A couple of people have PM'd me to ask if the meals at TB&L are available to anyone, and the answer is yes. If you're interested in having a dinner there, just contact Rob Levitt to discuss the details and schedule it. They've got room for a maximum of about 15 people and they'll work with you to come up with a menu and price point that fit your parameters. It's BYO, which makes it an especially great option for a small party.

I was in the shop this past Wednesday and picked up a goat neck that was being butchered by Jonathan Zaragoza, who was working in the shop that day. I watched while he separated the neck from the head with a hack saw. The goat meat was cherry-red and immensely fresh. Per Rob's suggestion, my wife (under my gentle guidance ) braised it in a combination of crushed tomatoes and Ommegang Abbey Ale, along with some herbs from our garden and some garlic. Near the end of the cook, she put a couple of coarsely choppped zucchinis from our garden in the pot and let it cook another 40 minutes. When I got home from work, the house smelled amazing. We pulled the luscious, fork tender meat from the bone and served it on corn tortillas with minced onion, chopped cilantro and a sprinkling of grated cotija cheese. The zucchini, in the braising liquid, made a perfect side dish.

I also picked up a couple of beautiful-looking sausages, which I plan to make later today.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Per Rob's suggestion, my wife (under my gentle guidance ) braised it in a combination of crushed tomatoes and Ommegang Abbey Ale, along with some herbs from our garden and some garlic. Near the end of the cook, she put a couple of coarsely choppped zucchinis from our garden in the pot and let it cook another 40 minutes. When I got home from work, the house smelled amazing. We pulled the luscious, fork tender meat from the bone and served it on corn tortillas with minced onion, chopped cilantro and a sprinkling of grated cotija cheese. The zucchini, in the braising liquid, made a perfect side dish.

I'm sorry . . . I missed the link to your address???

ronnie_suburban wrote:Round 2: Appetizers

Abalone and Bone Marrow Crostini
Bread schmeared with marrow, then grilled and topped with abalone. Wow!

Cool to see that Rob liked his challenge enough to put it on his menu!

http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/ch ... ry=2810776

I volunteer at the Northwestern Settlement house around the corner and was excited to see Butcher & Larder when I pulled up to park on Milwaukee Ave. The shop was featured on the Sandwich King last Sunday-it's where Jeff buys his rib eye for his Chicago steak house sandwich. After our meeting at the Settlement, my fellow volunteers and I stopped in to check it out. I bought a small flap steak to make later this week, and my friends bought flap steak and Toulouse sausage. It's a really interesting shop and I look forward to shopping there again-I didn't buy more because my family members are out of town.

We got to talking to the butcher-and she told us that the segment for Sandwich King was filmed two months ago and they were sworn to secrecy...So the finale isn't live-I thought it was. I always wondered how they were able to put together that first show in a couple of days....well they don't!

Lo and behold, what was offered on the menu last weekend at Nightwood? Smoked ham from the Butcher and Larder . . .


Butcher and Larder Smoked Ham | summer apples, cucumber, almond, lemon, whipped butter, Pamela's Raisin-Nut Bread (at Nightwood)

I loved this dish and the smoky-sweet ham was fantastic, especially when paired with the delicate tartness of the summer apples.

=R=

Gorgeous pics, Ronnie.
I need to think up a reason for a party...

Picked up a couple steaks for my cousin, the grill-master, to cook tomorrow...can't wait

FYI:
Thanksgiving Turkey Pre-order
Gunthorp farms turkeys can be pre-ordered from Wednesday, 10/19 through Friday, 11/4 by phone (773-687-8280) or in-person only please. Sizes range from 15-30 pounds. Weight requests will be accommodated as closely as possible, but please understand there will be some variance. Turkeys will be available for pick up starting Sunday, 11/20. $5/pound.


It's a shame they don't anticipate anything closer to 10lbs., but leftovers are part of the Thanksgiving tradition, right? I also blanched a little at the potential cost ($75 for the smallest turkey?) -- compared to, as one example, a Bourbon Red from Caveny Farms, however, it's not too bad (a 14-16lb. bird runs $114).

We did a dinner for 10 at B&L on sunday night
the menu:

Shaved Pig Head
Pâté Grande Mere
Smoked Ham


Duck Breast Carpaccio apples, celery, almonds

Roasted Oysters bone marrow butter, breadcrumbs

Sautéed Duck Liver Salad guanciale, sherry vinegar

Chestnut-Stuffed Short Ribs braised greens

Pear-Brown Butter Tart

Well worth the $100 all in pp
we had some wine with dinner

lots of CnP some CA pinot, Cab & Italian

Brontosaurus ribs, Yabba Dabba Doo!

