Posts Tagged ‘Westover Market’
Posted by Warren Rojas / Tuesday, May 10th, 2011
Don’t let Jay Jenc’s shy-boy act fool you:
(Image: Peter Nicoll)
The well-seasoned chef–and occasional rock band frontman (give it up for Jumpin Jupiter!)–led kitchens all over the D.C.- Metro area (Cafe Saint-Ex, Iota, Willard Intercontinental) before becoming the resident barbecue wrangler at the always free from Westover Market.
WR: Salt. Pepper. What other spices/herbs could you not live without?
JJ: Garlic, fresh or granulated. Sage, cumin, thyme, parsley, fresh basil. Chili powders such as cayanne [SIC], hungarian paprika, ancho, etc. are a must.
WR: What’s the very first dish you ever mastered? How long did it take? Do you still make it today?
JJ: Pancakes! I can’t remember when I “mastered” them, but I started the prototypes at age 7 or 8 years old. Oh yea, I definitely still make them. Endless varieties…
WR: What seasonal ingredient(s) get your creative juices flowing?
JJ: Well, seasons change, so it’s green peas and pea shoots in the spring, tomatoes in the summer, venison and rockfish in the fall and gourds in the winter.
WR: My latest cookbook obsession is …
JJ: I’ve gotta go south here, namely Creole, with a little low-country in there too.
WR: What’s the most challenging dish you’ve ever attempted? Would you make it again?
JJ: Not a dish, but an art: sausages. Even with my longtime friend and neighbor Jamie Stachowski working side by side on the stuff for years, there is still a lot for me to learn in order to get it just right. Oh, and pommes souffle.
WR: If I could the spend the day working alongside any local chef, I’d love to collaborate with …
JJ: Barry Koslow. We don’t ever hang out or do anything together, but he’s a great guy that I’ve known for years and whose work and career I’ve followed for quite a while.
WR: What’s the easiest/quickest–but still wholly satisfying–meal you make for yourself?
JJ: It starts with a big ol’ plate of steamed or sauteed spinach, a flash of well seasoned tomato or tomato sauce and some good Greek feta, not that really salty stuff. It goes on from there sometimes depending on what’s hanging around…
WR: In the next six months you won’t want to miss my …
JJ: BBQ events at the Westover Market! First Friday and second Saturday of every month! Pulled pork is the constant crowd pleaser. Randomly featured other offerings include beef brisket, smoked pork ribs, split smoked chicken and artisan brats and kielbasa sandwiches.
WR: It’s quitting time. I’m pouring myself …
JJ: Abita root beer knocks me for a loop these days. Alcohol makes me do dumb stuff … but that’s another story.
————————————————————————————————————————————————
Smoked pork ribs and kielbasa sandwiches sound like the perfect summer eats. Can’t wait to try yours.
Come back next Tuesday for another helping of Red Meat.
–Warren
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Friday, May 14th, 2010
(Image: Bartolomeo Passerotti)
Arlingtonians are getting a new sustainably-focused protein pipeline today courtesy of EcoFriendly Foods‘ satellite butcher counter at the always community-minded Westover Market.
EcoFriendly specializes in humanely-raised animals plucked from 40 family farms spread across Southwestern Virginia and the North Carolina.
“We’re going to bring pretty much the full line of EcoFriendly products,” EcoFriendly co-founder Bruce Saunders said of his vision for the full-service butcher shop.
For the initial roll out, Saunders plans to whet people’s appetites with: “steak-ready” cuts of beef, ground pork, beef and lamb, marinated kebabs, homemade meatballs, meatloaf mixes and make-at-home stir-fry kits (fresh basil, garlic, shallots and hot peppers bundled with the ground protein of your choice).
Discerning carnivores can also claim their share of fresh rabbit, a whole Duroc pig, two spring lambs and the 1/2 side of raw beef Saunders will carve on demand.
Future additions to the display case could include: pasture-raised poultry, homemade sausage–Saunders suggested they would likely lead with a sage-black pepper breakfast blend, as well as bulk, hot and sweet Italian sausage–and marinated beef hearts. Meanwhile, anyone looking for hard-to-find offal or special orders (Saunders envisions filling whole ham, pork picnic shoulders, suckling pig and brisket orders on a case-by-case basis) can take advantage of the shops newly minted email address: westoverbutchershop@yahoo.com
Meanwhile, Saunders suggested that anyone worried about boosting their beef intake after all the media harping about slack regulation should know EcoFriendly maintains a strict, single-animal per grind policy.
“We’re calling it the 1-cow revolution,” he said of their closely monitored and readily traceable production practices.
The operation gets (quietly) underway today at noon, with a full-on grand opening–think: pig roast, beer garden and possibly some live entertainment–scheduled for Saturday, June 5 at 2 p.m.
–Warren