That right there is why some people shouldn’t be allowed to futz around in photoshop. It’s a pork crepinette and lordy, it sure as hell doesn’t look like one now, eh?

Father’s Day is coming up and it’s time to head outdoors for some supreme cooking action. While I was typing this up I sent off my order for a package of the chops and a package of the brochettes. I haven’t had either yet and I think it’s high time I digged in to see what the scoop is. Expect some blazing images next week of these fine delectibles.
OoO, hey. They’ve got quite a load of goodies under the Salumi heading. Mortadella, Saucisson Sec, Finocchiona, Pancetta & Spanish Style Chorizo. And last but not anywhere near least are our two buddies, Fegatelli and Petit Sec Aux Herbes. I love those two little guys. I usually get one and eat it while I’m walking past, way past all the organic veggie stands.
I would suggest you make a point of picking up some bacon, no really. It looks as though Taylor has hit a sweet spot with the cure & smoking process. It’s some damned amazing stuff. Plus it’s cut nice and thick so you can get a handle on it and not worry about over cooking it too damed fast. You get bacon, ya hear?
It’s an excellent wind up for this coming Saturday’s market in Berkeley. I hope to see you there and no, you don’t have to wear bells. Of course you could if you wanted to, I’ll leave that up to you. See you there!
Now please continue on to their newsletter and read their fancy menu.

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Fatted Calf’s Savory Pork sausage with Greens. A little snack from a week ago or so. Juicy good, can you see?

Red Wattle piggies. Boy you don’t see those around too darned often, at least around these parts. They’re an even tempered happy little beast, easy to work with. They’re pretty darned large and yet quite lean when you get down to it. Lousy for a pig when you’re looking to render lard. But darned good when you want a highly flavorful pork loin roast. I googled them and came up with this outstanding reference for the Red Wattle breed. This is an excellent read and at the bottom it lists the Status as Critical. What this means directly is, that if you and I don’t support the ranchers that provide us these fine little piggies for market, they gone. So, Biggles says, “If we’re going to save this dying breed of awesome pigginess, starting eating them now!”
Up next is the fancy Pork Crepinette with Morel Mushrooms. Man, I just had last week’s lamb crepinettes and they were bright & creamy. Pan fried them I did! Shuna offered up a nice way of searing them. Get your dutch oven smoking hot, then toss a few in. Turn down the heat and finish them up. Tell you whut, the sumbitch will have some TASTE.
Ooo, this is the first week the Knockwurst have been included. I’m hoping they’re here to stay. Maybe I’ll get myself a package this week, I’m about ready. I am out of Fine Germain Mustard though, feh. Oh and look what we have down here, Rabbit Pate with Chives! My favorite of all time. There’s nothing like a sweet wonderful rabbit pate wtih the quiet spritely love of chives. Nope, nothing like it.
And don’t forget to pick up some bacon this week, it’s a fine example of cured belly smoked happiness. I hope to see you at the market this coming Saturday morning. Take care and may your meat always be fresh.
Now please read on to the Fatted Calf Newsletter not written by me.

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Fatted Calf turns another page and enters a fresh chapter in the Meat Tomb (as of today, still unfinished). Look above my pitiful words here and you’ll see Fatted Calf’s first Knockwurst. Both Mama and I enjoyed the thick, highly seasoned wiener. OoOoO, and how did I prepare it? The proper way, in boiling water for 5 minutes. Serve with fine German mustard and that, is that. Turns out Taylor is quite interested in making German meat products and this is our first taste. It’s also one of the first products where he used his new smoker. And since it is a new smoker, I had to try the bacon.

