[Jim]

Welcome, Bruce! This is fantastic that you are spending time with us! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with our community.

A two-fold question: As your career goes, what is next? I am a big fan of yours and am curious to hear what you have in store for us next. Second, what do you think is coming, in terms of trends and 'movements'?

[Bruce Aidells]

There is no need for a next since I have always been doing many varied activities besides just owning a sausage company. Now that I no longer own that company that bares my name I spend more time on the other activities which include writing,
cooking classes and special demos, cooking segments on TV, and consulting with specialty food companies. I also am going to do a new cookbook which deals with your second question. I believe that more of us will be turning to small less industrialized solutions to food production and especially meat. It is too big a price to pay to not consider sustainability when it comes to meat because our planet can no longer tolerate waste in inefficiencies. But sustainability doesn't just include how the animals are raised but how we use the meat produced from these animals. We can no longer just cherry pick the steaks and roasts but must utilize all the different parts if the small farmer producing said animal is going to survive financially. The onus's to find a buyer for the off-cuts can not only be on the suppler but on the user as well.

[shroomgirl]

bravo! alot of that change will come from teaching the teachers.....

Last year a couple of chefs that had worked in top places (Blackberry Farm, Inn at Little Washington, etc) came over to butcher pigs and make boudin at my kitchen. It was bizarre to learn that these late 40 year olds had not butchered a whole animal since culinary school.
We've seen demand change in piggy parts, it used to cost a pig processor to have the heads hauled off by a rendering plant. Now they are more in demand.....$7-14 to the customer.
It's not difficult to piece meal off the loin or shoulder but many times we'll have hams in the freezer taking up space.
Farmers are now starting to sell lard again, it'd be good if they'd separate the leaf lard from the back fat.....nice to see that trend come back around.


It'd be great to have photos and instructions on how to break down animals (pigs, lambs, goats, beef/bison) and how to clean offal.
Fergus Henderson does not go into great detail on how to clean prior to utilizing.

[Bruce Aidells]

I hope that butchery will come back as a respected profession and I believe the interest is there especially with the young chefs I meet.

[shroomgirl]

me too....

[Jim]

Thank you, Bruce! It has been a great opportunity to have your input. Thanks for sharing your time!!