We received Hoosier from Dogpatch Farm on the previous day, working into the wee hours to get the pig prepared for future preparations.

On the second day our pig makes his debut on the menu, the chops are usually the first cut that make it.  Depending on the size of the pig, its pedigree and the thickness of the loin we get between 12 and 16 orders of  pig chops.  I typically serve them with one long meaty bone attached.  The time of year and our whim determine what we serve the chop with.

This is how we did up Hoosier’s chops.

Grilled Sassafras Glazed Pig Chop with Bourbon Laced Sweet Potato Puree, Roasted Roots and Apple – Radish Salad.  Eva Sommaripa, one of our long time local farm partners, from South Dartmouth supplied us with the sassafras root for the glaze.  The sweet potatoes are from Red Fire Farm in Granby, MA and the roasted roots included parsnips, carrots and rutabaga are from Verrill Farm in Concord, MA.

Hoosier’s Chop

Within a couple of days of receiving the pig, the liver is quick to follow onto the menu, we almost always make pate.

I Hate Liver!  There are very few foods that make me cringe like liver, I can’t stand it!  It’s almost as gag worthy as when my mother cooks zucchini.  It’s bloody, mineraly, nasty flavor is a big turn off; I don’t even like the smell of it.  That said, it can have some positive attributes, I sometimes think of it like Thai fish sauce, in your face nasty by itself, but used in the proper way it can enhance and elevate the flavors around it, pate is a great example of this. Meaty, rich and boozy, a nice well made pate can be a real treat.  At EVOO we have been working on our recipe since we opened, over that time it’s gone from pretty darn good to exceptional.

We trim and weigh the liver to determine the amounts of the remaining ingredients.  Each pig usually provides us with enough liver to make between 6 and 8 pates.  We make the mixture and potion it into individual terrine size bags, freezing them and then baking them off as we need them.

EVOO’s Pate

Country Pate

The next post will be about smoke.