This bacon is a solid performer, nice thick slices and an even high quality smoke. The cure tended to be tad on the salty side, but just a bit. I think I’d like to taste a little more smoky smoke. I’m a huge fan of smoke flavors, just in case you hadn’t noticed. We had this package of bacon just as a snack before dinner, the chillins had piece after piece. And that’s saying something because Tiny E rarely likes anything more than buttered toast.
This week’s menu is quite a line-up and starts with Hoffman farm Quail stuffed with Basque Sausage. Grill, roast or smoke until internal temp is about 140 or so, pull and let rest. Be careful, they’re dainty! And order now cause there ain’t many. Hey, that almost rhymes. They’re dainty and they ain’t many, neat.
Second up is the fancy Berkshire Pork Brochettes with Thyme, Rosemary, Lavender and Fleur de Sel. Uh, I ain’t never had these, but I can tell you this, they rock. Just check out the ingredients, that’s how we know. These just simply must be grilled over a real wood fire. Any other way would be a crime against meat nature.
The crepinettes this week are the lamb ones with red wine and nicoise olives. Oh man, I just love those salty little olives in sausage meat. It’s such a nice bright surprise. These really should be grilled outside or use a high sided dutch oven rig to fry them in, they splatter like heck. Good though, real good. And the lamb isn’t all gamey either, it’s more than quite fresh and absolutely perfect for the crepinette way of life.
Well, I believe you should read their newsletter and see what you like on the menu. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to axe. I hope to see you this coming Saturday morning first thing at the Berkeley Farmer’s Market.
Biggles

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Ya know those friends that always show up when you’re feeling down? The pals that know just what to say and when to say it? Yeah well, our fridge has been down for 10 days and it looks as though it’ll be down for another 10 before the compressor is replaced. I’ve been awfully depressed about it, mostly because Amana/Maytag are assfucks and don’t have the staff to repair my 3 year old 1200 dollar fridge in any less time than 3 weeks. Chilebrown has kept his ear piqued and knew it was time for a meat adventure, he has the week off. So off to Bud’s Custom Meats he and his wife Ms. Goofy flew.
Wanna see what they found today?

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Above image is Fatted Calf’s Organic Beef Links with Aleppo Pepper from last week, homerun. These were smoked with hickory for a little over an hour and a half. This is about half the time I gave Taylor’s last beef links. Why? Because they’re about half the size! They’re about as round as your thumb, give or take. Tons of wonderful flavor in such a small package, nicely done.

Hey everyone. Sorry for the lack of posting this week, I’ve been nasty busy. Our fridge died last Saturday and I’ve been on ice and cooler detail since then. No time, no stremfs.
That being said, this week’s menu at Fatted Calf is fricken amazing. And it looks as though Taylor not only got his new smoker, but he got it working well enough to pull off an amazing feat. Big Fat Brined and Cold Smoked Pork Chops! If you know of Cafe Rouge and their brined pork chops, that’s Taylor’s recipe & technique. These fancy beasts are a must have.
Next up are the Harissa (North African spice mixture) marinated Lamb Brochettes (meat on skewers). I’m just sitting here, not writing. I’ve got a vision of the pork chops, I love pork chops, and meat on skewers in my mind and can’t get past. Then I check the calendar and realize Saturday is a few days out. What do I do until then? I just don’t know, this isn’t fair and I don’t like it. I’ll bet FC has some of these things ready for me, I’ll betcha. Sometimes I wish that Star Trek transporter thing was real (it’s not though) so I could get myself over there and sneak me a treat.
And then …
The crepinettes are rabbit with roasted shallots and thyme, man oh man. I haven’t had a rabbit crep yet, mebbe it’s time. I spy a fennel sausage and a savory pork rig with greens, helloooo. Then of course we have the beef links with Aleppo pepper, the list continues. OoOoOoO, look who’s baaack. BACON !!! Why was it missing? Because Taylor gave me his oldsmoker.
And then …
I’ve read over the menu several times already and can’t get over it. Just when you think you get to know Fatted Calf, it makes a turn and comes at you head on. Cheers to you for making your newsletter such a delight each week. I hope to see you first thing this coming Saturday at the Berkeley farmer’s market, I can hardly wait. Please read on to Fatted Calf’s Newsletter not written by me.
Biggles

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Here is Rory’s favorite beef roast that he’s never had. This one was marinated in a teriyaki blend for about 4 or 5 days. Then take a full strip of bacon, dangle it over the roast and slowly lower it while spinning the bacon in a twisty circle. And now we have a roasted teriyaki beef roast with bacon twizzles. So good, so good.

