High on the Hog

When Renée suggested that I sign up for a Greenhouse Tavern Chef School Series class on butchering a whole pig, I jumped at the chance for several reasons. I love taking classes that have anything to do with food. I’ve taken classes on sauces, pasta making, and Italian cooking among others, and I always come away learning something that I can use in my cooking. I also want to learn more about charcuterie by making sausages, bacon, and other dry and salt cured meats, as well as learning confit techniques, and there’s no better place to begin than with pork. But ultimately, I was most excited about this class because it involved a locally farm-raised animal and because of the great respect I have for what Chefs  Jonathon Sawyer and Jonathan Seeholzer are doing at The Greenhouse Tavern.

If you didn’t know anything about The Greenhouse Tavern, you could, as Yogi Berra once said, “learn a lot just by watching.” Although not quite a year old, this unassuming eatery has quickly become another feather in Cleveland’s culinary cap, having been named one of Bon Apetit’s Top Ten Best New Restaurants in America, and is a popular spot along the rejuvenated East 4th Street. The food, of course, is fantastic, and the atmosphere is low-key, friendly, and casual. The name has significance beyond the first glance definition. The team at The Greenhouse Tavern are guided by two principles: “the idea that the proximity of the farm and soil to a restaurant correlates to the quality of its food and that environmentally conscious or green business practices are fundamental.” Collaborating with the Green Restaurant Association, The Greenhouse Tavern became the first certified green restaurant in Ohio. This approach resonates with me, not only in a business sense, but in a food and community sense as well. It’s meaningful, and that makes The Greenhouse Tavern the kind of restaurant at which I’m happy to spend my money.

Going Whole Hog

It’s one thing to see a nice, neat diagram of where different cuts of meat come from on an animal, but it’s no substitute for the real thing. If you’ve ever boned a chicken, carved a turkey, filleted a fish, or dressed a rabbit or a deer, you know how important it is to make the most of what the animal gives you. In the case of the pig, it gives a lot. Nearly every part of a pig can be made into something edible and I was excited to see the butchering process first-hand.

One of the best known Yorkshire pigs in popular culture is Arnold Ziffel, a long-running character in the 1960s rural sitcom Green Acres

Our farm-raised friend came from the Miller Livestock Company in Kinsman, Ohio. Miller produces cheese, grass-fed beef and lamb, and pastured chicken, turkey, and pork, and as been doing so without using chemical fertilizers, pesticides, hormones or antibiotics for over ten years. He regularly provides pigs, lamb, and beef to The Greenhouse Tavern and other restaurants in Northeast Ohio. Owner Aaron Miller was on hand to tell us a little about his farm and the pig about to be butchered. It was a 300 pound, 5 1/2 month old Yorkshire pig. The Yorkshire breed was developed in England and is thought to have first come to the US in Ohio in about 1830. Yorkshires are now found in nearly every US state, with the largest populations in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, and Ohio. Yorkshires are muscular with a high proportion of lean meat. Miller’s hogs are pasture-raised and feed on fresh grass with grain supplements. Miller also takes great care to minimize stress for his animals. This is not only part of the humane treatment they receive, it produces a better quality of meat.

No Pig In A Poke

The class began with some Dino Torti Sparkling Bonardo, which paired nicely with the pork appetizers laid out for the class to sample while we waited for the chefs to begin. This terrific array showcased some of the ways a pig can be used and included cured pork, Devils on Horseback, and prosciutto, along with cheese on The Greenhouse’s signature grilled bread. The Bonardo is similar to a Lambrusco, although not as sweet, and Chef Sawyer explained that sparkling wines like these are sold in most Italian butcher shops because of their great pairing qualities with pork.

As Chef Seeholzer began explaining the process of breaking down the animal, it was interesting to note the tools that were laid out. Sturdy, stiff knives, a traditional butcher knife that Chef Sawyer preferred, several cleavers, and a few thinner, more flexible boning knives. Chef Sawyer also explained his preference for a Japanese style blade that is dull toward the heel so it can be used to separate bones and cartilage without damaging the cutting surface of the edge and tip.

Different grips must be used as well depending on what and how you need to make a cut. The usual pinch grip used when holding a chef’s knife changes to a four finger warp around the handle for general cutting, and an index finger extended along the spine for stability and control in making precise cuts.

