For almost a year and a half I've been writing about a small herd of heritage mulefoot pigs in Argyle, WI. This remarkable breed has a unique anatomy (uncloven hooves, black hair), a fascinating history (saved from extinction by a single farmer), a sweet disposition, and they taste great. You can read all about them in the collected dispatches of the Whole Hog Project right
here.When we bought our own mulefoot with the aim of following its care and feeding and eventually hosting a public snout-to-tail dinner, I knew there was one chef who'd make the most of it--Paul Kahan. There have been lots of twists and turns along the way, but to my great delight, not only has Kahan agreed to cook for us (even in the midst of the frenzy surrounding the opening of the Publican), but he's enlisted a formidable lineup of talent to help out.
The invitation is below, and there's more info
here. Hope to see you there.
The Chicago Reader presents The Whole Hog ProjectIt all started in the pages of the Chicago Reader with
Mike Sula's reporting on the mulefoot pig heritage breed. After months of care and feeding (and writing and photographing), it continues at the table at Blackbird.
Participating chefs: Paul Kahan (Blackbird) with Paul Virant (Vie), Jason Hammel and Amalea Tshilds (Lula), Mike Sheerin (Blackbird), Justin Large (Avec), Brian Huston (The Publican) Sunday, October 19Champagne reception 6 PM, Dinner 6:30 PM
Blackbird619 W. Randolph St.
Reservations: 312-715-0708, $125 plus tax, tip
Proceeds benefit Slow Food Chicago
Details at:
The Whole Hog ProjectBlackbird Restaurant
Last edited by
m'th'su on September 23rd, 2008, 5:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.