MEAT, INC. Wildomar BBQ Competition: Episode 4

Finally Aaron and Cory finish unloading the car. Cory challenges Aaron to a cooler packing competition while testing his patience. Dan Stutts shows up to help with absolutely nothing. Cory learns how to make tags and Aaron struggles with being the best "Barbecue Dad" in the world.

They're just getting started,
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME

Extras. Here you see a little behind the scenes and what I have to deal with. It is a never ending fight for good content.

MEAT, INC. Wildomar BBQ Competition: Episode 3

Aaron and Cory put all of the employees at Smart & Final through hell in order to get them all of the supplies they need. Cory learns the definition of "squeezable mayonnaise". Finally arriving at home, with beers in hand, it takes them forever just to start packing up the ice chest with all of the food they purchase. In the next episode find out if they ever finish unpacking their car.

You never know what's next,
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME

Extras. Here you see a little behind the scenes and what I have to deal with inorder to put out these videos. I get a lot of crap from Aaron Black and Cory Brown of MEAT, Inc.

MEAT, INC. Wildomar BBQ Competition: Episode 2

In this episode I meet up with Cory Brown Captain of Peoples Choice for team Meat, Inc. we catch up with Aaron Black as he gets off work to shop for the rest of the items needed for competition. They run into budget problems as Cory brings out Aaron's lack of patience.

Stay tuned for more Meat, Inc.
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME Extras.

Here you see a little behind the scenes and what I have to deal with inorder to put out these videos. I have to put up with a lot of crap thanks to Aaron Black and Cory Brown of MEAT, Inc.

MEAT, INC. Wildomar BBQ Competition: Episode 1

In this episode I follow Aaron Black; Captain of Meat, Inc. BBQ Team as he prepares for the Wildomar BBQ Competition East vs. West. In this episode we encounter problems with the chicken order and find out that the hero brisket may have been misplaced. Follow along as I show you what goes on deep in the heart of Meat, Inc.

Stay tuned for more Meat, Inc.

Sean Rice

aka MEAT ME

Next week you can find me at the Stagecoach BBQ Competition. I will be giving you an inside scoop on that as well as what it's like to be a judge.

MEAT ME on a Date: X Bar

So like many active singles out on the dating circuit I have run into a select few of the good, the bad, and well… The less fortunate. This again is only my opinion, so it listen up! I have been on dates all over this city. There are a lot of problems one might face when trying to get to know someone.  It’s loud, it’s busy, the seating arrangement creates space between you and the other person. There is nothing on the menu that both of you like, or the food is just BAD.

I may have found just the solution. My current date works in the Westwood/Avenue of the Stars area. Between the UCLA college students and the high brow restaurants, it’s hard to find a place that has just the right food and ambiance to get to know someone. The X Bax found me they are located at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on the Avenue of the Stars. This place is quite, very open, delicious, and most of all the perfect place to sit down and intimately get to know someone.

Last Friday I brought my date in around 5 pm, 30 minutes after they opened. We started off with a Chimay and few appetizers on the menu. She’s not really big on spicy foods so we got the Chicken Lettuce Wrap, Meatball Sliders and took a chance with the Fiery Chicken Morsels. Everything came out looking beautiful not to mention the service was top notch, here it’s all about the details.

We were seated by a large fire pit; while the heaters kept us warm and cozy. We started taking bites of all the food and with out question, it was delicious. I pulled out my microphone to start taking notes about the food, being the profession writer she is, she playfully started poking fun at my description of the chicken – I called it “twangy”. She asked me about the spiciness of the chicken. I gave it a 1 out of 10. She takes a bite and looks at me as if she no longer has feeling in her face. I guess when you are constantly trying food your mouth gets a little used to it.

At this point, aside from setting her mouth a blaze, the date is going pretty well. Even though most dates might get annoyed that you’re taking pictures, tweeting, instagraming, face-booking and constantly making comments on every little thing; she was actually starting to get pretty into it. She started hamming up the role of “I on a date” with a MEAT blogger.

