So you think you can cook (chili)? The Brooklyn Chili Takedown is August 10th!

July 28th, 2008 by Scott

Ladies and gentlemen, start your dutch ovens!

Do you make a mean chili? Well, now you have your chance to prove it! The CHILI TAKEDOWN  is upon us yet again, New York’s finest no-holds-barred battle royale of chili chefs, and we’re calling for chilimeisters and chili tasters alike. Come one, come all, and decide whose spicy concoction will take home the prize!  The contest will be held on Sunday, 8/10 - 5-8pm at Union Pool.

We have an excellent panel of judges this time around, including owner/head chef of Paloma (and former Top Chef contestant) Camille Becerra, butcher extraordinaire Tom Mylan (of Diner, Marlowe & Sons, and Bonita), and yours truly, The Shameless Carnivore. As for the winners, the judges’ award carries a $50 prize, and — get this — A HUNDRED BONES to the audience’s favorite.  And by “bones,” I of course mean “dollars.”  So if you decide to bring it, make sure to bring friends, too…we’re not above competitors stacking the odds in their favor by inviting their entourage.  As the old adage goes, “All is fair in love and chili.”

Cost is $10 at the door for voting privileges and all the chili you can chow, and free for all competitors.  More details at http://chili-takedown.com/. Do you have what it takes to reign victorious over the chili smackdown to end all chili smackdowns? Game on!

Scott

PS: I will personally reward anyone who employs the Merciless Peppers of Quetzalzatenango, grown deep in the jungle primeval by inmates of a Guatemalan insane asylum.

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Rockin’ the Dog: The Great Hot Dog Cook-off

July 15th, 2008 by Scott

So, this past weekend I decided to try my hand at competitive chef-ery, cooking up a MONSTER dog for the 3rd Annual Great Hot Dog Cook-off.  It was a hell of a time, and I must admit, there were some intimidatingly inventive takes on this American classic, ranging from Oaxacan mole dogs to Thanksgiving dogs baked in pastry dough with stuffing and gravy, doggies wrapped in banana leaves with mac and cheese, even — get this — hot dog sushi.  Wow.

My own entry was a paen to my Louisiana roots (naturally), and was probably one of the most ambitious culinary undertakings I’ve ever attempted, what I called the “Loosiana Gator Dog.”  Specifically, it was a butterflied Wagyu beef frank stuffed with a melted 3-cheese blend, topped with a tequila-spiked three-bean alligator chili (yes, there was actually alligator meat in the chili…two pounds of gator tail fillets, to be precise), and finished off with an artful squirt of sour cream, freshly chopped chives, and — the linchpin of the whole dish — crushed Fritos.

When all was said and done, this is what the finished beast looked like:

Sadly, I did not win the chili dog division, a prize that went to a Oaxacan dog with chorizo mole chili, peppers and queso fresco, served on a soft corn tortilla.  It was, I have to admit, really damned tasty…but it did NOT have any alligator in it.

We did manage to raise around $1500 for the Food Bank of New York, too, so it was all in the name of charity and goodhearted fun.  Many thanks to Kara of Ted & Amy’s Supper Club and Cathy from Not Eating Out In New York (her coverage here) for hosting such a great event.  And you can read more about the cook-off on Serious Eats, thanks to Jenn Sit.

Posted in Beef, Game | 6 Comments »

Bury me in Barbeque

July 14th, 2008 by Scott

So it seems I’m not the only dedicated carnivore out there writing and signing songs about my profound love of all things meaty and delicious.  These guys do a hell of a job, but I do have to say that, in fact, some of the best BBQ I’ve ever had was in Perdido Key, Florida.  Granted, that’s right on the tip of the panhandle, and might well just be considered an extension of Alabama.  Check out the video:

Posted in Beef, Swine | No Comments »

Stirring it up with Chef John Folse & Co.

