Second, a little perspective. Cochon 555 started with artisinal cheeses, French vodka and caviar, and boutique pickles and charcuterie. We sipped West Coast wines in the late afternoon sun atop of the Newseum's rooftop decks and rubbed elbows with D.C. area celebrity chefs. This was no average day on the farm.
An average day on the farm is sweaty and dirty and fun, but in a very different way. Since the Bradford girls enthusiastically crowned Cochon "The Pig Party", I thought you might like to see what the pig party usually looks like on the farm:
And when the pigs are really hungry, the party looks a little more like this:
But this is what our D.C. pig party looked like:
As much as I love the daily pig party we have on the farm, I LOVED the singular pig party that was Cochon 555! But wait, I need to back up.
Before we got to the party, I got a call from Alec (friend and farmer). Dina (girlfriend and partner in porcine crime) and I were planning on meeting him and the girls for lunch. He was going to try and make reservations at the Westend Bistro, Eric Ripert's D.C. restaurant. We were pretty excited because Joe Palma, the Chef de Cuisine, is a great cook and a great guy to boot. We had eaten dinner on the pass one night where we discovered that we loved the food and appreciated Joe's willingness to talk with us about what he was serving.But when we arrived, the restaurant was closed to the public. There was a private event, but Joe - who buys pigs from Alec - had invited the Bradfords and us to join the festivities. We sipped mimosas while the girls finished chicken and waffles. It was the best possible way to start the day!
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| Photo by Kenan Dunson* |
O.k., back to the Party.
When we first arrived, there was wine, champagne, and tasty, artisanal cocktails. An expansive oval of people rotated around the main room, pausing at each of the competing chef's table to sample their various piggie preparations.
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| Photo by Kenan Dunson* |
The first stop was Tarver's table. I met Tarver King when he cooked at a Guest Chef event at the restaurant - Local Roots - where I was General Manager. His talent and creativity were impressive. And so was his warmth and sincerity. As one of our servers remarked, "After the dinner and the drinking, he remembered my name...who does that?"
He cooked with one of Alec's Big Black's and his food was phenomenal! Here's one of his dishes: cracklin's with ketchup and mustard powder (think sup'ed up version of a a red & yellow hotdog). I didn't taste it, but Alec said Tarver's plate to the judges included a homemade buttermilk ice cream that incorporated crispy bits of pig skin. Goodbye chocolate chips. Hello pig skin!
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| Photo by Kenan Dunson* |
Next we visited Adam Sobel's table where I dove into the dirtiest martini ever. Somehow they got fat back and truffles into the vodka and they stuffed the olives with pickled pig knuckles. Pulled pork cupcakes, pork belly ramen, a nacho bite built on a chicharron - dear God!
On to Bryan Voltaggio's table where we were wowed by his well-oiled-machine of a team and his flawless food. Among other impressive feats, he had lodged a touch of soft pork pate inside of a crispy meringue and coaxed bourbon and smoked ham hock into a chestnut cream soda.
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| Photo by Kenan Dunson* |
Along the way, Tallulah and Sadie - Alec's two youngest daughters - would get bored and tear off into the crowded sea of pig party goers. At one point Tallulah unknowingly backed into Bryan Voltaggio who greeted her cheerfully as she apologized. Dina, who was doing the chasing at that point, said, "Hi Bryan, you've met Tallulah, haven't you? From Leaping Waters Farm?" We laughed about it later...I mean, she may not have been on Top Chef, but Tallulah is a pretty big deal.
Although we missed most of it, Dina and I managed to catch the tail end of the butchery contest. Pamela Ginsberg of Wagshal's Market rocked the competition. As we approached, it was clear that there was no chance the poor guy from Whole Foods was going to catch up with her. In the video below, you can hear the chant: "Jason! Jason!" But what I didn't catch on film was Pamela throwing down her last cut of meat as rally chant gave way to victory cheer. Pamela, if you're out there, I've decided I want to be you when I grow up!
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| Photo by Kenan Dunson* |
By the time we got to Scott Drewno's table - who also cooked one of Alec's pigs, this time a Berkshire - much of the food had run out. We were delighted, however, to taste his PBR Squared...so delighted, in fact, that I had to go back for seconds. When the desserts came out, we also got to try his bacon-almond brittle which was a matchless marriage of savory and sweet.
If you've made it this far, thank you. This has been an unusually long entry, but the day was unusually spectacular. Let me finish with one last video clip:
Scott won and the press pinned him the "Prince of Pork". Which also means that the farm won, because he was cooking one of Alec's pigs. Alec and another heritage breed pig will accompany Scott to Food and Wine's Aspen Classic for the final Cochon cook-off. We were all excited for Scott and for Alec. But whereas Scott got the praise and the press, the farm got lost in the shuffle. As you can see in the video, Alec - whose smiling face I pass in the crowd - is not up on stage with Scott to receive the trophy.
It's a shame. Cochon says that it wants to bring public attention to the small family farms who still struggle to raise the happiest, best tasting pigs on the planet. But the chef, not the farm or the pig, was the star of this show. Don't get me wrong, Scott and his team did great work and deserve the cheers and the trophy. But he worked on preparing that pig for a week. Alec is out there week after week making sure those pigs have a good, healthy life and a clean, easy death. I can attest - as future blogs will recount - that the work of the farm is hard, messy, and relentless.
I think Alec and his family deserve a trophy too. And I'm hoping that when he and Scott win in Aspen, there'll be one waiting for him.
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*I had some trouble with the camera I brought to the event. Although the videos are mine, the photos were taken by Kenan Dunson and can be found with others on the Examiner.
Please check out the chefs, the farms, and the vineyards…
Chefs & Pigs
Scott Drewno, The Source – Berkshire from Leaping Waters Farm
Tarver King, Ashby Inn + Restaurant - Large Black from Leaping Waters Farm
Jamie Leeds, Hank's Oyster Bar - Gloucestershire Old Spot from Ayrshire Farm
Adam Sobel, Bourbon Steak DC - Tamworth from Gryffon’s Aerie
Bryan Voltaggio, VOLT - Farmers Cross from Eco Friendly Foods
The Five Wineries
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