When it came to ordering burgers she went took the healthier route. I went with the, “What are my taste buds going to love” route.  I can say both burgers were equally delicious, if not just as good as some of the best places I’ve eaten at. Now with both of our stomach’s full we got a chance to sit down with the chef Julie Picco and find out what was behind all of this delicious food.

MEAT ME: Is there an overall goal with the menu here at X Bar?

Julie Picco: All of our outlets are California style cuisine. Over here we try to do everything shareable with the exception of our burger. So nothing comes in oversized pieces we try to make it a little fancier than just your average bar food. We have Latin and Asian influence because that is essentially California. Beyond that it’s whatever Chris (Kitchen Head), and I (She runs the kitchen at night) try to collaborate on the menu.

MEAT ME: How often do you guys change the menu? Is it seasonal?

Julie Picco: We were changing it once a year over here, but we leave it vague so we can bring in seasonal ingredients when we feel like it. We were doing specials as well. We changed it about 6 months ago and now we just changed it again, got rid of some items that weren’t selling and switched a few things out. We have been trying to do it about twice a year now.

MEAT ME: I noticed with your Build-A-Burger that you have the Meyer’s Natural Beef. Where are you guys sourcing your beef?

Julie Picco: Meyer’s is the name of a farm. It is a Hyatt standard that they use at all Hyatt hotels. I think it is a company that has naturally raised cattle. It is not just one farm but it’s a company that makes sure all of it’s beef is up to certain standards. Every Hyatt you go to, especially a Regency should have Meyer’s natural angus patties. It is a company wide standard. – The veggie patty we make here with brown rice and beans we didn’t want it to just be a garden burger, which a lot of places do. We do that in house. The other items we switch up when we feel like it, like the King’s Hawaiian bread, that was something we decided to do as a sweet option.

MEAT ME: Yea that was great. That’s what I got, it was my favorite.

Julie Picco: Yea this one we don’t change the menu as much on the other side we change it 4 times a year religiously so seasonality and being local is what we strive for.

MEAT ME: So the Meatball Sliders, how are they made cause I noticed they were very delicious. I was expecting “meatballs” and it was way different?

Julie Picco: Oh yeah. They have been making those meatball sliders since before I even transferred here. We have been making those forever. I think it might have been way back when Chef Manny redid the menu years ago. Chef Manny is amazing, he is the Executive Chef here at the hotel and he has been all of Southern California for a long time. It has 3 meats in it.

MEAT ME: Really? Wow!

Julie Picco: It has veal, pork, and beef. It’s really good, we make them in house in small batches and are simmered in a red sauce. It’s probably one of the least So Cal items on the menu.

MEAT ME: Yea it’s funny you mention that, the only other time I had heard of that was when I was in Mississippi and I met with a USDA approved Halal butcher, Two Run Farms, who prepared special mixtures of ground beef for local restaurants. Each restaurant had their own mixture.  Cause when I read meatball sliders I thought that name was an insult to what I just ate.

Julie Picco: Yea it makes me think of Italian Grandmothers. I am from Chicago and I was like I know this… I understand this.

MEAT ME: Yes we also had the Fiery Chicken Morsels…

Julie Picco: Yes the spicy boneless buffalo wings?

MEAT ME: Yes. (I look to my date) That’s basically what you had called it?

My Date: Yea.

Julie Picco: The fiery ones have always been the most popular, but now we have different flavors. With this last menu change we decided why not give them some other options cause we would have people say, ”I don’t want it to be spicy.”

My Date: One a 1 to 10 spicy scale what would you call this?

Julie Picco: This one for me, our buffalo sauce I would consider to be a 6 or 7. It’s not spicy.

MEAT ME: I was thinking it was a 1 or a 2.

Julie Picco: It’s more salty and vinegary than spicy to me.

My Date: Thank you, that’s what I thought.

