What brought you to France 44?
In a nutshell, I had been living and working in Northern California after I attended the Culinary Institute of America in Napa. I moved back to the Twin Cities to help my brother open a restaurant, and that’s when I learned about France 44. I worked here for about six months when the whole animal butchery was just getting started years ago. I left to help open up Lowry Hill Meats and was a butcher there for a while, before moving on to Terzo where I was the AM Sous Chef.
I’m back now at France 44 as the lead butcher and am so excited to apply the knowledge I’ve gained over the years to our butcher program! I love the art and methodical pace of whole animal butchery. I’m often most excited by beef since it’s the largest animal we butcher here and presents a unique challenge, but I also love breaking down the pigs because we source Red Wattle Hogs from Pork and Plants. Red Wattle Hogs are unique and it feels really special to get to work with them.
What have you learned since being back at France 44?
Every chef has unique methods and preparations for any dish, and I’ve really enjoyed learning the recipes for liver mousse that we make here at France 44.
What’s your favorite cut of meat to take home?
I love a tri-top. It’s versatile and was a cut of meat that was very unique to Northern California, so I got to know it and appreciate it when living there.
Fav Sando?
It’s got to be the Grinder — I’ve got a soft spot for subs with lots of cured meat.
What do you like to do when you’re not at work?
I’m in a bowling league at Elsies in Northeast, I’m in a softball league, and I have a huge garden at home where I grow tons of tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers (we’ve harvested 20 lb of shishito peppers so far!). I also love to spend time with my dog, Miso.
What do you want our customers to know about meat?
I want people to understand more about how meat is processed and the artistry that goes into it. I want to make this butchery more accessible and approachable, and bridge the gap between consumers and the food they eat. I want customers to understand that meat comes from animals, and that the way the animals are raised and the way we process the meat is so important!