Big Sur Bakery Cookbook - Michelle Wojtowicz [31]
After the tour we met up with Becky, cracked open a bottle of Italian wine, and snacked on pork tacos while chatting and watching their daughter play. It was a wonderful evening in and of itself, but it was especially nice to talk with other people who so wholeheartedly believe in what they are doing. Our businesses are hard, we all work long hours with little financial reward, and yet as we looked around the table everyone seemed optimistic and happy.
When we got back in the car, Michelle turned to Phil and said, “They’re living the dream, aren’t they?”
“Sure,” he said. “If the dream is to work really hard for no money.”
(We can always count on Phil for a reality check.)
But even so, visiting the ranch completed a circle that we’ve been trying to close for a long time: meeting farmers in person so that we know, firsthand, where the food we serve is coming from.
Photographs by Sara Remington
Photographs by Sara Remington
PROFILE: JUSTIN/BUTCHER
Photographs by Sara Remington
Current products:
Sausage, salami, prosciutto, guanciale, lardo, pâtés, and fresh cuts of pork, beef, and lamb.
First butcher in the family:
My grandfather, Eugen Sandella.
Equipment used?
Heavy cleavers, sharp knives. I cut everything by hand.
Favorite part of pig to eat?
Cheek.
To touch:
Right behind the ears.
Weirdest part of the pig you’ve eaten:
Snout.
Personal goal:
Being the first small producer of artisan, pasture-raised prosciutto in the country and actually making a dollar or two.
Biggest challenge:
The USDA makes small producers follow the same rules as huge producers, which isn’t cost-effective. The rules also make it hard for small producers to raise and slaughter their animals themselves.
Worst reaction to your shop:
Vegans slashed my tires.
Who loves pigs more—you, or vegans?
Me.
Why?
We have a similar goal: wanting to make sure the pigs are raised as ethically as possible. But instead of just talking about it, I’m doing it.
Recipes
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Grilled Pork Confit with Chuck’s Barbecue Sauce
Our good friends Dan and Roxana served this pork at our wedding and we loved it. Typically, confit recipes call for animal fat, but we find that using a neutral vegetable oil helps preserve the meat’s natural flavor. It might seem crazy to simmer meat in oil, but don’t worry—the pork doesn’t actually absorb the fat. You’re basically steaming a large portion of meat in the oil, getting it to release moisture while breaking down its tissue. That’s why it’s important to use a sturdy cut of meat: something like a loin would dry out. It’s a great way to handle large cuts of meat because once it’s cooked and put in oil, the meat keeps for a while. (We usually eat ours within a week.) The first thing we do with it is cut it into thick pieces, grill it until crispy, and serve it with this fantastic sauce that was brought to us by Chuck, our former sous-chef and a Texas native. We also like to thinly slice the pork confit and eat it on sandwiches with mustard aïoli.
You’ll need to start this preparation two days ahead.
* * *
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PORK CONFIT:
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup sugar
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 thyme sprigs
2 ½ to 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder
Rice bran oil or canola oil
Serves 4
Fill a large pot with 4 quarts water and bring it to a boil. Remove from the heat. Add the salt, sugar, garlic, and thyme sprigs and stir until the salt and sugar are fully dissolved. Set the brine aside to cool completely.
Put the pork shoulder in the cooled brine, and place a heavy plate on top of the meat to keep it submerged. Cover the pot with plastic wrap and let it sit overnight (12