Julie Picco: See for me I don’t like buffalo wing’s, I am not a buffalo wing person. I like a milder heat. We have our Chipotle BBQ which is actually pretty spicy, and then we have our Garlic Herb which is for the “lover” of non spicy foods. It’s light.

MEAT ME: It was very good and then we had the Chicken Wraps.

Julie Picco: Yeah, the Chicken Lettuce Wraps, we had them on the menu last time as a cold item and it just didn’t sell. So we had them heat up the chicken and add a few mushrooms, which keep it moist. Yea we changed it up, we try and change up everything when we can. Our Tacos are really popular too.

MEAT ME: So what is your favorite item on the menu?

Julie Picco: Mine?

MEAT ME: If you had friends in town visiting, what are you making for them?

Julie Picco: If I got friends coming in I am making the Sausage Brocollini Flatbread, that’s a new one that I think is really great. I also really like the Short Rib Taco’s, I am a big fan of them.

MEAT ME: Damn it’s really hard to get everything. I guess I’ll have to come back on another date.

Julie Picco: Yea you can’t order everything that’s totally understandable. Oh, and the Pork Belly Crostini’s. They are really good. We never really put any pork on the menu, we had pressure to put this on there… We get in the whole pork belly with the skin on, then we braise it in hard cider, and then regular apple cider, spices and all of that good stuff. Then we take the skin off and make it in to Cracklin.

MEAT ME: That’s what I thought.

Julie Picco: Yes so the bottom is still soft and sliceable and we slice that and warm it up in a sauce so you can eat it. It hasn’t been selling because people don’t understand it, but it is really good. Everybody here wanted it on the menu.

MEAT ME: I always recommend pictures. Sushi Restaurants have it down. How do you explain a California Roll to someone who has never had one? That usually does the trick.

Julie Picco: Yea we have been trying to figure out a way to explain it to people, may be we just need a giant poster up on the wall.

Now back to my date, I wanted to find out how I did and if bringing her to the X Bar met her expectations.

MEAT ME: So what did you think of the X Bar?

My Date: It is fabulous, wonderful experience, so happy I came (she blushes and laughs). What? What am I supposed to say?

MEAT ME: Compared to other places I have taken you to… Would you recommend it to someone as a good date place?

My Date: Hummmm. I mean you are asking the wrong person…

MEAT ME: We’re on a date? Right?

My Date: (laughs) Haha. Yea, I guess I would. I am not the best person to ask. Dating? I mean lets go shoot some things, or vandalize stuff so something like that is an AWESOME date.

MEAT ME: So compared to the extreme dates I have taken you on, how does this compare? On a mediocre level…

My Date: Yes, on an average human level? It’s an 8… May be? On a scale of 10.

MEAT ME: Really?

My Date: Yeah! It’s nice, it’s very pretty, it’s not cold, it’s spacious. The music is not too loud. It’s not like obnoxious, R&B, Little Wayne bumping in the background it’s like actual music. So that’s exciting. Everyone is really nice, that works here, customer service is A+.

MEAT ME: So what did you think of the chicken wrap?

My Date: I thought it was really good. It was my favorite?

MEAT ME: How did you like the lettuce?

My Date: (Laughs, smiles) Crisp and green.

MEAT ME: What about the Fiery Chicken Morsels?

My Date: I thought it was quite “Fiery”. Spicy.

MEAT ME: What about the taste?

My Date: (Laughs) It tasted like successfully made chicken wings without the bones.

MEAT ME: Really?

My Date: Yea.

MEAT ME: It was like a party in your mouth?

My Date: Yea it was “twangy”. (She mocks me)

MEAT ME: What a great description!!! That is brilliant!!! (I return the mock) You should be a writer.

My Date: Funny you should say that…

MEAT ME: (we laugh) What did you think of the Meatball Sliders?

My Date: I didn’t have any but based on your reaction I would say they were delicious.

MEAT ME: Would you like to try a cold one, and not judge the temperature? Were you intimidated?

My Date: I forgot. I had all that food and my burger, so I am full now.