The Fatted Calf Newsletter just rolled in. Since the special is right at the top, I was happy to see the Little Lamb Leg Roasts stuffed with Olive Tapenade. It’s one of my favorites and my smoker is just itching for something lamby. But low and behold, just a few lines down? What’s this!?! Organic Beef Links with Aleppo Pepper, that’s what. And what the heck is Aleppo pepper? Eh? A little googlin’ and it turns out it’s from the Aleppo region of Syria, der. What was I thinking. What does it taste like? Rumor has it the little beast is a sweet & sharp chile with a moderate amount of heat with some fruity. You can use it alone in dishes and it’ll do fine on its own, it’s that complex and that good. I ordered a package of these fine links.
Check out what’s in the Salumi department, Sicilian al’ arancia. This is hands down my favorite salami of all time. It’s a Sicillian salami with a bit of orange zest in there. It isn’t much, but just enough to make you smile from ear to ear. The meat to fat ratio brings the bright flavors even to the most remote taste bud with speedy ease. And you know what? My research shows they haven’t had it since March of 2005. That’s why I put one of these on my reserved order form as well. They don’t usually have an entire cooler full, just a bin. Order yours now.
OoOooOo, look. Guanciale, hog jowl bacon. It’s got a richer flavor than regular bacon and can result in a far tastier and succulent dish. I attempted to stuff a beef roast with it a while back. That was kinda silly, fun though.
All in all this looks like a great time to hit the market this weekend. And if you can plan far enough in advance, I would use Fatted Calf’s Order Form to make sure you get yours. I hope everyone is doing well and see you at the market this coming Saturday.
Biggles

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The image you see above is last week’s special, Lomo en Adobo. A double rib pork loin roast with garlic, sherry, paprika and fresh herbs

Well, this is an absolutely amazing menu for Fatted Calf. My usual spew would be to talk about the food and how tasty they be. This week I think I’m going to talk about cooking the little dears instead. Why? Because they have two specials listed, Hoffman Farm Quail stuffed with lemon & herb sausage. And “Porchetta” style Heritage Pork Loin Roast with rosemary, fennel, pepper and garlic.
The way I figure it, because these roasts & stuffed quails are so unique and so perfect just the way they are, I don’t blend them with other ingredients. What I mean by this, I don’t use vegetables and roots in the pan while roasting. If you’re ah choosin’ the Porchetta roast? Smile. Remove your pork roast from the fridge 45 minutes or so before you plan to pop it in to the oven. Don’t wash it. Drizzle a little extra virgin over and set in a roasting pan with a trivet or rack. Try to use something with low sides, want heat all over. I suggest the rack because it’ll keep the roast out of the fat and allow more of the roast to brown and be highly edible. Preheat the oven to 375 or 350, it’s up to you. Install the roast in and on the lower rack. At 40 minutes check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer, pull roast at 138. This may take an hour and a half, keep watch! Remove roast from pan and let rest for 10 minutes on cutting board, slice and serve. Or do what I do, just stand over the cutting board and eat.
The quails, while similar in roasting, one wants to take a lot of care with the little dears. They’re very tender and when done, can be torn to pieces very easily. In fact, it would pay to oil the rack before laying the quail down. Yeah, just follow the instructions for the roast, it’ll result in a wonderful quail. But it’ll be done in 40 to 50 minutes. When testing the temperature of the quail, please insert your instant read thermometer in to the sausage stuffed cavity, when 138 to 140, pull and let rest a few minutes. One per person, even for my appetite it’s plenty.
Of course these two can be smoked and/or grilled. If you’re going to grill them, set your fire up for indirect cooking. Oil your grill for the quail, for sure. For the roast, sear it over high heat until a little caramelly, then cook indirect with plenty of smoky wood chips. Remember, don’t adjust your fire with the exhaust vents, just the intake. Full open exhaust, this way you won’t get creosote build-up on your meat. Nasty ol’ bitter stuff. Keep an eye on your fire so it doesn’t get out of control or go out. If you think the fire is too darned hot? Pull the meat and let the fire burn down for 10 to 20 minutes. In fact, that’s true for anything in the grill or smoker. If things are getting out of control, if the fire is too hot, it’s okay to pull the meat or whatever you’re cooking. This way you can manage the fire and get yourself back in shape to continue.
Next up are the Rabbit Crepinettes! As most of us know, the crepinettes are a sausage patty wrapped in caul fat (fatty webbing). What this tells us right off is that they are going to create a mess no matter how you cook them. So, my first choice is always the grill. If this isn’t possible, use a heavy pan with high sides. A dutch oven would be a perfect candidate, with a splatter shield. Use a medium to medium low heat and don’t overcook the little pillows of meat love. I use my instant read thermometer here too or just cut in to them a little. These are exceptionally good with scrambled eggs for dinner or breakfast. mMmMMMMM, Mama love.
If you are going to be cooking any of their sausages this coming weekend, I would most certainly plan on doing them grill/smoker side. Fatted Calf’s cased sausages are exquisite little bundles of juicy. You’d want to build your fire to a medium heat, nothing crazy. Set a few on and see how they do. If they start to spazzle and split, pull to side and cook indirectly or wait a bit. Do not go and do household chores or get too loaded while grilling. Stay ready with tongs in hand. These sausages cook pretty darned quickly and they must NOT be overcooked.
Lastly I’d like to say that you should most certainly order your goodies ahead of time. This is Mother’s Day weekend and it’s going to be a sell out for SURE. Please place your order HERE.
Well, that pretty much lays that down for that. If you have any questions, even on the weekend, don’t hesitate to contact me at drbiggles at cyberbilly dot com. I’m here to help!
I most certainly will be attending Saturday’s market in Berkeley and hope to see you there. Remember, FC is also at the Ferry Building on Saturday too. Share the love.
xo

