We are sending animals to be processed in February, so I need to decide now what to sell during the summer market. I always consider the food trends predicted: adobo is in, home cooking resurges, “value
” is the new “sustainable”, “local” is the new “organic”, etc. Is there a primal on the rise in popularity? How much inventory should I commit to sausage? Moreover, what do I not mind eating if it doesn’t sell - and what is that adobo stuff, anyway?I don’t always pick winners. Last year, I thought fresh pork shanks would be the next big thing. They were looking pretty tasty in a food magazine, and I thought, ‘I eat
beef, veal, and lamb shanks, so this should sell’. Smoked pork shanks move; fresh shanks, not so much.
Upside: they are really good – it’s a rich stew meat that falls apart after braising for 6-8 hours, and one easily feeds two people twice.
Downside: I think I sold only one.
Country-style pork ribs also disappointed me in sales, though this wasn’t a new item in 2008. I can only guess there was an upsurge of desire for instant gratification and a decrease in personal time allocated to cooking, since this is another cut that must be stewed or slow cooked and smoked. It’s much easier to grill a pork chop than to wait 6 hours for a tender saucy rib.
Upside: I like saucy ribs
Downside: there isn’t one – they’re now all mine!
The surprise of last year turned out to be the new sweet Italian veal sausages. I only had 50 pounds made, and they sold out in no time.
Upside: not everyone likes pork and this addition to our sausage line fit in nicely.
Downside: the lady who told me I ruined her life by not having them on the day she wanted them. Seriously. People don’t want to be without their favorite sausages, ever.
In addition to meat, I need to decide what cheeses to make for the summer market. Putting aside 20-pound blue cheeses to age longer works well - think about the difference between a 60-day cheddar and a 2-year old cheddar and you get the idea. I’ll do the same to our mountain tommes this year to get more complexity and sharpness out of the wheels.
Upside: larger cheeses reduce labor, this helps hold the cost down.
Downside: heavier to lift, harder to cut into manageable portions.
I have one more week to think about it, but I’m already certain I will carry more Bratwurst, ground pork, and lots of bacon. I’m betting that 2009 will turn out to be all about big flavors, easy to prepare meals, and strong cheeses.
