The Charlottesville 29

If there were just 29 restaurants in Charlottesville, what would be the ideal 29?

Tag: Local Dish

09/25/2013

James Beard Local Dish: Brookville’s Slow Roasted Pork Belly

Brookville Pork

Today is another article in our series on James Beard Foundation’s Taste America Local Dish, where six Charlottesville area restaurants are joining other top spots around the country in creating a dish for their September and October menus that conveys their local cuisine.  One dollar from the sale of each local dish will go towards the educational efforts of the James Beard Foundation.  Next up is Brookville, owned by chef Harrison Keevil and his wife, Jennifer.

Keevil’s Local Dish is Slow Roasted Pork Belly with apple compote, cilantro, jalapeno, and peanuts ($25).  The pork belly is from Timbercreek Organics, the apple and jalapeno are from the Local Food Hub, and the cilantro is from Manakintowne Specialty Growers.  So, what makes this dish convey our local cuisine?  In Keevil’s own words:

What is more Virginian then a Majestic Heritage Breed Pig?  That is why I decided to use pork, and chose belly because it is my favorite cut. I added peanuts because back in the day pigs were used to go through the peanut fields, after harvesting, and till the land for the next crop in the rotation. Also, going to my grandaddies’ farm when I was a child we were surrounded by peanut fields, so this ingredient holds a important place in my heart.  I added apples because we are getting into fall, which is apple season here in Virginia.  When I was a child growing up in Virginia, one my favorite dishes that my mother cooked was pork chops and apple sauce — so again another food memory close to my heart. I included cilantro and jalapeño, which might not scream Virginia, but were cultivated in its soil so thus have a place in this dish.  Also, they help cut the richness of the belly.

09/11/2013

James Beard Local Dish: Fossett’s’ Slow Cooked Beef

beef braise

It’s James Beard Foundation’s Local Dish.  Throughout September and October, six area restaurants are among top spots around the country that the James Beard Foundation has accepted to create a dish that conveys their local cuisine.  One dollar from the sale of each dish will go towards the educational efforts of the James Beard Foundation.  We’re featuring the Charlottesville restaurants’ dishes here on The Charlottesville 29, and next up is Fossett’s Restaurant at Keswick Hall.

Chef Aaron Cross, who joined Fossett’s last year, has created a Slow Cooked “Best of What’s Around” Beef with roasted corn risotto, crispy radish salad, and fortified braising jus ($30).   Cross calls it the “best of what’s to braise,” as the cut of beef he’s using will depend on what’s available — either bottom round, shank, or chuck. Cross explains:

The corn I’ve stockpiled up on from the Local Food Hub and its coming from Rockbridge.  I would love to be romantic and say that in the spirit of Jefferson its all Golden Bantam, but I’ve seen silver queen, bi-color, peaches-and-cream, and a couple other types come through. I’ve pickled, roasted, and frozen all that I can because it mostly likely won’t continue to keep rolling in past the next couple of weeks. The greens for the salad on top are a Manakintowne Farms mix of shoots and sprouts and bolstered by some shaved Keswick radishes and finished with a fresh herb crumble and the reduced braising jus.

09/04/2013

James Beard Local Dish: Ivy Inn’s Pork Rib Chop

Ivy Inn Pork Rib
It’s James Beard Foundation’s Local Dish.  Throughout September and October, select top restaurants across the country are creating a dish that conveys their local cuisine, and donating $1 from the sale of each dish to the educational efforts of the James Beard Foundation.  Among the participants are Charlottesville’s own Ivy Inn, where, to reflect local Virginia cuisine, chef-owner Angelo Vangelopoulos has created a Pork Rib Chop with andouille sausage, spoonbread, purple black-eye peas & lima beans, and smoked tomato-bacon jus ($27).  “Pork, corn products, and beans are all an integral part of our Virginia culinary heritage,” says Vangelopoulos, “and I can’t wait to share this with our customers.”

It is truly a Local Dish.  The pork rib chop is from Double H Farm in Wingina, with sausage from The Rock Barn in Arrington.  The spoonbread is made of cornmeal from Wade’s Mill in Raphine.  The purple black eye peas and lima beans are from Goldman Farm in Cullen.  And, the tomatoes are from Harvest Thyme Herbs in Staunton.  In Vangelopoulos’ own words:

I’m excited to feature two of our local pork producers who do an outstanding job with their products.  Pork is something we do so well here in Central Virginia that it seems a no-brainer to be the central part of this dish.  Jim and Georgia at Wade’s Mill operate an 18th-century  water-powered mill that is one of the last of its kind.  I’ve been using their cornmeal and grits for as long as I’ve been cooking at the Ivy Inn.  Goldman Farm grows a variety of beans and peas, and The Local Food Hub keeps us well supplied from them and several other farmers in the region.  Phil and Deirdre Armstrong are specialty produce/herb farmers at Harvest Thyme who grow quite simply the prettiest and best taken care for vegetables I have ever seen.  We smoked a large batch of their Brandywine tomatoes to make the jus for this dish.”

Ivy Inn Pork Rib 2

Ivy Inn Pork Rib 3

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