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CHECK OUT THAT PORK ROAST !!! This is clear evidence that last week’s special, Berkshire Pork Shoulder Roasts stuffed with Lemon, Green Garlic, Spring Onions and Greens existed and ruled the planet for a few hours. If you have any doubts whatsoever about the quality of these specialty roasts from Fatted Calf, doubt it no longer pally boy. I have PROOF !!!
And now, do you have any doubts about the Little Lamb Leg Roasts stuffed with Picholine Tapenade? No, I didn’t think so. Run, don’t walk to their order here page. I just did, heh. I feel as though it’s time for a smoke.
OoOoOoo, look! Duck Crepinettes with Roasted Walnuts and St. George Kirsch. Love the duck, I think it’s time for a package of 2, eh? Yes. Well, as near as I can tell, FC has a totally bitchen menu this week. And you know what? The weather looks as though it will not suck. A fresh spring day out at the farmer’s market, I can’t think of doing much else. The green garlic is out, asparagus is plentiful and tons of great citrus. I got a load of these really cool little grapefruits last week, so nice. The best part is that they taste like they’re supposed to. Not like those old grocery store ones. You know? The ones where it’s a crap shoot whether it tastes worth while or not? TOSS.
So, pack up your reusable sack and hit the market this weekend. I hope to see you there!
Biggles
Please read on to Fatted Calf’s Newsletter not written by me …

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I know it’s late and past ordering time, but I just placed my order for the above roast. I’m getting MINES!
Man, I think last Friday was the 2nd time I’ve missed reposting my version of Fatted Calf’s weekly newsletter. What kind of insane world do we live in? And this week? I’m a day late! Yeah, you know whut? Took the week off and have probably been at the computer no more than 20 minutes the entire week. While some of you let loose a scream only heard by those exposing vampires to sun, it’s been painfully nice. Wiggling ones toes in the freshly cut grass while pondering whether to trim the rose bushes or whip out the 5hp briggs & stratton tiller for some fun is a tough decision at best enjoyed over a cool refreshing beverage. Oh, that’s why the grass ain’t cut yit. Heh. Guess the grass was longer than I remember …
Hey everyone, it’s good to see your faces. Listen up, this week’s Fatted Calf menu is pretty fricken cool. Their newsletter rolls out with someone there attending a hog killin’ at a local ranch of some sort. Oh no you DIDN’T. Don’t EEEVEN give me that crap. Listen up, if you eat any kind of meat, some animal gave up the greatest good. And it’s only right that everyone that eats thine flesh watch. Pay your respect and love for that beast. Otherwise? See you in the vegetable isle pally boy, or girl. I think everyone should attend such a thing. Humans are omnivores, plain and simple. Think different? Check out those choppers in your mowf. They meant for meat, get over it. You don’t have to eat it every second, nor do you have to club people over the head because of it. We are what we are, enjoy the pork.
And oh what a pork we have! Berkshire Pork Shoulder Roasts stuffed with Lemon, Green Garlic, Spring Onions and Greens sits right at the top. And since I’m late here, prepare to show up at the Berkeley Farmer’s Market at 10am sharp or 10 minutes early. GET YOURS.
The number 2 thing to have a gander to is the Boudin Noir. This here people is the blood sausage. Honestly, it ain’t my trip. But many enjoy and if you do? This is the time to jump, because brother? It doesn’t get any better. How do I know? I don’t really, but I’ve never heard a bad word about said sausage.
Pork Crepinettes with Duck Liver, Pistachios, Caramelized Onions and Marsala come up 3rd in this line-up. Read those ingredients, I shouldn’t have to push here. You get the idea, get a package for a little happy in your life.
As I wrote the last line I went through their menu, top then down. Honestly, I could waste more of your time gushing. Read it, lust it and head out this coming Saturday moring for a little slice of heaven on this planet of crazy.
*-smooches-*
Biggles