When breaking down any animal it’s important to understand as much as you can about the animal’s anatomy. Knowing the bone structure helps you make cuts that separate the animal more easily and give you the most desirable cuts of meat. Simple techniques like moving the limbs to see the natural points of movement and the seams that movement creates tell you where you should cut.

Chef Sawyer talked about how the different parts could be used, including how the cuts are used in other parts of the world, and gave us many useful pointers that come in handy when buying pork. For example, when a recipe calls for belly you can substitute shoulder for about 1/2 the cost without sacrificing quality or taste. Chef Sawyer also talked about rillettes, Zampone, and various ways to confit different parts of the pig. Both confit of pork and rillettes are on my list to do at home as I continue to explore charcuterie.

This fine animal produced some wonderful butt, hams, chops, and of course, bacon. What was most interesting was the relative size of the tenderloin compared to the size of the animal. It’s small size and difficult location explain why it is so expensive when you buy it in the store. Chefs Sawyer and Seeholzer explained that this animal would serve the restaurants needs for the coming week. So if you want to be sure to get some good pork, dine early in the week before it’s all gone!

As Chef Seeholzer finished his butchering workout, Chef Sawyer demonstrated how he uses cures and brines to create terrific flavors, textures, and to preserve the moisture content of the meat. I’ve written before about my love of brining, but the great thing about brines and rubs is that although the recipes usually contain salt, sugar, herbs, and seasoning, the combination and variety of ingredients you can use allows you to experiment with many ways to  create terrific flavors.

Chef Sawyer’s Dry Cure Recipe:

The use of Muscovado in this recipe is an example of exactly what I mean about combination and variety. During the sugar making process, the juices extracted from the sugar cane are boiled and the crystals are removed to make refined white sugar; what’s left is molasses.  Most brown sugar is made by adding the molasses back to white sugar. Muscovado sugar is minimally refined and gets its flavor and color directly from the sugarcane juice. It is more moist than other brown sugars and is commonly used in baking and whiskey making.  It is dark, strongly flavored, and very sticky with large, rough, uneven crystals. The high moisture content and strong flavor adds a lot to this dry cure.

The head of the pig was submerged whole in a brine consisting of the following. You could use this brine for any part of the pig:

Traditional head cheese is made by boiling the head until the meat falls off the bone, but some chefs will de-bone the brined head, season it, then braise it in a sous vide bag low and slow for hours, then chill it for several days before slicing. Either way, it’s going to make for some good eats later.

In Hog Heaven

In addition to the wine pairings, the class included tasting courses prepared to highlight the pork cuts we saw being butchered. This was like a bonus, not only because we got to eat some really good food, but because Chef Sawyer was around to answer questions and discuss what we learned in the class. Here’s what we had:

Firsts: Local Pork (not) Belly En Papier with beluga lentils, fregola sarda pasta and confited onion – I’ve used this cooking method before and it’s easy and adds tons of flavor and this dish proves it wonderfully

Seconds: Spring Pasta with morel mushrooms, fiddlehead ferns, and crispy pork – I could eat this every day for the rest of my life and not get tired of it

Thirds: Pan Fried Pork Chop Saltimbocca with sage, country ham, pommes puree and red eye gravy – Fantastic chop, wonderful prosciutto, and the pommes purée and gravy were silky smooth and flavorful

Chef’s Dessert Selection: Hazelnut Brownie with Jeni’s Bourbon Buttered Pecan ice cream and caramel – I love hazelnut and the ice cream and caramel were rich and delicious

I anticipated the dishes so much that I neglected to take good pictures of them when they arrived. You’ll just have to go the the Greenhouse and experience them for yourselves.

Thanks to Chef Sawyer, Chef Seeholzer, and the rest of the team at The Greenhouse Tavern for putting on a terrific class and serving us so well. You’ll see me at one of the classes in the future!  Upcoming classes include Best of The Greenhouse Tavern on 4/18, Foraging Forest Food on 5/16, Roof Top Grilling on 6/20, and Sustainable Seafood on 7/18. Stay tuned to the Greenhouse Tavern blog for more info.

“I like pigs.
Dogs look up to us.
Cats look down on us.
Pigs treat us as equals.”

~Winston Churchill

Tagged as: Aaron Miller, butchering, farm-raised, hog, pig, Pork