Butchery Workshop with Adam Danforth

Tues, Nov 14 | 8:30 – 4:30pm | Ironwood Farm and Los Poblanos Inn, ABQ

Photo courtesy of Tom Barkin

Adam Danforth, James Beard Award winning butcher and author will conduct a one-day workshop including a humane slaughter demonstration at Ironwood Farm in Albuquerque’s South Valley and a muscle profiling at and the Los Poblanos Inn in the North Valley. This invitation-only workshop for chefs and farmers will illuminate best practices for optimum meat flavor and whole animal utilization. Further, the the course will illuminate the role chefs can play in expanding the consumer palate and building consumer consciousness about meat production.

The workshop includes:

Adam’s book – BUTCHERING POULTRY, RABBIT, LAMB, GOAT & PORK: The Comprehensive Photographic Guide to Humane Slaughtering and Butchering
Lunch at Los Poblanos
Both morning and afternoon sessions
A ticket to Mindful Meat: A conversation about how we eat, think, and talk about meat with Adam Danforth, Deborah Madison, and Daniel Klein Wednesday, November 15 at 7:30pm.

The Course

Humane On-Farm Slaughter

After decades of a slow-growing disconnect from our food sources, we’re awakening to a new reality and looking for ways to know the cycle of our sustenance before it ends up on our plates. The most significant experience in this journey is the moment when you participate in the humane slaughter of an animal. It hits a hard reset on your appreciation for the exchange of life for life from the animals that sustain us.

Adam, in collaboration with farmer Chris Altenbach, will demonstrate the humane slaughter of two lambs at Ironwood Farm in Albuquerque’s South Valley. They will walk participants through the entire process, from stun to cooler, focusing on reverence for the animals while gaining a deeper understanding of the methods employed to get the most out of the resultant carcass. This workshop will offer hands-on opportunities for those interested.

Photo courtesy of Christine Ashburn/Glynwood

Photo courtesy of Tom Barkin

Muscle Profiling

Today, Americans eat younger animals than ever before in history because cattle are slaughtered earlier to accommodate faster rates of beef production. Pigs are slaughtered before a year old, as are lambs. Kid goat is the only thing you will see on a menu. What happens to all the older animals?

Adam will discuss the virtues of older animals, how working muscles render more flavor, the inverse relationship of taste and texture, and why we should support farmers by consuming their older and cull animals. This workshop will demonstrate how to break down an older animal into primal and cuts, and will explain meat science and how we experience it as deliciousness. Adam explains in-depth the biological processes that affect the flavor and qualities of the meat we eat. He will demonstrate cooking techniques to maximize the flavor of these complex meats and will discuss the role chefs can play in driving market demand for these products. A blind tasting will allow participants to explore varying tastes and textures, followed by a discussion of each muscle cut and its qualities.

Instructor

Adam Danforth is the James Beard and IACP award-winning author of two books, published by Storey Publishing, about slaughtering and butchering livestock. He teaches workshops worldwide on butchery and meat science for venues such as Stone Barns Center for Agriculture, the James Beard Foundation Chefs Boot Camp, Oregon State University, and the National Bison Association. Adam also consults and provides experiential education to restaurants including Eleven Madison Park, Gramercy Tavern, Bazaar Meat, and Maude. He is the American ambassador for the Butchers Manifesto and a board member of the Chefs Collaborative and The Meat Collective. Adam lives in Ashland, OR.