May 28th, 2008 by Scott

While I was down in my swampy homeland, I had the amazing fortune to appear as a guest on Chef John Folse’s radio show, which, if you’ve never heard it, is absolutely brilliant. Folse is a much celebrated chef, restauranteur, culinary historian, and all-around Cajun personality/bon vivant. The man is so knowledgeable, so kind-hearted, so diverting, so damned funny, it’s all but impossible to not love him. If you need any further proof of Chef Folse’s awesomeness , check out the cover of his most recent cookbook, After the Hunt, upon which is an image of the sixty-two year old chef with a whole, dead alligator slung over his shoulder, looking like it was little more than a average Tuesday afternoon.  Which, knowing the man’s reputation, it might well be.

So, if you want to hear some great lively radio banter about meat by one of my personal culinary heroes, click the link below.  Enjoy!

John Folse radio interview

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Fun Meat Factoid of the Day

May 1st, 2008 by Scott

So if you didn’t hear, last Thursday, April 24th, was National Pigs in a Blanket Day. For real — they have a holiday for pretty much anything nowadays. (Get ready… National Tuba Day and National Respect for Chickens Day are coming up soon!) And an interesting thing happened: I was hanging out with my new upstairs neighbors, a charming Israeli couple new to New York, when our hostess brought out a plate of pigs-in-blankets.

“Oh, yay!” I said. “Pigs in blankets!” To which my neighbors replied with a shared expression of bewilderment. Their English isn’t perfect, they explained, so they asked for clarification about this charming phrase. That’s when it occurred to me that of course they wouldn’t call them pigs… they’re from Israel. Duh. Even though they don’t keep kosher (and, like most Jews, adore pork products, if only secretly), they’ve never encountered the porcine version, as all Israeli hot dogs are made only of beef. You know, like Hebrew Nationals. These were more like “cows in blankets,” which you’ll immediately notice doesn’t have the same cute ring to it. So it begs the question: What do they call “pigs in blankets” in Israel? Wait for it…

“Moishe in the Box.”

I find this unbelievably charming. Also, I couldn’t help conjure up a mental image of Charlton Heston’s Moses, commandment tablets in hand, peeking forlornly out of a cardboard UPS packing crate. Heh.

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Greetings, Canucks! I come in peace…with meat.

April 29th, 2008 by Scott

Just this past weekend, I appeared on Canadian national public radio (the glorious CBC), on a wonderful show called “Definitely Not the Opera” with host Sook-yin Lee. As you might imagine, if they’re having yours truly in the studio, opera is about the farthest topic from the table. We were talking about meat, naturally — in fact, the entire show’s focus was on the subject, which pleased me to no end. I’m right at the top of the hour, too. Score! Also, this being public radio, we focused on the more philosophical angles of the book, which I have to say sometimes seem to be lost on certain critics and reviewers (much too easy to focus on my adventures at the Testicle Festival or that open letter to PETA).

All in all, it was a lot of fun, and it makes me want to visit Canada this summer for a little poutine. You can check out the interview below…she even got me to sing! On air! Unaccompanied! Now that’s a host.

Posted in News | 1 Comment »

The Prodigal Carnivore Returns to the Crescent City (Part II)

April 29th, 2008 by Scott

As my New Orleans “hometown boy makes good” odyssey continued, and I looked at the (rather intimidating) menu for the week, 0ne of the first items I wanted to cross off my list was, naturally, a roast beef po-boy.

Now, if you’ve been reading this blog, you may have remembered a long-ago post about the rapturous experience that is eating a roast beef po-boy at R&O’s restaurant in Metairie. Because of my busy schedule at the Literary Festival, and the fact that I didn’t have a car, it was looking more and more likely that I might not get my R&O’s fix on anytime soon. However, where this would usually make a carnivore weep into his ribeye, I knew that R&O’s is not the only place in New Orleans where one can get an honest sandwich. Which is one of the many reasons I love my home town so dearly: no matter where you are, truly splended food is always going to be nearby. Guaranteed.