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Man oh man, you don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for this. Probably 6 months ago Meathead offered up this idea and I swore to the Norwegian Meat Gods I would carry it through. Rarely do I jump in to any holiday with themed recipes or foods for Meathenge, but this warranted my attention.
How could anyone pass up the opportunity to cook rabbit for the Easter holiday?

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Rain rain go away,
Come again another day.
Little Johnny wants to play;
Rain, rain, go to Spain,
Never show your face again!
I got nuthin’. Mebbe tomorrow.

YAY !!! We got 1 day of sun !!!! Even so, if you check the horizon, rain is most certainly a moment away. The inspiration comes up on you like a warm fluffy frieght train. All of a sudden you care that your kitchen repairs need to be completed. That you could race home and get some garden chores done before dinner needs to be started. Ideas to improve the garage come and go every 20 minutes, it’s great. Then you realize you’re out of mesquite and priorities need to be laid. One reminder of that was today’s Fatted Calf Newsletter. I’m out of fresh meat! I’ll have to head over to Rick the Butcher for today, but for tomorrow, it’s Team Fatted Calf I’ll be looking for.
The special this week is Little Lamb Leg Roasts stuffed with Olive Tapenade. These are good no matter what time of the year it is, even if you’re not quite sure what season this is. FC’s lamb is so darned fresh, no gammy flavors. The tapenade is something they make themselves out of special ingredients. When roasted, braised, grilled or smoked, you and yours will smile from toe to toe.
Next up we find some happy Pork Crepinettes with Greens, Pine Nuts & Lemon. I’m a huge fan of the citrus and can only imagine the brightness it brings to the fancy pork and stuffin’s. These really should be grilled outside, the added layer of fire really dials it in tight. If you don’t have the outside fire, pan fry them on your range. Use a cast iron, copper or stainless if you have it. Non-stick if that’s all you have, just don’t brown that well in those things. Cook these lightly and carefully, pull when done. Don’t cook all the fat out, that’s bad. Crepinettes are perfect for breakfast, lunch and supper. Good on a bun, good on a plate, even better on my fork.
OH LOOK, right below is the Duck Sausage with Kirsch. MmMmM, duck. Duck is an excellent fowl to eat, for sure. And the Kirsch is no slouch either. It’s an excellent brandy distilled from cherry juice and pits, oh man. How could this possibly be wrong? Get the duck.
Oh dear, they’ve got Rabbit Pate with Chives! YAY !!! mMmmmm, rabbit & chives.
Okay, I’m losing my mind, it’s wandered off somewheres. It’s headed off on a meat adventure without me, how rude.
If you’re smart, you’ll be heading out to the Berkeley Farmer’s Market this coming Saturday for some treats. I saw some green garlic last week and some wonderful salad greens. Grab yer cloth sack and follow me, happy shopping!
Please read on to Fatted Calf’s Newsletter not written by me.

