Going Whole Hog

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Ben Ford is going to slaughter the competition. To do that, he’ll need to butcher a pig.

Ford, owner of Ford’s Filling Station restaurant in Culver City, has his eye on the prize in the Cochon 555 pig-cooking competition May 1 at downtown L.A.’s Vibiana event hall.

“It’s important to win, because of my reputation,” said Ford, son of actor Harrison Ford, referring to his menu that features bacon-wrapped dates and other porcine offerings. “I’m kind of the pig guy in L.A.”

The cook-off challenges five local chefs to prepare a 175-pound heritage-breed pig that will be delivered slaughtered but completely intact, including blood and organs. A panel of judges will select the best prepared oinker based on presentation, creative use of cuts and flavor.

Founder Brady Lowe said Cochon 555 gives restaurant owners a chance to form a community around the preparation of heritage pigs, which date back of hundreds of years and are said to be much tastier than today’s low-fat commercial breeds. He called Cochon 555 – which has been held in other cities and references the French word for pig – a “pasture-to-plate project.”

The other local chefs are Octavio Becerra of Glendale’s Palate Food & Wine, and the L.A. trio of Mozza Restaurant Group’s Chad Colby, Jar’s Suzanne Tracht and the Bazaar’s Joshua Whigham.

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