Fatted Calf - M the Mousse is Right!

[oakjoan]

I posted about how good the rabbit pate was that I bought at Cafe Rouge Meat Market. M the M answered that, although the CR bunny pate was wonderful, it paled beside that of Fatted Calf.

Having now obtained some of same from FC today at the Berkeley Farmers' Market, I can comment on his opinion.

HE'S RIGHT!!!!!!!!! It's amazing. My husband and I have had to put it into a safe with an auto timer so that we wouldn't inhale it all in a couple of minutes. The texture is wonderful, the taste is wonderful, it's moist but not mushy....fab.

I also bought some of their smoked pork chops at great expense. I didn't REALLY need that operation anyhow. Will comment later on those. I've never cooked them on the grill before. Only make the Saags ones with the usual choucroute garni.

[chocolatetartguy]

Has anyone had their beef jerky? Is it worth $25/lb?

[Morton the Mousse]

I tried it the first week it was released and was disappointed; the texture was too tough. That said, Taylor tends to expiriment with his recipes so they have probably improved it since then.

[wally]

It seems like the essence of beef. It is like no jerky I have ever had before.

[JasmineG]

Fatted Calf bacon has spoiled me for any other bacon. It's just that amazing. I also love their merguez (actually, pretty much all of their sausages that I've had, but especially the merguez).

[farmersdaughter]

Their pate maison, which is a more rustic style, is even better than anything I've had from Cafe Rouge (and Cafe Rouge was the gold standard for me before I had Fatted Calf). We got some last week and pretty much inhaled it in one sitting. The pancetta is also very good, as is the guanciale when they have it. I like the duck liver mousse but it is so rich I can't eat much at one time.

[Robert Lauriston]

Taylor worked at Cafe Rouge before he started Fatted Calf, so some of the items are quite similar.

[oakjoan]

I know what you mean about the duck liver mousse. We had a dinner of a carrot soup with red pepper, a green salad, and good bread with the duck mousse. It is so rich we couldn't eat much.....something that rarely, if ever, happens.

We had the smoked pork chops tonight, grilled. All we had were the chops and a big panzanella....very delicious

[wally]

It is similar to the duck liver mousse at Cafe Rouge. I watched it being made once. About 50% butter. Fatted Calf duck liver mousse is softer when it is cold so I think of it as having slightly less butter. This is wishful thinking on my part.

[Carb Lover]

Man, you guys are killing me! I haven't had a chance to experience the carnivorous joys of FC, but I sure hope to one day.

I noticed that they mention charcuterie making workshops on their website. Anyone have more info or ever attend a session? Also, anyone know if they plan on eventually doing mail order or expanding their reaches by selling to specialty shops?

http://www.fattedcalf.com/

[wally]

They do sell to specialty shops. They used to have stuff at Phoenix Pastifico and I have seen their stuff at Boulettes Larder. You might call or send an email to find other spots. Of course, that is all north of where you are.

[Sixy]

that website is OLD, OLD OLD.
I asked them about the classes over a year ago by which time they had already gotten too busy to continue with them.
unfortunately.

[oakjoan]

I agree about the mailing list. It's taking a chance to just show up at the Berkeley Farmers' Market expecting to find what you want (although I want almost everything). Their weekly messages are also charmingly written.

[sensi63]

Fatted calf is awesome. It is beyond anything else out there in the charcuterie/salumi dept. Got the duck mousse, the fegatelli and the bresciaola today. The quality and taste and obvious attention to detail is amazing. Bertoli/Fra Mani is very good, better than you can get almost anywhere, but Fatted Calf is a whole other level of excellence. The best of the best. We are truely fortunate to have access to such fine cured meat products. Really amazing. Get on their email list.

[coolbean98]

Thank you for pointing out their email list! I love love LOVE everything I've had there, especially the rillettes. I had something they described as an Italian version of rillettes, that had red pepper flakes and fried pork skin thrown back in...does anyone know what that's called?

[wally]

That would be Ciccioli.

[coolbean98]

Thanks!