MEAT ME: You know what? We’ll skip it. What did you think of your burger?

My Date: It was good. It was MEAT like. (Laughs) It was a successful hamburger! I mean they didn’t fuck it up… I don’t know what you want me to say? (Laughs)

MEAT ME: That was a great description!

My Date: I mean it wasn’t over cooked or under cooked. Bread was fluffy. (Laughs)

MEAT ME: You got excited, but didn’t climax?

My Date: Exactly! Pretty much. The fries were really good, and delicious.

MEAT ME: Would you recommend this place to someone else for a date?

My Date: Yes I would.

MEAT ME: Well, did you at least enjoy your date?

My Date: I mean aside from the guy that was on the date, who was totally retarded.... He kept drooling all over me... (Chuckles & smiles)

MEAT ME: All right. This is ALL totally going be in the post.

My Date: (Laughs out loud and smiles) Other than him, it was totally a great place to go on a date.

There you heard it. Right from the source, I am a trophy as well as wonderful food companion. I would consider this a success I was not physically harmed, the police weren’t called, and I still have not received a restraining order. I would consider myself lucky. She’s a comic, she’s endearing, she’s a profound intellect and not to mention the obvious… She’s stunningly beautiful.

I am no master, but if you want to make it easier on yourself and eliminate half the problems you might face on a date, I would take them to the X Bar.

You can check out X Bar at the Hyatt Regency in Los Angeles at http://www.xbarla.com/index.html

Live, Love, Eat MEAT,
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME

MEAT as Art: KickStarter Project

Being a huge fan of MEAT as well as someone who can't go a day without even thinking about it. I bring you A Dollar a Pound - MEAT as Art - February 2013 Exhibit: KickStarter Project. This is art by Gregory Dane Sabin featuring MEAT. He needs your support and donations. You can go to this LINK to check it out or see below.

Exhibit scheduled for February 2013, exhibiting my most recent series of meat themed paintings. Beauty & brutality, all in one exhibit.

I have an exhibit secured for February 2013 -  the location will be announced as soon as the date is confirmed. I'm proud to be showing my recent paintings in a premier butcher shop in Los Angeles. Yes, that's right. My exhibit will be in a butcher shop. I felt that a gallery setting was far too sterile for this body of work.

My paintings are inspired my the classic still lifes of Rembrandt, that included freshly butchered meat, fowl and the like, as well as French painter Chaim Soutine. Most recently, Francis Bacon, the master of raw brutality, has been a huge influence.

Although several paintings have been completed, there is much more to be done in the next few weeks, and I am requesting sponsorship to obtain costly additional supplies and canvas, framing materials, and general promotion of the exhibit and the opening reception, i.e., printed postcards, postage, etc.

Thank for your sponsorship consideration!

Gregory Dane Sabin

RISKS AND CHALLENGES Learn about accountability on Kickstarter

My biggest challenge with this exhibit will be the physical display of my work. The butcher shop that is hosting this exhibit has limited wall space, so the challenge will be to design special framing so that the paintings can hang from the ceiling. After the reception, the paintings will be exhibited for several weeks, so they need to be easily viewed, but as the same time not interfere with the day to day business of this very busy retail space.

In the mean time... Hang tight and I will have more MEAT content for you in the New Year

Happy New Year,
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME

Harry Soo's Barbecue 101 Class: An Overview

If you have come to this blog post in hopes of learning all of Harry Soo's secrets... You are going to be disappointed. You still have to take his class. I'm just giving you an in depth look into what I enjoyed and a summary of all of the information that Harry covers. 

I love to BBQ, I am no professional by any means but I do like to consider myself an avid novice. One day I make amazing ribs that I would compare to some of the top 10 I have tasted at competitions; and some days it's bland undercooked mishmash. I have seen and been told some of the best ways to BBQ by the best teams in the US and I still can't get it right. I try to BBQ when I can but like many of you, I still struggle with consistency in my final product. 