Hungry, wandering the French Quarter with only a little time before my next panel discussion at the Festival, I found myself entering the Court Tavern, an unassuming little hole-in-the-wall on Bourbon St.

Normally, I would be a little worried that, even at 1pm, there wasn’t a single patron in the joint. But this is NOLA, remember, so I sallied forth and ordered up a roast-beef po-boy dressed (ie. with lettuce, tomatoes and mayonnaise) and a cold bottle of Dixie beer to wash it down. And here’s what I got:

Not too shabby, eh? When compared with the crazily over-stuffed and drenched version at R&O’s, this one might seem a little sub-par, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t really, really good. Which it was. The bread, first of all, was absolutely perfect. Not long ago, Alan Richman decried the “french bread” in New Orleands as not being much like a genuine French baguette (amongst many other ill-advised criticisms that prompted an official reply from the Times Picayune). He’s right: it’s not like French bread from France. Like many other dishes now known as New Orleans staples, it has been re-invented. NOLA french bread is much softer and chewier than the traditional French version, with a gently flaky crust, and for this reason it is ultimately superior to its froggy forbear for housing a sandwich. I don’t know about you, but every time I eat a sandwich involving a genuine French baguette, it ends up tearing the crap out of my mouth because the exterior is to hard and crunchy, and you have to tear a the thing like a damned rottweiler just to get a full bite. Not so in this case.

So this sandwich was good, and hit the spot, even though I still pined for R&O’s, which roasts their beef more slowly, resulting in a “fall apart” texture, as well as employing about a half-gallon more gravy per sandwich. Here’s a photo from my pause at the half-way point:

And, naturally, the aftermath of the meal:

Note: any good po-boy experience should result in a plate that looks something like this — swimming in gravy, with bits of bread and meat and lettuce floating around in it — not to mention the need for multiple napkins, as you will most likely have a combination of beef gravy and mayonnaise dripping down your forearms and threatening to crawl up into your shirtsleeves. If you do not find yourself in such a situation, the po-boy was clearly of lesser quality.

Posted in Beef | No Comments »

The Prodigal Carnivore Returns to the Crescent City (Part I)

April 21st, 2008 by Scott

I’ve recently returned to my hometown, New Orleans, which has always held a special, spicy place in my heart, as it should any food lover. Since the home I grew up in drowned in Katrina — thank you bastards Army Corps of Engineers! — forcing my folks to flee to Shreveport, I’ve had little opportunity to “come home” for any decent period of time. My initial reason for the return was that I was invited to participate as an author at the annual Tennessee Williams Literary Festival, but I think you and I both know my true motivation:

I’d come home to eat.

And oh, what a homecoming! Beginning with two dozen oysters at Acme Oyster House mere minutes after my arrival. Now, I realize that this site isn’t about seafood, but darn it all if I couldn’t share this experience with you, since I have a profound love of Louisiana oysters. I had two dozen of the biggest, plumpest, cleanest-tasking bivalves around, and all this at only nine bucks a dozen. This is why I don’t go out for oysters in New York: it pains my soul to pay fifteen dollars for six measly little nickel-sized oysters. Boo to that. I’ll do my time and wait for home, where I can get a plate looking like this:

And a closer shot:

Afterwards I had a fun time hanging out in the French Quarter and catching up with my family (saw some really brilliant antique walking sticks at this gallery on Royal St.), and then headed out for dinner. Realizing with shock and shame that I, a son of the Crescent City, had never had a Port of Call hamburger, my brother and parents were eager to rectify the situation.

I’ve expressed my feelings about hamburgers at length in the past, especially the venerable Shake Shack, but the Port of Call burger is something entirely different from my personal picture of hamburger pulchritude. First, I have to say that this restaurant is pretty much carnivore-exclusive. Other than a salad or two, your menu options are basically limited to three choices: pizza (with meat), burger or steak. And I’ve yet to encounter someone who’s ordered the steak or pizza. Meaning, of course, that the burger is sure to be something of powerful gustatory joy, which, I’ll add, is an immensely important thing to New Orleanians.

