Photo credit Carrie Becker
For centuries, mankind has been cooking hogs whole. Techniques varied from continent to continent, but the practice of utilizing everything from snout to tail was the common denominator. Today, farms of once unimaginable size produce more food than ever before, which is easily transported thousands of miles thanks to the economics of modern transportation. Consequently, most restaurants and consumers are more separated from their food sources than at any other time in history. When it comes to meat, it’s now easier and cheaper to order prepackaged cuts than whole animals.
American barbecue was born in the coastal regions of North Carolina. The process of slow smoking meat with coals, indirect/low heat and smoke is what makes American barbecue unique. It’s not uncommon to see whole hogs at luaus or catering events, and they are often seen at major barbecue competitions, but snout-to-tail smoking is rarely found at restaurants outside Eastern North Carolina. This is evidenced by the amount of ink spilled over Tyson Ho and last year’s opening of his restaurant, Arrogant Swine, which introduced the Carolina tradition to the Big Apple.
This summer, Mike Randolph featured whole hogs during three weekend-long special events at Público, but no barbecue restaurant in St. Louis regularly utilized whole hogs – until now. Ron Buechele (above) recently introduced the practice and a number of new dishes at Capitalist Pig in Soulard.
Carolina emigrants and fans, don’t get too excited. Buechele’s goal isn’t to provide authentic, Eastern Carolina chopped pork with its distinctive vinegar and red pepper sauce. “I like to look at what other restaurants are doing, and not do that,” Buechele told St. Louis Magazine. “The whole hog format was a way of separating us from the herd, so to speak, and help us stand out from everyone else, while still providing our clients with a unique dining experience.”
Since it first opened at the Mad Art Gallery in 2012, Capitalist Pig has strived to serve local, ethically-raised meats. The move to whole hogs was a natural step. “I can purchase a hog from a variety of farmers and feature different breeds throughout the year,” continued Buechele. “I think it would be exciting to have a breed like Red Wattle (right) featured one month and, say, Chester White another. It would expose our audience to a variety of heritage breeds and allow me the opportunity to educate on those different breeds and why it's important to keep breeding them.” Ironically, eating heritage breed hogs is one way to keep these lineages alive as the corporate farms only produce the handful of breeds with the highest profit margins.
Whole hogs are known to be expensive, but, by utilizing every part of the pig, the move need not be cost prohibitive. The money saved on more expensive cuts like belly and loin offset some of the expense.
What does this mean for the menu? While the menu often changes at Capitalist Pig and most items feature some sort of twist, the whole hog approach provides Buechele with a variety of opportunities. “Right now I'm focusing on different pork belly offerings, such as maple-bourbon pork belly and an oak-smoked, cider-braised pork belly,” he said (below). “I'm interested in doing a barbecue version of bahn mi as well as a few other surprises I have planned for the fall/winter menu.
“When I look at the cuts, it opens up a whole world of possibility to do things that other barbecue restaurants don’t have the time or desire for. We are planning on making our own sausage this fall. We already make our own ham and bacon, but it makes me think about all of the other uses for various cuts. You get a lot of really good fat as well, and every time I skin a hog I think about making chicharrones.” Why not, we ask?
“I love to experiment, and work with our customers to give them what they want on the menu,” continued Beuchele. “Don’t come with the expectation that it's like other barbecue restaurants in the city - you'll be disappointed. But if you come with the expectation of trying a common barbecue item with a very different approach, then you'll be pleased.”
There is more to the change, however, than simply doing something different. Buechele hopes to create a new style of barbecue that is distinct to the Show Me State. Referring to his smoking techniques, Buechele says that “right now I use Missouri Post Oak (White Oak) almost exclusively. It's native and plentiful. I also think it's critical in developing a true Missouri distinction for barbecue. I want to develop a flavor profile that defies comparison to other regions of the country. Depending on the mass of the protein, I smoke it until it reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees then pull it and finish it as a braise.”
Interesting things are smoking in Soulard. We’ll keep a close eye and fork on the developments for you.
Johnny Fugitt is the author of The 100 Best Barbecue Restaurants in America. The Capitalist Pig is listed as one of his favorites.
