Keep Fit - Eat Meat Every Day

This past weekend I ventured over the Williamsburg bridge for brunch at Marlow & Sons. My friend and I shared a couple dishes that included an amazing boudin sausage—possibly my favorite part of the meal (and yes, I did have bacon). Afterwards we stopped into Marlow & Daughters to check out the butcher shop where this wonderful sausage came from. Scott Bridi, manager and charcutier (and dining partner), was kind enough to give us a tour. See all photos here.

The place was packed and meat case close to empty. Scott was busy cranking out lamb sausages. Eventually there was a lull & the meat case was replenished before the shot above was taken. I was then introduced to the various charcuterie available—smoked meats, fresh sausages, patés, terrines. There is a lot of thought and care in the preparation of these items. Wine and fresh herbs are often used “to create the balance of a well composed dish,” according to Bridi. We of course had to see for ourselves... we sampled duck rillettes, pork rillettes, a Sunset Park taco-inspired pig head terrine, and sweet sopressata. Like the boudin at brunch, I could certainly eat any of these as a meal by itself. Another wonderful thing about the prepared foods is that it gives the shop an opportunity to make use of the whole animal.

Marlow & Daughters does whole animal butchering and they source their animals very locally. Their beef is from 3 farms in upstate NY. Pork comes from EcoFriendly Foods in VA as well as farms upstate including Flying Pigs. The lamb is from Elysian Fields Farm in PA. Duck and rabbit are from a farm in New Paltz. Meat isn’t all that they get locally. Fresh veggies come from Guy Jones’ upstate farm and their beans come from Cayuga Pure Organics in Ithaca. A number of groceries are sourced even closer to home: popsicles from Brooklyn Flea regulars People’s Pops, Williamsburg’s own Mast Brothers Chocolate, and Marlow & Sons’ house-made ice cream, granola, marmalade and hazelnut butter (to name a few).

This is truly your local neighborhood butcher shop... and if it's not exactly local to you, it’s worth it to go out of your way. These guys aren’t just chopping up meat. They can tell you what cut to use and the best way to prepare it. There is a flexibility and a trust between the staff of M&D and their customers. Talk to Scott, TJ or Andrew who can offer suggestions on easy, delicious dishes based on what’s available. Coming from the kitchens of Gramercy Tavern, craft, and Momofuku—these guys know how to fucking cook. So take advantage of that knowledge when planning your next meal. And don’t forget:

P.S.

M&D will soon be selling barbecue packages... Get your grills ready! (Talking to you, Rosa.) If you can’t grill, their eponymous pork sausage will be available at Summer Stage this year.

Flaming Bacon

Smoked meat anyone?

What compels one to decide to create such a random thing? It’s a waste of delicious (& not exactly cheap!) prosciutto if you ask me... 

Taste Testing

Due to my pamphagous desire to explore all things bacon, I ventured into the world of bacon flavoured snacks. That’s flavoured with a “u” because these were all acquired by Charlotte on her trip to London. Now that my fingers are stained with the scent of artificial bacon, here are my findings...

I first heard of Walkers Smoky Bacon Flavour Potato Crisps from my friend Khary who claims that they do taste a lot like bacon. The texture is exactly like a Lay’s potato chip and while they do have a meat-tinged flavor to it, I'm not sure I’d call it bacon-y. When you open the bag it almost smells like BBQ flavor—they definitely have a smokey smell and taste.

Smiths Bacon Flavour Fries were actually pretty tasty—probably my favorite of the bunch. They are perfectly salty with a hint of sweet bacon. They even look a bit like bacon...

Wheat Crunchies Crispy Bacon Flavour Crunchy Wheaty Tubes look kind of scary... Resembling something like a dog treat, I expected them to have a fairly meaty flavor. They were indeed crunchy and wheaty (as the name suggests) but the flavor was rather bland and didn't come close to tasting like bacon.

Red Mill Bacon Streaks Cereal Snacks have an interesting texture—kind of light and airy but sort of saturated with oil at the same time. These had the most bacon-like flavor... but I can’t say that I really enjoyed them. 

In conclusion: I prefer the real thing.

Char No.4

Char No.4—not unlike Chanel No.5—has it’s own intoxicating scent: smoked meat. I started off with smoked and fried pork nuggets and the house smoked, thick-cut bacon. BIrthday boy Gristle had the clam chowder with potato, leeks and bacon. That's a whole lot of pig.... The bacon was good but a little too fatty for my taste. We all know what Mr. Cutlets says about the meat-to-fat ratio! I would say this was about 35% meat to 65% fat. It was still a nice treat before my grilled hanger steak. The entree was the real star of the meal along with several delicious, well made, whiskey cocktails. 

Extra points for the knowledgeable bartender and the warm, friendly waitstaff—especially the hostess who told me how much she loves Jurlique!

Pinot Noir: medium bodied, spicy... and bacon-y?

According to Jim Eastman’s music & wine blog, there is indeed a wine that tastes like bacon! He describes his first whiff of the Rock Point 2007 Pinot Noir: 

The glass arrived. I shove my nose in the glass. No doubt. Overwhelming. Bacon! Smoky, spicy bacon. Good bacon at that. Applewood smoked bacon with pepper on it. That kind of bacon. 

Mmmm... I would love to be sipping on a glass of wine that is “nice and earthy, like a free-range hog” right about now. Has anyone tried it already?

More Bacon & Bourbon

As you can see, there is no shortage of bacon and bourbon lovers out there. By far one of the coolest events I’ve been to... ever... in life.

Applewood smoked bacon samples being passed around while Josh Ozersky spoke of the importance of a 50/50 meat to fat ratio in bacon. He compared it to a well balanced meal in which “the fat is the meat and the meat is the vegetables.” Ozersky also recommends Benton’s bacon and his preferred method of cooking bacon is in the oven at 375°.

Scott Smith from RUB shares with us step-by-step his recipe for making BBQ Bacon Chunks—cured, triple smoked and deep fried in lard. Note to self: Eat at RUB very, very soon!

Bacon & Bourbon—a wildly successful pairing. Read more about the event here. And check out video from The Feedbag.

Dreams do come true!

The Astor Center NY invites you to “Sample premium American whiskies while tasting an array of tasty bacons, from artisanal producers including Nueske's, RUB, and other surprise VIP's from the world of smoked meats.” at the 2009 Bacon and Bourbon Expo. 

If you plan to go, use the promotion code "Citysearch" to save $20 on each ticket!