The full-on Port of Call burger is a BEAST: a humongous patty of very fresh meat cooked to perfection (it’s often noted that the beef is so tender that one doesn’t even need teeth to eat it), topped with ooey-gooey cheddar cheese and, the most important part, the restaurant’s specially marinated mushrooms. It’s a thing of monstrous beauty, which is how one could probably describe the city of New Orleans itself — joyfully gluttonous, with a uniquely charming character and history, and probably pretty dangerous, too. But hey, that’s why we love it, isn’t it?

Held up to my camera’ scrutiny, here’s a shot of a classic Port of Call burger in all it’s savory egregiousness:

Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t discuss my drink choice. PoC is known not just for the burgers, but for their signature cocktails as well. Upon asking a regular which one I should try, she enthusiastically recommended the “Red Turtle.” I ordered my beverage, a sickly sweet — which in New Orleans generally indicates stout potency, since you need a bucket of sugar to mask the staggering amount of liquor in the thing — pink concoction served in a collectible plastic cup. My father inquired about the drink.

“What’d you get?” he asked.

“A Red Turtle,” I replied.

“What’s in that?”

“Tequila, I think.”

“Okay,” he said. “What else?”

“Ummm…. red? And, quite possibly, turtles.”

“I’ll stick with beer,” said Dad.

Posted in Beef, News, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

Back in the Carnivorous Kitchen: Pigeon Pot Pie

April 12th, 2008 by Scott

So, I’m noticing that I haven’t posted very many actual food stories on this site in quite some time, which I know is pretty sad. Luckily, I’ve been traveling (more on that soon) and getting back to the kitchen. Just this past Sunday, I spent some time with the fabulous Cathy from NotEatingOutInNewYork, talked about meat and my book, and cooked up a yet-untested recipe I’d contributed to a certain forthcoming casserole cook book. The recipe?

Pigeon Pot Pie.

Yes, pigeon. Or “squab,” if you will, which is either a young, unfledged (ie. has never flown) pigeon or dove. I cover this animal a bit in the book, mostly because it is possessed of a powerfully rich, dark and fragrant meat akin to duck, but in a package about the size of a large quail. In fact, when I picked up the birds at Ottomanelli’s, my friendly butcher exclaimed: “Oooh, squab. Can’t get much better than that!” And when a long-experienced professional butcher says something so glowing about a product, you know you’re in store for a good meal, assuming you don’t overcook or otherwise destroy your meat.

You can get the full scoop on the evening, as well as an interview with lil’ ole me, at NotEatingOutInNewYork. So for now, I’ll leave you with some tasty photos of the experience. Enjoy!

Three roasted squab, with giblets (livers and gizzards…yum!):

The meat goes into the pot with carrots, peas, onions and a rich gravy:

And into a homemade pie crust, which will then be topped with homemade biscuit dough. (NOTE: I have to say, if you’re going to be spending time in the kitchen with someone, it’s always a good thing if that person’s whole culinary ethos revolves around, well…being in the kitchen, because it usually results in loads of ingredients with that wonderful word “homemade” preceding them.)

Then topped with the biscuit dough and chucked into a 350 degree oven for just over a half hour. Et voila!

And, of course, the inevitable cross section. See how dark that meat is? Wow.

Finally, the perfect slice:

Posted in Fowl | 1 Comment »

A Meaty Music Video (with apologies to Bob Dylan)

April 3rd, 2008 by Scott

As part of my “Amazing, traveling Meat Show,” I’ve written some original music (or “songs in the key of meat” as my friend Hillary puts it), with my fellow musician and carnivore Brad Bennett. Much more to come — including “The Shameless Carnivore Theme Song,” and “The Ballad of Ernie the Cow,” but this should get you nice and started: an ode to my quest to eat thirty-one animals in the span of a single month. Many thanks to Brandon Bussinger for directing and helping with the cards.

Enjoy!

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