven to 400 degrees, rack at center position. Heat up your cast iron or stainless skillet good and smoking. Install chops for maybe 2 to 3 minutes a side. I put a bacon press on each for even caramelization, but it isn’t necessary. Remove press after both sides are complete and install in to hot oven until they reach an internal temp of maybe 140 degrees. Check temp at 8 minutes, cook accordingly. Pull when ready and set on cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Either serve whole or sliced all pretty like. I prefer doing this versus the smoker or grill because the chops are already smoked. And giving them the searing really brings up the flavors like a rocket. Plus, if you do it right, you’ll get little bright crusty pieces! MMMmMMMM.
The sausage list is pretty huge today, Savory Pork Sausage with Greens, Basque Links and Toulouse just to mention a few. While the savory pork is quite fine, I really enjoy the peppery goodness of the Basque links. So good, so nice, so damned perfect on the grill! Ooo OoOo, MORTADELLA. Go for the mortadella if for nothing else, I do. Reading this menu is making me crazy, I gotta go eat lunch.
You go check out the menu yourself and come out to the market this Saturda at either the Ferry Building or in Berkeley. Either one will render you some wonderful choices. Take care and see you at the market!
Biggles