The Ranch Down The Road
The Fatted Calf shop in Napa is just a short drive to Hudson Ranch in Carneros where late winter has turned the hillsides intensely green with a thick matting of grasses dotted with blooming mustard and the first lupine. After a little Sunday breakfast with Farmer Boggs and his bride we took a stroll through the pasture to visit with the pigs. There was Luke, who came to Hudson ranch last summer as a baby feral piglet and was about to become a father to a brood of piglets himself. His sister, Darlene, was enjoying a bit of quiet in the grass. A brave sow was preparing for a dip in the lake despite the incessant drizzle. A whole herd of excited hogs came running towards us hoping for a late morning snack. And strolling along the fence line were the two mid-size Berkshires that would be in our kitchen by mid-week.
Those two Berkshires have given us a host of wonderful products this week. There are shoulders, boneless loins and loin and belly roulades seasoned porchetta style. With all of the richly colored offal we've made rustic little pâtés, caillettes de Provence, seasoned with lots of garlic and herbs. Their hams are salted and will provide us with plenty of Tonno di Maiale for next week's menu and their bones will make a delicious, dark and meaty broth.
It's such a privilege for us to live and work in such close proximity to so many wonderful farms and our pleasure to bring their goods to the market, to you.
See you at the market!
Meat On Your Mind
Help Fatted Calf settle a long time debate over what to put on the flip side of our logo tees. Who better to ask than our creative, thoughtful, meat-obsessed fans? From now until the end of March we'll be collecting your e-mailed thoughts on our meatiness. Through a highly selective process, no doubt involving plenty of pints, we will choose a first and second place winner who will receive prizes, accolades, a new Fatted Calf tee shirt and our undying gratitude.
For full contest details, visit our Facebook page. Enter as many times as you like!
Fatted Calf Market Schedule
Saturdays
Berkeley Center Street 10 am-3 pm
SF Ferry Plaza 8 am-2pm
Winter Class Schedule
Self Preservation
Saturday March 6 *FULL
The art of salting, smoking, potting and brining meats was developed out of a necessity to preserve foods for survival. In this class we will focus on some of these methods and their delicious results. Class participants will learn to corn beef (just in time for St. Patrick's Day), pot pork rillettes and smoke bacon.
Whole Hog Butchery Part 1
Saturday, March 20 *FULL
Learn to break down a whole hog into its various useful parts, prepare roasts and make fresh sausage and crepinettes.
Spring Class Schedule
All classes are from 11 am until 3pm. The cost is $135 per person and includes a snack, lunch and a bag of meaty goodies you helped to prepare. There is a $50 deposit required at the time of reservation and the balance is payable on the day of the class. To reserve email us at contact@fattedcalf.com today.
Salumi!
Saturday, March 27
If you dream of a secret underground lair strung with lengths of drying salami join us for Salumi! Learn the basics of curing and make cacciatorini, salame cotto and guanciale.
Whole Hog Butchery Part 1
Saturday, April 10
Learn to break down a whole hog into its various useful parts, prepare roasts and make fresh sausage and crepinettes.
Spring Lamb Butchery
Saturday, May 1
Learn to break down a whole locally raised spring lamb into primal cuts, prepare roasts and make lamb sausage.
Spring Lamb Butchery
Saturday, May 22
Learn to break down a whole locally raised spring lamb into primal cuts, prepare roasts and make lamb sausage.
Whole Hog Butchery Part 1
Saturday, June 5
Learn to break down a whole hog into its various useful parts, prepare roasts and make fresh sausage and crepinettes.
Salumi!
Saturday, June 19
If you dream of a secret underground lair strung with lengths of drying salami join us for Salumi! Learn the basics of curing and make cacciatorini, salame cotto and guanciale.