38 replies to this topic

[MeMc]

I said I'd pass this information along. I thought some folks here might be interested. . . .

COCHON 555 - Washington D.C.
“5 Pigs, 5 Chefs, 5 Winemakers”

May 31st, 2009


WHAT: A group of top Washington D.C. area chefs will each prepare a heritage breed hog from head to toe for this competition. Cochon 555 is the only national chef competition promoting heritage pigs and breed diversity. Guests and professional judges will determine a winner based on creative, classic preparation and overall best flavor. The winner will be crowned the “Prince of Porc”. In addition, five family-owned wineries will showcase their wines.


WHO: Taste Network presents

Brian McBride, Blue Duck Tavern

RJ Cooper, Vidalia

Nicholas Stefanelli, Mio

Jamie Leeds, Commonwealth Gastropub

John Manolatos, Cashion's Eat Place


Wineries: Miner Family Vineyards, Patz & Hall and more.


WHEN: Sunday, May 31st, 5:00 p.m.

Chef & Judges VIP Reception 3:30 p.m. photo opportunity/rsvp required

WHERE: Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C. - 1330 Maryland Ave SW


WHY: To promote heritage pigs and breed diversity in local and national communities. Also, to raise awareness for ICompassion, an organization that works to reduce the number of individuals who die from kidney disease each year through providing support with a national live donor registry.


HOW: The cost is $125 per person and is open to the public. For tickets or more info visit www.amusecochon.com. Advance ticket purchase required.

[ScotteeM]

This does look like fun!

[mdt]

Pigs are from Bev Eggleston at EcoFriendly!

[janetdwms]

Just one word: "Oink!"

[plunk]

My wife and I are going to this. Anybody else planning to attend?

[agm]

NQD and I will be there.

[ScotteeM]

I've experienced what Nicholas Stefanelli can do with an Eco-Friendly hog, and it's amazing. I think the whole event will be mind-blowing. But I don't know yet if I can go.

[Waitman]

If Jamie wins, does she get to be the "Princess of Porc" instead of the Prince.

Sexist bastards.

[DonRocks]

Come one, come all! I'll see you there if you can find me (hint: it won't be very hard ...)

[synaesthesia]

Come one, come all! I'll see you there if you can find me (hint: it won't be very hard ...)

You'll be the one on the table with the apple in your mouth?

[deangold]

I am one of the judges and very open to bribes. Giacomo Conterno 1961 Barolo goes a long way in nudging my opinion. See you there!

[DonRocks]

Tickets to this event are now available for $80 through this website.

[AlexC]

this much I can tell you: Something unsettling is going on at Mio.

Their kitchen put on a respectable showing on Sunday at the Cochon 555 event, though I thought they were outclassed by Commonwealth and the winner, Vidalia. If that 100 lbs of heritage pig turns out to be their swan song (and there is certainly no reason to conclude that is the case), then they went guns blazing.

[deangold]

I thought Nicholas & crew's crispy pork belly the best single dish f the night at 555 and they had several other truly spectacular dishes including the pickled ramps & the red onion preserves.

[giant shrimp]

Carole Greenwood has left both Buck's Fishing and Camping and Comet Ping Pong

maybe that's why buck's was closed this sunday, and comet was a bit of a mess. i suspect that comet has been carrying buck's a bit lately.

[Loire Lover]

Their kitchen put on a respectable showing on Sunday at the Cochon 555 event, though I thought they were outclassed by Commonwealth and the winner, Vidalia. If that 100 lbs of heritage pig turns out to be their swan song (and there is certainly no reason to conclude that is the case), then they went guns blazing.

The scrapple and ravioli dish was fabulous. One of my top three favorite dishes of the evening.

[petercoolz]

I just read about this event at: http://www.localwine...c-national-tour

For those who went last year, how much food do you actually get? It is more of a social 'in' thing to do? It certainly seems like a cool event, but really, I don't care much for that -- I just want to eat a lot of food

RJ Cooper said he prepared pork some 20+ ways last year, and only the judges got to eat most of that. So if I buy my way in with a regular ticket, what will I actually get to experience?