I think of it like bowling; it looks like you're just rolling a ball down a lane. How hard can it be, right? You won't know until you try it. This is one of the aspects that I enjoyed about Harry Soo's class. It's very hands on. Your not just watching him do it, you get to try it yourself with real time feed back. 

The class cost $349 per student for each class, so Harry squeezes in tons of information. You meet at 7:45 am at his home and are there till about 3 to 5 pm. You can't put a time on BBQ, it's done when it's done. Here is a list of what Harry covers in his class:

How to light a fire
How to make your own rubs and sauces
How to prepare chicken, ribs, pork, brisket, and tri-tip
How to prepare injections and marinades
Detailed instructions on cooking methods
Equipment and Accessories
Overview of BBQ contests and judging
Cooking long-haul Brisket and Pork Butts
Cooking spareribs, St. Louis Ribs, and Baby Back Ribs
Cooking Tri-Tip Santa Maria Style
Cooking Half Chickens and Chicken Thighs
Cooking Sausages and Links
Answering your grilling and BBQ problems and questions
Certificates and Conclusion

What's special thing about Harry is no matter where he is, he is always experimenting. Today Harry smoked a red wattle pig raised at Cooks Pig Ranch - one of the pig producers featured right here on MEAT ME. Raised locally and supplied to nearby restaurants and cooks like Harry Soo.

This particular class, we had the opportunity to be joined by Harry's fiancé, Donna, from the Professional BBQ Team "Butcher's Daughter". Along with Harry's expertise, we got to hear Donna's technique on the same process. Here Donna talks about temperature and what type of bark color to look for.

Harry goes over the details of what to look for when smoking a whole hog on a Daniel Boone Deluxe Pellet Smoker. He is giving away this particular model on his site. I would look for it on his giveaways page.

After discussing different types of smokers Harry goes over the specifics of barbecue safety and food handeling. Harry gets right into it with how to make the perfect rub to use on your meats.

After a quick taste test, we're off to sampling different sauces that Harry uses with his barbecuing and how each effects the final flavor.

Without missing a beat we are mixing the injection we will be using on both the brisket and pork butt. Since the brisket takes longer to smoke than the class allows we check in on one that was started the night before to get an understanding of where your bark is at and what to look for when it's finished.

Before injecting the meats, Harry discusses the different ways to trim the 2 meats; one that he would recommend for backyard smoking and one that he uses in competition.

Once the injections are mixed and sampled we each take turns injecting each piece of meat so we know exactly what to look for when we are do it on our own. Harry has a list of recommended products to use on his website which help with the learning curve.

After injections, it is time to start applying the rub to the meat. Harry covers the various ways in which to apply the rub as well as what to avoid. We all take turns using Harry's technique.

Donna is working on a special lamb recipe that she is using for a competition where you aren't allowed to use any modern day products. I don't mind the extra meat. I'll take whatever I can get. It was delicious.

You can't barbecue without a fire. Harry covers that too. From the type of coals and wood to keeping the fire burning for a whole 16 - 18 hours.

Once the meat is prepped it is ready to go on the the Weber Smokey Mountain where he talks about various ways of keeping the fire up to temperature.

The brisket is ready to be wrapped so everyone takes turns using Harry's technique. Sauce the meat, then wrap it. You have to make sure to keep the air out.

Trimming spare ribs is done in a very specific manner. Each person gets a chance to cut as well as remove the membrane.

Tri-Tip not to be confused with Bi-Tip (just kidding - there's no such thing) is then smoked differently with a piece of wood on the grill as opposed to a traditional smoker.

Harry and Donna have different styles of trimming chicken and they both show you the right way. There is no wrong way - each is unique to the cook.

After everyone gets a chance to cut chicken, it's time to season and prepare it to go in the smoker.

The epic pig is done and delicious. Stuffed from head to toe - it really is a delicious treat.

Harry also sears up some sashimi grade tuna, that is also seasoned with the rub we created at the beginning of the day. After preparing all that food it is finally time to eat.

Delicious and perfectly cooked try-tip side by side with some pork butt. Harry makes sure everyone taste the "Money Muscle"!

