Beef Encounter

Being a food writer has put me into all kinds of interesting and unusual situations. The morning I spent buckled into a belly protector handling a huge hunk of steer and a big sharp blade called a “Texas butter knife,” is among the more memorable.

I was at the recently opened Certified Angus Beef Education & Culinary Center in Wooster with a bunch of media people from around the country. The organization- a non-profit information and marketing group for ranchers that raise this registered cattle breed- had invited us to come see the new place. The itinerary for our weekend featured a night of feasting in Cleveland, a hands on class in meat cutting, and a visit to a real Ohio ranch. It was great fun and I came home knowing more than before.

The kick-off event was a downtown dine-around that started with appetizers at Hodges. It was of course a beef-centric menu, as was the dinner that followed at The Greenhouse Tavern, and- so I don’t have to repeat myself- I’ll state the obvious here: all the red meat was Certified Angus Beef, which means it was premium quality- intensely flavorful, juicy and tender. Needless to add, both places did an outstanding job and the food was fabulous. Chris Hodgson served it as tartare; on skewers; and shredded in fried rice. But the most memorable presentation was a 6 foot long board loaded with roasted marrow bones, big ones split lengthwise: it looked a caveman’s buffet. More tartare at Greenhouse along with 40-day aged ribeyes, braised shin and strip steaks. I didn’t pace myself properly and bailed when everyone else headed next door to Lola for desserts but I heard they were fabulous.
It was early to rise next morning for the drive to Wooster. The Center, in a converted restaurant, is large, attractive and incredibly well-equipped. There’s a spacious dining area/classroom with a handsome and well-equipped demo kitchen that would get most chefs drooling, and behind that an industrial-sized prep kitchen plus a meat fabrication space with rails and hooks to accommodate “swinging” beef (half and quarter carcasses)…and this is where we gathered for Butchery 101.

It was led by the highly entertaining Dr. Phil (Phil Bass, PhD) who delivers one-liners about rumps, flanks, and roasts with the skill of a polished comedian. We suited up for his performance in the aforementioned belly guards, plus kevlar sleeves and gloves on our non-cutting arms and hands, white coats, hair nets, and chain link belts to hold scabbards for our knives. He taught, we tried, working in small groups to break down the full loin in front of us. Thanks to David O’Diam, CAB staffer who watched over us, making sure we did no harm to man, woman or meat. It was fascinating to learn a bit about the science behind why specific parts cook and taste the way they do and the variety of less familiar cuts like a tri-tip, an excellent steak for grilling from the the bottom half of the sirloin that CAB chef Michael Ollier served us for lunch. Chris Kick, a reporter for Farm and Dairy Newspaper, was on my team. He wrote about the session and put a video and pix on the Social Silo blog.

We spent the afternoon in Rittman at Chippewa Valley Angus Farms. Owners Rod and Laurie Ferguson are breeders, raising animals they sell for “seed stock” not the slaughterhouse. They took us out to the pasture to see the cattle grazing. The ladies, myself among them, also appreciated the appearance of the very cute cowboy on horseback- the real deal, we were assured, though it looked like they recruited him from a Hollywood casting agency.

The Center was built primarily for business to business gatherings aimed at food industry professionals and ranchers. But in the future they hope to welcome consumers in too for information sessions, tasting events and cooking demos. When they do, it would definitely be a trip worth taking.

Showtime for A Chef and A Restaurateur

Hodges, the new Euclid Avenue restaurant from food trucker Chris Hodgson and serial restaurateur Scott Kuhn, officially joined Cleveland’s downtown dining scene at the end of March. I got the grand tour last week and sat down with Chef Chris over lunch to talk about what he’s doing and plans for other projects he and Kuhn have in the works.

My walk-through starts in the bar at the front of the narrow space, inside the ground floor lobby of this office and apartment building. The name’s up in lights like a theater marquee, suggesting diners are in for a show. And indeed those who grab one of the hi-tops or a stool at the long counter have a view into the kitchen and can watch plate after plate of eye-catching food come over the pass. Beyond this area are two dining rooms, plus another upstairs on a balcony that looks out over the action below. A separate space is available for private events and multi-course chef’s whim dinners, served family style.

The décor is a quirky mix of country chic and city sleek: weathered wood paneling, old barn doors, and canning jars on a shelf paired with cushy candy apple red upholstery on chairs and the banquette, metal tables, and factory floor lighting fixtures. The patio, due to open April 30th-temperature permitting- will add 100 more seats (to the 124 inside). It’s a pretty spot, set out of of sight and far from the street, with its own bar.

Chris describes his menu as global comfort food but what I saw was heavy on American favorites- sandwiches, turkey club, ribs, mac-n-cheese, burgers, pork chops, steaks and salmon. All however incorporate something out of the ordinary: exotic spicing; an unusual condiment like onion bacon jam; sides of lobster whipped potatoes and creamed heirloom beans; or meats smoked in-house. There are some intriguing surprises- a lard spread sweetened with local honey among the snacks; an appetizer of mussels and Korean sausage in a coconut curry; and duck breast with black barley “risotto.” A few items reflect the whimsical riffs he’s known for. The PBLT (braised pork, bacon, siracha aioli, lettuce and tomato) reprises a Dim and Den Sum favorite. Another dish that shows the chef’s playful nature is “pork & beans,” with braised bacon and pressure cooked pine nuts standing in for the usual ingredients to delicious effect. I also tasted a wonderful creamy goat cheese and leek tart, made with chevre from Mackenzie Creamery; airy ricotta gnudi topped with crisped artichoke hearts in a silky Parmesan lemon sauce; and ravioli in a French onion soup reduction, an interesting concept but unfortunately it had a burnt taste, as though this batch had spent too long in the pot and over the flame.

For now Hodgson’s running the kitchen- but that’s a temporary role for him. (The opening executive chef left and they’re in process of hiring a replacement.) He and his partner have an ambitious agenda and never saw Hodges as a one-off chef-driven restaurant. They intend to develop multiple properties and have already signed a letter of intent to lease space for another eatery in Chagrin Falls. Their company, Driftwood, is the umbrella organization for a variety of ventures that also includes a catering arm and operation of the food trucks that launched Chris’ career. So if you want to catch some face time with this personable young chef, better get yourself to Hodges soon before he moves on to whatever’s next for this dynamic, entrepreneurial duo.