Thanks!

[agm]

You won't overstuff yourself, but you'll be very happy.

[plunk]

I wasn't as lucky as agm at this event last year.

We arrived right on time, though were unable to taste any of Chef Cooper's food, because there was simply none left by the time our turn on line came up. There certainly were some delicious offerings by the other chefs, but the extended wait times in line for both food and wine are what I remember most about this event. Perhaps they'll have worked out some of the kinks this year.

[RJ Cooper]

My rockhead friends follow us on facebook and Twitter breaking down ir new friend Reuben the 160 pound old spot pig into 18 elements for cochon 555

[diddy]

My rockhead friends follow us on facebook and Twitter breaking down ir new friend Reuben the 160 pound old spot pig into 18 elements for cochon 555

Vidalia got robbed last night!

[Ericandblueboy]

Vidalia got robbed last night!

Who won? Any description of the various pigs?

[KMango]

Who won? Any description of the various pigs?

I did a Twitter search last night, and it looked like Bourbon Steak's David Varley.

Looking forward to more intel from folks who attended...

[deangold]

Was a judge again. David Varley probably carried the judges room but the overall voting was close. There was a lot of food and each chef had hits and clunkers. The biggest hts from the discussion I had included Eola's pork consumee & pork heart. There was a pork belly with pickled watermelon that was a top hit for most but in my piggy fog I am not sure if it was Joey Depalma or David Varley. Nick Stephanelli has a lot of nice things including his salty caramel with lardo, his lardo, his speck and his meatball. RJ wowed with his Viet Namese inspired soup. But there were 38 dishes overall and everyone was groaning at the end.

The big winner was the idea of getting to know your suppliers and excellent sourcing.

[ferment everything]

More

[Poivrot Farci]

... his lardo, his speck... The big winner was the idea of getting to know your suppliers and excellent sourcing.

Did he get his pig in November of 2009 or do the principles of charcuterie occur at an accelerated pace in his refrigerator?

[deangold]

Did he get his pig in November of 2009 or do the principles of charcuterie occur at an accelerated pace in his refrigerator?

Those names certaily should ahve been in quotes. They were sous vide versions of the real thing, very denatured compared to an artisan product well aged, but stil very good.

[Poivrot Farci]

Those names certaily should ahve been in quotes. They were sous vide versions of the real thing, very denatured compared to an artisan product well aged, but stil very good.

Ah, modern sleight of hand. I sous-vide Welch’s grape juice with a piece of oak all the time and call it “Barolo.”

[DonRocks]

I sous-vide Welch’s grape juice with a piece of oak all the time and call it “Barolo.”

So do half the producers in Barolo!

[deangold]

Ah, modern sleight of hand. I sous-vide Welch’s grape juice with a piece of oak all the time and call it “Barolo.”

But if you could make it taste like a Barolo, then what would be the harm. The lardo was damned good, int he league with the real deal stuff I have had in Toscana. I did not notice that is was not cured. The speck was interesting, nice chew and good flavors but only faintly speck like. But the real beauty of the lardo was its use... the salty caramel balls were good unto themselves, but the bite with the speck was better.

I don't want to be put in a position of defending sous vide. I think most sous vide dishes I have had have a sameness to them that makes me wonder why I don't get the joy. Here, on two products, it made for really good eating that impressed a whole bunch of people. No more, no less.

[Poivrot Farci]

But if you could make it taste like a Barolo, then what would be the harm.

Diluting the respect, pride and appreciation of authenticity. The difference between an imposter vintage Italian bicycle or automobile part vs the real deal; dedicated theory, practice, technique and hand crafted passion/precision rather than a process simplified by a machine which extols efficiency while castrating tradition. Call it “Kwick Cured fat back” or “Speedy Speck (German or Italian?)”, but do not compromise an appellation which requires decades or centuries of dedication to achieve and merit. It is perhaps an argument best savored by those biding on a 1939 Auto Union and others who are content buy a bullshit kit.