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I never want to go through that again. However, if I or anyone plans to maintain an internet presence, having breakdowns will occur and I will most likely be going through this again at some point in the future. Shudder.
You see, I woke up Sunday morning and found that I wasn’t able to post to Meathenge. You know, you get errors an junk. I did the typical work arounds and lookie looks. Check your internet connection, recheck your configs, try deleting the last post, rebuidling the archives one at a time. That kind of stuff. I wound up in the forms checking and searching. I emailed my sister to see if she had any ideas.
Nothing.
Monday morning I realized that my comment section is not only hosed, but every last comment in Meathenge was gone. At this point I broke out in a cold sweat.
Sure I backed up, but it was too long ago. Sure it could be something simple, but I could lose a lot just the same. I didn’t know.
My sister pointed me towards the support for Movable Type and off I went. 4 phone calls and 2 days later we are back online. I think. The system could still be lacking and/or unstable. So, if you encounter something out of the ordinary, please say something. My email address is located on the left-hand side there some place.
Mebbe I’ll get some rest tonight? I could sure use it. If I knew yoga, I’d be using that too.
For today, Meathenge rolls on.
Biggles

Factual Fatted Calf Porchetta style pork loin roast shown.
Ah yes, here comes the Porchetta and this time it’s fancy Berkshire Pig from Newman Farm. I haven’t had a lot of the Newman Farm product, but what I have had has been rich and tasty. A little redder than one might have guessed, so nice. Remember, cook this cutie no more than 138 degrees F, then pull and let stand for a bit. If you have a smoker or grill, this is most certainly the way it likes it the best. Or you can roast it in the oven with some veggies or just by itself. I usually roast it by itself, this way I get the pure roasting sensation. Not all mucked up with vegetables making a damned steam bath, ick. I like my skin & fat all caramelly.
If the Porchetta isn’t enough, they’ve whipped up a badass crepinette for this week. Lamb Crepinettes with Cumin, Persian Mint and Orange, you can read that again if’n you’d like. I’m not convinced I’ve seen these before, that orange and mint sound too good to pass up. Crepinettes are so good for breakfast!
ooOOooo, look. Rabbit Pate with Chives. Oh man, the rabbit has such a nice mild sweet flavor and the chives melt right in making it a great dinner in itself. But of course we’d never indulge that far, would we? I would.
The menu looks really good this week and you’d be missing out if you didn’t at least stop by for a gander.
If you’d like to pre-order your roast so it will be waiting for you, please visit their order page now. I use it on a frequent basis, it’s nice to have the security of your meat with your name on it.
I look forward to seeing you at the market in Berkeley Saturday morning, rain or shine.
Please continue on to read the real Fatted Calf Newsletter written by them, not me.

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Actual Heritage Pork Loin stuffed with chard & walnuts from last week’s market.
Ya know, after last week’s market and dropping a healthy bankroll at Fatted Calf, I figured maybe this week go light. A petite sec and crepinette, that’ll do me.
I may not make it. FC’s stuffed lamb legs are one of my many guilty pleasures. Why? Because years ago I lost the taste for lamb. Just wasn’t doing it for me, gack. Too much gam and too much gam fat, that’s a no can do, sir.
Turns out I wasn’t savvy and didn’t get really fresh fancy lamb.
This week’s stuffed lamb leg has Biggles stamped all over the damned thing. I can hardly wait.
If you feel the need to lay down some crepinettes? This week is the Pork Crepinettes with Orange, Pimenton, and Currants. Let me check, pork, orange, pimenton, currants. Nope, nothing I don’t like there, all perfectly fine.
OoOOoO, I just got the tickle for something smooth and tasty. I haven’t had their Mortadella in quite some time, maybe it’s time to have another look.
Speaking of having another look. A few weeks ago I bought a little loaf of the Guinea Hen Pate. One of my favorites next to the duck & rabbit, heh. I remember over a year ago Taylor was perfecting the recipe and it was still in process. A while later he handed me a portion and smiled & said, “This time, I nailed it.” I figured, “Well, consider it nailed and done.”
Nope, here we are a year later and the darned recipe is still moving along. I don’t know enough about the specifics of pate, but this was certainly not the stuff I’d had even 4 months ago. This right here is Meat Innovation and it’s happening in your back yard. So, if you’re smart you’ll come back to your old favorites at Fatted Calf and see how things are going from time to time. I know I do.
Please read on to their newsletter and I’ll be seeing you at the market this coming Saturday.
Biggles
ps – Remember, if you’d like to make sure you get what you need, please place your order.

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