Andrew and Connie were up to visit from Santa Monica for Superbowl Weekend and we took advantage of them being here to stop by Cavallo Point on Saturday afternoon for a class at their cooking school led by Kelsey Kerr entitled “Local Artisan Chacuterie and Salumi Tasting.”
Upon entering the highly aromatic classroom, we found that Kelsey and her colleague, Rosalyn England, had arranged an amazing spread for us.
We were each presented with a plate with samples of thirteen products from four of the Bay Area’s premier producers of artisan salumi:~ Boccalone (BOC),
~ Café Rouge (CR),
~ Fatted Calf (FC), and
~ Fra’Mani (FRAM).
The lineup consisted of:
1. CR – Chicken Liver Mousse,
2. CR – Rabbit Pâté
3. FC - Terrine de Volaille
4. CR – Mortadella
5. BOC – Lardo
6. FRAM – Salametto
7. BOC – Capocollo
8. BOC - Orange & Wild Fennel Salame
9. FC – Chorizo
10. BOC – ‘Nduja
11. FC – Liverwurst
12. CR – Smoked Beef Tongue
13. CR – Beef Jerky
For the Boccalone, Fatted Calf and Fra’Mani products, here is a further description from their respective websites:Kelsey started off with a brief presentation on curing techniques.Terrine de Volaille: a robust terrine of game hen, squab, pastured chicken, pork and duck with walnuts and sherry. Made from organic pastured chicken, Liberty duck, Wolfe Ranch squab, organic game hen, organic cream, breadcrumbs, walnuts, organic herbs, sherry, sea salt, curing salt and spices.
Lardo: This is the cured back fat, traditionally from winter pigs. It is seasoned with rosemary and juniper. It is great served on a warm crostino, or with fresh fruit that has both acidity and sweetness, such as nectarines or figs.
Salametto: Small, coarse ground, garlic scented. Rich color, full flavor.
Capocollo: Also known as hot coppa, it is made from the neck meat of the pig, cured with aromatic spices, which develop and intensify as the meat ages to produce a great heat with a strong pork flavor. Capocollo is traditionally found in the regions of Campania, Emilio Romagna, and Umbria.
Orange & Wild Fennel Salame: A coarsely ground salame with a delicate balance of orange zest and wild fennel. This recipe is loosely based on the traditional finocchiona, which originated in the Tuscan town of Prato.
Chorizo (Spanish): Earthy, crumbly, paprika-laden dry sausage made with naturally raised pork, organic garlic, spices, sea salt and curing salt
‘Nduja: This soft, spreadable, spicy, salame originated in Calabria. Nduja's flavor profile reflects Southern Italy's African/Moorish heritage. A blend of chilis balances a smoky spiciness with an element of bitter orange, warm spice, and the palate-clearing tanginess lent by a vigorous fermentation. Perfect on grilled bread, in a sandwich, or on pizza or pasta.
Liverwurst: Traditional liverwurst made from pork and pork liver, creamy and spreadable
We then dug into the offering which was accompanied by bread, pickles, vegetables, Castelvetrano olives and an excellent Brancaia Chianti Classico that went perfectly with the meats.
Since that was obviously not enough for us, Kelsey and Rosalyn capped off the event by passing around some of the highly addictive chicharrones from Ryan Farr at 4505 Meats.
We enjoyed the class a great deal. My top three favorites were the Rabbit Pâté, the Salametto and the Smoked Beef Tongue
Although the day had started off with rain, by the time we got out of the class the skies had cleared and it had turned into a very nice afternoon, so we wandered down to the Ft. Baker harbor to take in the view of San Francisco and the Golden Gate.
We are looking forward to a return to Cavallo Point in the near future. 
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