My new boss is a master butcher with plenty of expertise. I have invited him for dinner and want to impress him by killing an animal and cooking it in front of him. Any suggestions?
You don't tend to impress people this way. It's like taking a French master chef to a French restaurant here in the US. He gets that all the time at work and all he'll do is criticize it internally.
Rather do something you love and different from what he normally experiences.
Obama did this with the Mexican President. Had him come to the US and have Rick Bayless cook the meal. Yeah, Bayless is a great cook, but the President of Mexico gets great Mexican food all the time. Better to have done something different I say.
If you butcher something in front of your boss how long do you intend for him to wait while you cook it? If I were a butcher and somebody invited me over to their house so I can watch them butcher where is the fun in that? It's like being at work. Better yet make an all-vegetarian meal!
Other than fish, there aren't many things which profit from cooking immediately after slaughter; and even basic butchering goes a lot better after rigor has relaxed. The idea seems to express a lack of knowledge about cooking.
Getting an untrimmed rib roast and cutting "tomahawk" or "cowboy" rib steaks would be more than sufficiently impressive. Ditto fabricating lamb mignon, or a lot of other things. You're better off addressing cooking to your strengths, rather than trying to do too much. If you can even cut a straight line and portion appropriate sizes by eye, that's far more than most non-butchers can do and more than enough to showcase skills. If you can't cut a straight line, get around the feather bones, French, etc., have the cutting done by a good butcher.
Want to impress a meat man? Great meat, perfectly seasoned and perfectly grilled. Simple sides which don't distract; like baked potato, creamed spinach, sauteed mushrooms -- preferably on separate plates because the meat's so big. Jus or compound butter, Worcestershire on the table. Simple cocktails, big red wines, craft beers. Apple pie and ice cream. Cognac. When it's all about meat, it's that simple.
A wise man once described a favorite restaurant as, "G***** steak's so big, ain't no room for the f***** spud on the plate." Shoot for that.
Surely you can control your ego and just make a great dinner that will be enough.. If he is a Master meat cutter he is sick of looking at meat and breaking it down.
I agree, never try to outdo an expert. Do something the expert wouldn't have usually, or doesn't know how to do. Unusual vegetable dishes, a great desert, fish.
If someone is a chef in a fancy french restaurant, make some really simple homey american dish - chicken pot pie, macaroni and cheese, something unpretentious but of universal appeal. Never try to beat him at his own game, but do a different game.
And why would you want to kill the animal in front of the guest???
Just an add on to BDL's comments: Before you worry about butchering, do you even know how most animals are killed and prepped for slaughter? These are not jobs that lend themselves to the kitchen---or even the backyard.
A basic question: Are you trying to impress him with your cooking skills? Or with your ability as a butcher? If the former, I agree with the others; go a different route. He gets enough butchering on the job, and sure isn't looking for more in a social setting. If the latter, you'd be better off starting with a primal and breaking it down perfectly then to start with a whole animal.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Chef Forum
559.8K posts
89.3K members
Since 1999
A forum community dedicated to Professional Chefs. Come join the discussion about recipes, prep, kitchens, styles, tips, tricks, reviews, accessories, schools, and more!