Nose-to-tail | Gourmandistan

Pork and walnut crépinettes, because caul fat is amazing

February 19, 2016 by Steve

It is not a secret that Gourmandistan loves odd bits of animals, from oxtails to hog jowls to entire pig heads. Now, thanks to our badass local baker/pig farmer, we have another part to cherish—caul fat. This magical, membranous lipid has given us several memorable meals recently, including these delightful crépinettes. Caul fat, for those of you unfamiliar with it (we’re looking at you, most Americans), is a sheer membrane overlaying the stomach of some animals, including sheep, cows and pigs. We got […]

Categories: Food, Kale, Meats, Nose-to-tail, Nuts, Pork, Recipes

Turning head cheese horror into souse-rousing success.

March 18, 2013 by Steve

Working one’s way through a whole (or even half) pig at home can lead down some interesting avenues. Head cheese was starting to look like a dead end. Last year, when we received our half hog from Bob Hancock, we insisted on as close to primal cuts as possible, including the entire head (which, apparently, the folks buying the other part didn’t mind giving up). We decided to make head cheese, and tried Nathan Foot’s recipe from Primal Cuts. We […]

Categories: Cooking, Food, Nose-to-tail, Pork, Recipes

The Route from Nose to Tail often leads through Pozole.

April 19, 2010 by Michelle

Several months ago we were offered the opportunity to buy an entire lamb from some folks just down the road, said opportunity arriving with the information that we were free to select the method in which the lamb arrived, packaged and sealed, at our door. Steve, inspired by reading Gourmandistan cookbooks such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Meat Book and Stéphane Reynaud’s Pork & Sons, believed he could get better use of the animal by insisting on “primal cuts.” Joyce […]

Categories: Cooking, Food, Lamb, Mexico, Nose-to-tail, Recipes, Soups & Stews