Basic Butchering of Livestock & Game by John J. Mettler (Storey Publishing, 1986)—An easy-to-follow, hands-on guide for turning rabbits into roasts and steers into steaks (along with plenty of animals in between), including the tools needed for each job. Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing by Rytek Kutas—The Bible for the do-it-yourself sausage-maker is sold,... View Article
There are a surprising number of farms that raise pigs for the public, even around major metropolitan areas. Look up pig farms in your area and contact them in the spring or early summer and ask if they’ll save a pig for you in the fall. An ideal butchering pig will weigh about 200 pounds,... View Article
The first problem with butchering pigs is transportation—that is, assuming you don’t live on an actual pig farm, which, admittedly, would be nice.
A fervent beer lover I know was sitting in a multi-starred restaurant. He’d made his food selection, and was studying the drinks menu. After glancing at the beer list, he scanned the wine pages before calling the sommelier. “I was looking for something in a jug red,” he said. “I beg your pardon?” asked the... View Article
“We use the same fishmonger Gordon Ramsay does,” Mark Dorber says, not even trying to look modest. As the landlord of the White Horse at Parsons Green in West London, Dorber is well known for his cask-conditioned ales. But instead of acclaimed brewers, he is now using a three-star Michelin celebrity chef and culinary enfant... View Article
When Jared Rouben applied to study at the Culinary Institute of America, he was excited to see on the application that the highly-regarded school included a beer club among the various student organizations. “Then I got here and discovered it had been dismantled for a couple of years. I was devastated,” says Rouben. “The first... View Article
The pairing of beer with chocolate seems recently to have gained a life of its own. Among other signs are reports from New York that hint this lovely combination is “the next big thing.” Actually, during the past year, our stout ice cream float made inroads in the Big Apple, according to the Wall Street... View Article
1. There is no caloric intake when beer and chocolate are combined. The calories in chocolate and those in beer counter and cancel each other out. 2. If you’ve got melted chocolate all over your hands, you’re obviously eating it too slowly. 3. Chocolate covered raisins, cherries, orange slices and strawberries all count as fruit,... View Article
For each course, first sip the beer, then nibble the chocolate afterwards. Don’t overwhelm the one with the other.