Brisket, done! I always look for the jiggle test. Shake the table and if the top of the brisket moves in the opposite direction of the bottom, 9 times out of 10 it's perfect.

The chicken is done and ready to be sauced, along with the ribs.

Finally after all that information we stuff our faces and talk shop about what we just learned compared to what we thought we knew.

It's official: my Certificate Of Completion. I did it! Now lets see if I can put it to good use. That will come next month.

As you can see, everyone in the class is pretty happy with their barbecue experience. Harry covers so much information it's impossible to write it all down. He does supply you with a note book that contains all the information that he covers in the class. When ever there is subjective material, he does expect you to write down what your prefer.

All in all, it was a pretty awesome class and when I was finished I was pretty overwhelmed with all the information I had just taken in. If I had any criticism it would be that Harry covers too much information in a barbecue 101 class, but then again I am sure if he covered less people would complain that were wasn't enough.

People come from all over to take his class so he has to make it worth it. One man rode out from Maryland on a motorcycle so you know his class is to be taken seriously.

You can find out more about Harry Soo's class at: http://www.slapyodaddybbq.com/classes-2/

DON'T MISS OUT! The first week of October is the American Royal and I will be doing a traveling documentary with El Fuego Fiasco as they embark on thier first trip out to Kansas City, MS. I will be launching videos and photos daily with exciting updates.

Look out - for what I believe - to be one of the most exciting adventures to hit MEAT ME!

Barbecue is No Joke!
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME

Cook Pigs Ranch - Fallbrook, CA

It is very exciting to find out a products origin. We marvel in the history of the United States and how we came to be this great nation because of the sacrifice of so many people. There is one thing that we have always needed to conquer freedom’s challenges - and that is food. Thousands of years have been spent evolving the best practices for raising and processing food.

When I sit down and enjoy my delicious bacon, my mind wanders how an animal like the pig evolved into such a wonderful delight. It takes several variables to make it all come together so it can be the ideal flavor of perfection. Krystian Cook of Cook Pigs Ranch took it upon herself to breed, feed, and process the red wattle pig until it becomes mouth-watering perfection. With 2 young boys and a military husband who is often deployed, fighting for our freedom, she’ll find herself in 6 inches of mud at 5:30 in the morning pushing around 800 pounds of pig, feeding her obsession of “Pork Perfection”.

While in San Diego this last weekend I got the opportunity to drop by Cook Pigs Ranch and met Mike and Krystina Cook. They recently got into the business of producing the rare red wattle pig for consumption at local businesses. There is nothing I love more than a meaty rack of ribs or a nice juicy pork chop but when I find out that it is raised by a local farmer, a military wife and mother; each bite I take carries so much more appreciation and meaning. The endless hours that are put in to create each perfect bite become more of an “ode to this great nation” than a method of edible nutrition.

Small pig farms are rare due to the fact that they are so expensive to run. Most farmers find themselves driving hundreds of miles every week just to go to slaughter not to mention the time it takes to deliver each order to their customers. I got a chance to meet Krystina and find out just how crazy you have to be to take on such a challenge while carrying her family on her back:

MEAT ME: So where are we exactly?

Krystina Cook: Fallbrook, California at Cook Pigs Ranch.

We started everything here. I totally would have never thought I would be doing this… I’m from Los Angeles.

MEAT ME: Where bouts?

Krystina Cook: Calabasas. I grew up in old Calabasas so there was a horse community but we didn’t have wildlife. My husband is a huge hunter so when we moved here we decided we were going to have 2 pigs and use them for meat. Family friends also wanted fresh pork. My Dad let us know that it was illegal - you can’t just sell pork from your house; you need to go to the USDA and etc.

I started looking into it and got really obsessed with pigs. Not only did I love raising them but the idea of being at home with my kids and being able to do this on the side - it took off. I realized that we were in a niche that nobody else in San Diego was doing it. Lefty produces North of Los Angeles but there is no one else.

