I won a bag of meat!

[April 28, 2013]

Have I told you lately how much I love pork? I've been wanting to go to Cochon 555 for as long as I've lived in Chicago. 5 chefs, 5 heritage-breed hogs, 5 winemakers. My idea of heaven. So when my friend Vicky emailed to tell me that she was coming to Chicago specifically to attend this event, I bought a ticket immediately. 

A few days before Cochon, I received an email with extensive instructions about how to navigate this event. Apparently this was not an event designed for single people - a partner would be required to successfully negotiate one's way through all 5 stations, as well as the bonus 6th barbecued pig and the lavish spread of cheese, oysters, whiskeys, and desserts. As if the 2.1 pounds of meat I was promised were not enough. Luckily, I'd be attending with a group.

Rick Bayless was there. Every time Vicky comes to visit we see Rick Bayless. First at XOCO on a scorching July day last summer (we ordered caldos, undeterred by 90 degree heat and high humidity), then at the entrance to pork heaven. 

I was handed a guide to the night's eats and promptly stuck it in my back pocket to free up my hands for food- and wine-grabbing. Little did I know, this logo was sticking out of my black jeans, perfectly aligned atop my right butt check. Someone nearby took notice and took a picture, so somewhere on the interwebs there is probably an Instagramed photo of my ass with a pig on it. 

After thoroughly reading the Cochon instructional email, I was under the impression that each station would have one bite. Nope. Each table had a multi-course tasting menu of bites. Headcheese, sausages, paella, pork buns, ramen with a crispy cube of fried pork, dessert-ified pork rinds. And the bonus barbecue table - cornbread, greens, pulled pork. Wow. I voted for Yusho; it was a hard choice between them and the eventual winner, the team from Publican Quality Meats. But I think the bonus table from Lillie's Q might have been my favorite.

Amidst the tables of meat and booze, the crew from the Butcher and Larder put on a butchering demonstration. How many pigs are we up to now? At least 7 on my count. Step by step, the captive pork-loving audience watched the pig be broken down into it's component parts. This process is important to watch, a reminder that all the meat the we eat comes from a whole animal that was once living and breathing. This concept is easy to forget when you just see cuts of meat at the grocery store or your butcher's counter. Rob Levitt wrote a great piece about his experience taking his team to meet one of the pigs they were buying and actually being present for the slaughter. I won't say more about it here - you should read his account. It's inspiring and sobering and might change your view about eating meat.

What do you do with a butchered pig in the middle of a hotel ballroom? Raffle off the meat! My dad has played the lottery my whole life; someone has to win, and it won't be you unless you buy a ticket. $15 seemed like a small price to pay for a share of heritage-breed hog. I think the money went to a good cause. To be honest, I did not ask where the money was going, and didn't even know what part of the pig I'd be getting. Would I get to choose my winnings? What if I ended up with something like trotters or tongue, which I had no idea what to do with, instead of chops or ribs? I had many questions but did not bother to seek answers. Either way, I was in.

I had a good feeling about this ticket. I don't think this was a premonition; it can be easy to confuse excitement over the prospect of winning with some kind of psychic vision. My heart began to race as the drawing started - it could be me! They called the first few numbers, some close to mine but not mine.

But then it happened. My number was called. I screamed out with a combination of shock and excitement -- I won! That's my number! I raced up to the stage, eager to collect my prize. I was handed a large bag of meat. Not a certificate to pick up my winnings at the store later. No, I was handed a large paper bag full of freshly butchered pork.

I skipped backed to my friends and we looked inside to discover what treats lay inside. My heart skipped a beat at the bag's contents. Pork chops, the same beautiful thick chops that I had made for my dad during his recent visit. A lanzo, which I realized upon opening later was a large loin of pork. An expensive cut. I looked further into the bag to find a picnic roast, perfect for slow cooking, and neck bones, possibly the base to Sunday gravy? What a haul. 

I estimated that I won 10-15 pounds of meat, 1/15 of a Berkshire hog from Catalpa Grove Farm, the same type of pig provided to Lillie's Q, my favorite table. So many possibilities for this meat. How would I put this meat to use? I decided to share it with friends and family - it would be selfish of me to keep such lovely meat (and so much of it!) all to myself. I called the store to find out the best way to store this meat, since I couldn't possibly go through it all. Wrap tightly in its paper, wrap the paper tightly in plastic, and seal in a ziplock bag, squeezing out as much air as possible, and freeze. For good measure, I also dried the meat with paper towels to get rid of as much moisture as possible.

Look for posts in the upcoming weeks featuring the contents of this very special bag of meat!