[deangold]

Diluting the respect, pride and appreciation of authenticity. The difference between an imposter vintage Italian bicycle or automobile part vs the real deal; dedicated theory, practice, technique and hand crafted passion/precision rather than a process simplified by a machine which extols efficiency while castrating tradition. Call it “Kwick Cured fat back” or “Speedy Speck (German or Italian?)”, but do not compromise an appellation which requires decades or centuries of dedication to achieve and merit. It is perhaps an argument best savored by those biding on a 1939 Auto Union and others who are content buy a bullshit kit.

Ohhh please don't tell me you actually think that the DOP name assures quality or artisan production or respect for tradition. I have had a lot of DOP Speck {Alto Adige} and most of it is factory made crapola passing itself off as something superior because the rules and regs of the DOP do not assure artisan production. Most reggiano DOP is not worth eating. Prisciutto di Parma? Most of it is to real prosciutto what the St Louis Rams are to real football teams: Amateur, immature, with only faded hints of the real glory of the past.

I was writing carelessly about an event wherein I had 43 plates of food. Nick called in speck so I used his terminology. But his lardo stacks up with some of the great lardos of the past I have had and so it deserved recognition as making something with a great flavor and doing so not using the time honored techniques. He could not have made such a product, I feel, whithout a great appreciation of the real thing.

And, as a last add, you know who I am and you know my love and championing of things authentic. But I champion them not because they are somehow naturally above the modern, but because they taste great. Its that simple. If you can make something taste as great as the traditional method while eschewing the traditions themselves, then more power to you. If he made a writtend menu and used the term lardo di colonata for ihs "lardo', I would be all over Nick's ass in that it obviously isn't the real thing. But in this made up event, with its limitation imposed, Nick need make no mea culpas.

Save your passions and your trotting out of you breadth of knowlege for those easily impressed. I think commenting about food one has not tasted to be .... Let's just say an inauthentic experience.

[Sthitch]

Glad to see that DC's event was far more sedate than Portland's.

[WWZ]

Did anyone attend last year's event? Just wondering if it's worth the ticket price ($125). List of participants and some info is here (participants are Ed Witt, Nicholas Stefanelli, Mike Isabella and Wes Morton)

[goldenticket]

or here April 22 at the Liaison Hotel on Capitol Hill.

[WWZ]

or here April 22 at the Liaison Hotel on Capitol Hill.

Thanks! That's a better link anyway

[Poivrot Farci]

Cochon 555 DC 2013 (speechwriter for the Range administration). 

 

Prosciutto Cotto & Mortadella

Asparagus in blood aspic

and chicories in a smoked ham-hock vinaigrette.

-∞∞∞-

Leverpostej

Danish-style liver terrine wrapped in cured belly.

Salted and cured anchovies, a couple of marinated capers.

-∞∞∞-

Pâté en Croûte

It’s heart, tongue, kidney, fatback, pistachios and a few figs.

Some pickled rhubarb and mushrooms.

-∞∞∞-

Pork Belly Pojarski

Breaded and fried

Ramp gribiche.

-∞∞∞-

L’Astet

Loins roasted with spring garlic

Warm confit potatoes and 4-spice rillettes.

-∞∞∞-

Saucisson en Brioche

Clothbound cheddar sausage baked in a leaf lard brioche

And cracklin’ whipped lard.

 

 

Pâté en Croûte with pistachio inlay.

 

Prosciutto Cotto, Mortadella, Spalla Cotta, Saucisson en brioche.

1^st three courses

Asparagus in blood aspic (stock from bones,  skin & beets; clarified with blood), pâté en croute, liver terrine.

Cheddar saucisson en brioche (baker Ben Arnold), pork belly Pojarski, smoked lard & pretzel truffles (pastry chef John Miele),  roasted loin & tenderloin-within with potato and rillettes.  (Max Flatow photography)

[goldenticket]

Really nice work, as always, Poivrot Farci! 

[DanielK]

Really nice work, as always, Poivrot Farci! 

 

Making us hungry for pate at 10am since 2006.