Pigstock TC 2014

Sept. 21, 2014

Whether you’re a professional chef, an aspiring culinary student, a butcher, a farmer, or an advanced home cook, you’ll probably want to attend Pigstock TC–especially if you’re a fan of bacon, pork roast, or ham.

This extensive three-day course teaches whole animal use and charcuterie (meat preparation) practices. Now in its fifth year, it’s been praised for expanding the knowledge of both pros and everyday cooks, and for encouraging responsible and inventive use of ingredients.

Express talked with Pigstock Event Manager Allison Beers to get the details.

Kristi Kates for Express: Allison, for those who haven’t heard of Pigstock, tell us what it’s all about!

Allison Beers: Pigstock TC is really a two-part event. The first part is a three-day intensive course teaching how to use a pig from snout to tail. Many of the skills learned can then be transferred to other whole animal use. The second part is the big dinner on the final night.

Express: Whole animal use is still a foreign idea to many people–using the entire thing, including the bones and other formerly discarded parts. Why is this such an important practice?

AB: It’s important in both restaurants and homes, as it maximizes the use of the animal and lessens waste. There’s actually a really cool video on our website where Myles Anton from Trattoria Stella talks about how Pigstock TC changed the way he cooks in his kitchen!

Express: While a professional chef is obviously going to be better prepared to break down and use an entire pig, how challenging or difficult do you think it is for the home cook to do the same?

AB: Pigstock TC is geared for professional chefs, but experienced and advanced home cooks who have attended have kept right up with the pros.

Express: Walk us through how the three days at Pigstock might go.

AB: There is one track of education that everyone follows; we limit attendees to around 30-40 so that our instructors can work hands-on with each one. We start on day one learning about the slaughter and, in the afternoon, we jump right into organ cooking. The next day, we get everyone up early and dive into seam butchery and breaking down the pig. The third day wraps up with teaching charcuterie.

Express: And who are some of the pros who are guiding the attendees through all of this?

AB: We have the most amazing line up of food rock stars teaching the courses! The Wiesners from Austria are leading experts

on the Mangalitsa breed, which is like the Kobe Beef of pigs. Brian Polcyn is fun and engaging, and he’s the godfather of charcuterie; he wrote the book on it, for real, with Michael Ruhlman. New this year is Kate Hill from France who is offering her French take on charcuterie. Camas Davis is a force to be reckoned with; she’s a huge leader in education and we are so thrilled that she is joining us. And to round things out we have our very own resident expert, Chef Pete Peterson. During the three days, all of these instructors have mics on and chime in to make this an experience that you can’t get anywhere else.

Express: And I know another very unique part of Pigstock is that impressive final dinner, which I believe is also a fundraiser, correct?

AB: Yes! The Pigstock TC dinner on October 22 is a fundraiser for the Taste the Local Difference program. This part of the event is open to the public, and all attendees from the three-day course, as well as the instructors, attend. We source the food for the chefs, so it’s mostly coming from local farms, and the dinner itself celebrates all things pork with a seven course, beverage paired feast prepared by some of the biggest Traverse City all-star chefs, all working together to create an amazing meal.

Pigstock 2014 will take place October 20- 22 in Traverse City. For more information, event registration, and dinner tickets, visit www.pigstocktc.com.