Cochon 555, NYC
Cochon 555 is a Pork competition that features 5 Chefs, 5 Pigs and 5 Winemakers. This event is in its second year and was created to connect the Heritage Pig and the farmers to the Chefs and then to the consumer. It was created to raise awareness of the Heritage Breeds and to give Chefs that buy local and prove that they care, a platform to show off what they can do with a whole hog.Brady Lowe created Cochon 555 and has successfully brought this competition to our backyards. I attended the competition in Portland, Oregon last year and was invited to Pier 60 in New York City this year to see what these local Chefs were going to bust out. The event has grown quite a bit since last year's Portland event and of course being in New York added its own element to this year's competition. With the addition of a butcher this year, people were able to see someone break down a whole hog and explain what they were doing. The majority of the Chefs used just about every bit of the pig and highlighted different cuts in a few different dishes.
The Chefs this year were Corwin Kave from Fatty 'Cue, Mark Ladner from Del Posto, Marco Canora from Hearth Restaurant, Gavin Kaysen from Cafe Boulud and Adam Kaye from Blue Hill at Stone Barns. The Heritage Pigs that were used were the Berkshire, Large Black, Duroc and Ossabaw. The VIP party was great! The beer was from Brooklyn Brewery and the wine was being poured from Domaine Serene in Oregon and Shinn Estate Vineyards in New York. Murray's Cheese was there with a ton of excellent cheeses and there were also oysters, cracklins, bacon and sausages being passed around. When the floodgates finally opened in to the main area where the Chefs had set up, people seemed to immediately ambush the Fatty 'Cue table. Zakary Pelaccio was helping out so it seemed as though the buzz was with the guys from Brooklyn's Fatty 'Cue.
The highlights for me as far as the food was concerned were the 100 layer lasagna from Mark Ladner, the porchetta from Marco Canora and the ridiculous amount of delicious dishes that were coming from the Blue Hill table. It seemed as though every time I walked by that table, they were passing out something different, at one point someone handed me something that I believe was pork liver with chocolate. They also had cracklin focaccia with whipped lardo, all amazing, but the best dish of the night was curried lentils with pork toe, bologna and pork belly, I'm fairly certain that is what won Adam Kay and Blue Hill the trophy at the end of the night. It was a great event, I was so glad to have been invited again and am looking forward to the Washington DC Cochon 555 on May 2nd.
I had heard about Cochon 555 in the Chefs circle of friends that I hung with in Oregon and was lucky enough to be invited to last years Portland Cochon 555. So, needless to say, when I got the invite to attend this years Cochon 555 in New York, I quickly packed my bags. Brady Lowe is the Founder of Cochon 555 and was cool enough to take some time to answer some questions I had about about the event.
How did Cochon 555 get started, who was behind it all and how did it go from an idea to what it has become?
It was my brainchild. It was an event that just filled a hole in the local food community. I was at a point in my career where I was looking for a national event, I had a surplus of farmers responsibly raising heritage breeds, a network of great chefs comfortable with whole animals, a background in wine and cheese and a group of farmers heading to Terra Madre (charitable cause). 555 was a quick idea, my knowledge of programming helped me identify this as a sustainable community event with real potential. There was nothing like it of its kind and it just took some big leaps early on.
What is your role in Cochon 555 and how many people do you have working on these events?
I am the founder of Taste Network, which produces Cochon 555 in addition to high profile private events around the country. Cochon 555 is managed by Brady Lowe and Carolina Uribe with an amazing cast of local food advocates in each region.
How important is it that we preserve these Heritage Breeds and how is Cochon 555 helping in doing so?
It’s very important to preserve heritage breeds. When a consumer decides to purchase protein from local farms, they empower farmers with a decision. In today’s market, farmers decide to either raise a commodity hogs or heritage breeds. Without a demand, a farmer making the latter decision can not survive, thus leaving the species headed for extinction. 555 is working to raise awareness about heritage breeds in the chef and consumer communities. Our goal is to create a conversation and dialogue between the line cook and the customer. We are not trying to preach, we just want people to eat good raised by people who respect the animals, the process and end user. The end result is more farmers and chefs working together to populate menus and dinner tables nationwide.
With the success that you are already seeing with Cochon 555, where would you like it to go and where do you see it in the next five years?
I would like to see more and more heritage breed recipes, easy access to information, better processing systems for farmers, more FRESH PORK AT FARMERS MARKETS and more people buying craft products from people reeking with passion.
Having worked with a lot of Chefs in a lot of cities, what has been your favorite event and why?
I have an honor to work with some great chefs and they turn to friends. I would have to say NYC is always a dream and honor. Its such a big city and we always meet so many amazing people each time. My favorite setting is Napa for sure. To pinpoint the biggest reward market, I would say Des Moines, Iowa (hometown). Its a loyal market with the greatest people looking for a reason to eat better and support local (they just need some tips on how to find it and what they are looking for). I could hear a pin drop when I spoke about our cause during the awards. It was eerie. Typically I am yelling over a pork enthusiastic crowd.
What have been some of your favorite dishes that the Chefs have come up with, the things that really stood out?
Cosentino and his chili bones, Devin Knell and his Griebenschmaltz, Mark Ladner and his 100 layer lasagna, Corwin Kave and his pig in 2009 (most amazing visual ever)
April 10, 2010 | Written by: Travis Mason | Del Posto | Blue Hill Farm | Café Boulud | Cochon 555 | Fatty Cue | Hearth | Heritage Foods USA
