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LIFESTYLE

CONTIGO

The Art of

CHARCUTERIE

By Beth Bond

Say you’ve got a whole pig on your hands and you’re feeling bold. How do you coax out
the most intense flavors using only salt, a few spices and the umami-producing magic of time?
This is the challenge readily accepted by a handful of chefs in Central Texas, and their answers range from
rillettes and pâté to sausage and even face bacon. Yes, face bacon — keep reading and we’ll explain.

In short, they’re turning whole hogs into CONTIGO items a la carte so that we can create a com-
charcuterie: prepared meats (often but not posed dish out of each item. We start with
exclusively pork) preserved to lock in their honestly, we’re just happy he’s generous the main ingredient and create a dish around
flavors. Think of it as the all-meat version of enough to share his ranch-inspired cooking. that depending on the ingredients and the
a cheese platter: an assortment of textures flavors and how rich it is.”
and tastes best experienced with sweet or Find a spot at a picnic table under a string
sharp accompaniments to cut the richness. of lights and pick and choose from the char- That pork liver pâté? Its texture is comple-
cuterie options as you please. With the ex- mented by eggplant fritters drizzled with
Preserved meats predate the refrigerator by ception of the pork liver pâté, the menu honey from the restaurant’s namesake Contigo
hundreds of years, and the styles most pop- changes daily but typically lists five of the Ranch and served with a toasted baguette.
ular today were first cured and eaten by seven to 10 items in rotation at Contigo. “Once you put everything into a bite, it’s all
Southern European peasants. The local chefs really harmonious,” Wiseheart said.
profiled here each work with a strong sense “People like that they can try something
of classic French, Spanish and Italian tradi- for $7 rather than make a $20 to $30 com- Face bacon is another Contigo mainstay.
tions while adding modern style and distinc- mitment,” Wiseheart said. “We offer our Here’s the process: A hog’s entire head is sea-
tively Texas-forward flavors to their soned and cured like bacon, then rolled up,
charcuterie boards. They each use every last smoked, cured and sliced thinly. The fin-
bit of animals ethically raised at area farms ished product is “a really pretty slice with lots
— all with the end goal of amusing and even of textures because the tongue and ears have
surprising their customers’ taste buds. lots of cartilage.” Pickled tomatillo and
arugula add both acidic and peppery flavors,
CONTIGO AUSTIN Texas-style. Give it a shot. You’ll most likely
love it — and you get to say, “I ate face
Photography by KNOX PHOTOGRAPHICS bacon for dinner.”
This East Austin wonder takes relaxed Contigotexas.com | 512.614.2260

dining seriously so you can take it easy. Its CURED
menu encourages splitting and sampling sev-
eral small portions, which chef/owner An- Photography by DAVID RANGEL
drew Wiseheart describes as a selfish design Sure, Cured deals in cured meats, but
“because it’s the way we like to eat.” But
there’s more to the name than that. After

24 San Antonio Medicine • May 2015