While picking up a steak and some chicken quarters last week, I made an impulse buy of a tub of pork ragu. Holy crap is it good - rich, meaty, and delicious. I normally don't buy pasta sauces, as they're easy enough to make, but this stuff is awesome. $7 per meat-packed pint.

-Dan

p.s. While delicious, it does have an undertone of sadness... I miss Mado.

B & L posted this on facebook today:

The rumors are true. This Saturday at 10am, the Taco Árabes from Cemitas Puebla will take sausage form! Tony will be making salsa and supplying the special tortillas as well

Butcher & Larder Shut Down by City for Lack of Business License

NOBLE SQUARE — A small butcher shop in Noble Square known for working with local farms and being led by a man who, according to some accounts, has "done more for meat than anyone in this city since Upton Sinclair" has been shut down by the city.

The city said The Butcher & Larder at 1026 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Noble Square was ordered closed because it did not have a business license.

The celebrated shop's Facebook page described the situation as "nothing too serious" and a co-owner said he hoped to reopen by Friday.

"Hey folks. We're having some 'issues' with the good city of Chicago. Nothing too serious ... . We appreciate your patience and will be back slinging sausages before you know it!" read the Facebook update.

More at the link

I walked into B&L last week and told them that I was in the mood for braising, but hadn't given any thought to it beyond that. They brought me out two really nice looking Berkshire pork shanks (complete with a bunch of little black hairs still attached). I braised them in some chicken stock and little apple cider, reduced the liquid to a nice, thick syrup. We've been eating well ever since.

Has it really been over a year since anyone posted about the best butcher shop in Chicago? Seems strange. This place continues to serve as a model for food businesses. Even if you don't care about sustainability or the ethics of animal husbandry, B&L shines simply by virtue of its product. The pastrami I recently had made from navel procured for B&L was stellar. Some of the credit goes to the pastrami recipe (a modified Polcyn/Ruhlman), but most goes to a piece of meat far superior than what I've gotten at Paulina and, obviously, Peoria.

Butcher & Larder is also worth visiting for lunch. I recently got to try their version of Italian Beef and chili.


The beef was a really good sandwich but the meat was more French dip than the more broken down tender beef usually found on Italian beef. However, the housemade giardiniera was excellent and the bread was far superior to the typical Turano roll.


Also available that day was an old-school ground meat chili. There was nothing fancy about it; it was just an excellent version of a comfort food classic that was particularly good on a recent cold and wet day.

I enjoy them all the time following their Twitter feed. They update all the time.

https://twitter.com/butcherlarder

They were tweeting some amazing food on New Years ... made me so hungry! have to go soon and stock up!

The food they were tweeting on NYE, while gorgeous, was for a private dinner. Though a lot of it could be made from the items that they sell, pretty sure none of it is coming to their deli case any time soon

I guessed that but it sure was making me drool ... and want to cook something from there.

B&L moving to Local Foods emporium....

http://chicago.eater.com/2015/1/20/7857 ... s-bucktown

Pie-love wrote:B&L moving to Local Foods emporium....

http://chicago.eater.com/2015/1/20/7857 ... s-bucktown

More here - http://chicago.eater.com/2015/6/3/87011 ... cafe-stock

Based on a tweet from Butcher & Larder (yesterday), it appears they'll be open for business at the new Local Foods facility on June 30th...

Chicago superstar butcher Rob Levitt has left Butcher & Larder where he specialized in providing customers with a large selection of quality beef, pork, and chicken. He’s headed to Fulton Market where he’ll take over the kitchen at Publican Quality Meats,

https://chicago.eater.com/2019/3/18/182 ... bayer-chef

With all due respect to Rob and family, what’s the scoop with the departure?

The PQM transition makes sense but wondering what precipitated leaving his own brand behind?

Jefe wrote:With all due respect to Rob and family, what’s the scoop with the departure?

The PQM transition makes sense but wondering what precipitated leaving his own brand behind?

Probably hard to pass up financial security is my guess. When you are your own boss, sometimes you are the last to get paid.

I was surprised by this move, too, but then Rob and his wife have not always had the best working experiences. At least he is in a professional environment where the employer has a reputation of treating his staff pretty well.

Ordered a few pounds of brisket to cook in the instant pot for tonight. Tex Mex Brisket tacos!

As most of us know Rob Levitt is now embedded at PQM, and seems happy as a penguin during mating season. Butcher and Larder head butcher is now Ilya Bonel, who worked with Rob, and seems to be doing a bang-up job.

Was at B & L for $5 pork chop Wednesday, and a wonderful deal it is. Pork chops plus a couple of Delicata squash, okra saute and rice = dinner.




Pork Chops, count me a Fan!