MEAT ME: So who are you currently supplying to?

Krystina Cook: Right now we have a few contracts we haven’t even supplied yet because we are still in the beginning part of the process. We are going to supply Delicious Restaurant in Rancho Santa Fe and Quero Restaurant in San Diego. Next week we are giving out 1,300 pounds of pork samples and we have a bunch of meetings so we’ll see about that. There is another place called Sunrise Ranch here in San Diego. They have a farmers market and they do our type of set up but they market the pork as their own. We plan on selling our processed pork to them. We also have a few prospects in Los Angeles that we plan on selling to once we get into full production.

MEAT ME: So is your goal to supply hogs to restaurants locally?

Krystina Cook: Yes. There are several high-end chain restaurants in Palm Desert that plan on buying from us. Temecula has 3 different wineries that want to buy from us. It’s just a long list that we are trying to keep up to date as we are expanding.

MEAT ME: I am guessing that your ranch has to be USDA inspected?

Krystina Cook: No because our process does not fall under USDA. We bring them to a USDA facility. We do exactly what Lefty (of ReRide Ranch) does.

MEAT ME: What does he do?


Krystina Cook: He goes all the way up to Modesto, California to have his hogs processed. I go to Santa Paula. There is a brand new USDA facility there which is a very small family run business. We already have a contract with them in place. I haul the pigs to him every week. He does complete custom orders, whatever I want which is typically skin on. I like to sell the whole hog. I get it delivered by a company that has a licensed refrigerated truck and it goes directly to the chefs. The concern with delivering using my truck is that the mileage would add up. It’s a long drive from here.

MEAT ME: So you’re going to slaughter once a week?

Krystina Cook: Yes. Eventually it will be a consistent once a week.

MEAT ME: So once a pig is born, what is the typical life cycle?

Krystina Cook: We do a really slow feed program, which is 14 months. We don’t feed them anything conventional. We feed them with avocados, beer mash, left over fruits and vegetables from left over produce. I go to different CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture). They’ll call me up and let me know they have a truck load of lettuce. I go and pick it up and give it to the pigs. Their diet is very organic. It’s macrobiotic in that sense it comes from trees that are producing fruit and macadamia nuts locally.

When I developed the business model or method I asked myself, “Why would anyone want to buy a pig from me when they can go to the supermarket and buy from there?” What’s the difference? One of the big differences is commodity pigs are grain fed. It’s like McDonald’s. I started researching all of the ways you can raise pork and I found Ibérico pigs in Spain that are milk and whey fed and finished with acorns. I thought that would be really cool. It’s actually really hard to just give them milk cause you wash out the flavor and wash out the meat. They have to have a really specific way of doing it.

In Hawaii, the University of Hawaii funded a program for all the local restaurants and farmers to feed their pigs with really green produce. Due to limited space, the hogs were housed indoors, but because of what they were fed there was little to no smell of excrement. The healthy diet reduced their levels of ammonia and methane. They were so delicious they were selling them for $10 per pound. Not to mention their feed cost was almost nothing.

So that’s where I got the macrobiotic diet for wild pigs, only fattier than a wild pig so you get a great fat cap and that’s where we started our business model. It has just taken off. We are constantly in talks with farmers trying to get great produce in. Sprouts will sometimes give us their produce.

MEAT ME: What would you say is the average cost per pig?

Krystina Cook: That depends. If we are short on food then I have to go out and buy hay and the nuts. We do grow macadamia nuts here but not enough to feed the pigs. I don’t know because it is such a variable cost.

MEAT ME: A lot of farmers that I speak to that are producing to supply locally aren’t raking in the dough. Most of them are barley breaking even. Is that where you find yourself?

Krystina Cook: Right now. Yes. My entire family is invested in this now. Now I don’t think that will be the case in the next 3 years. I think we’ll be successful once we have consistent contracts and stick with our business model and local leftover produce.

If you look on line, some of the most successful businesses are in Henderson, Las Vegas because they are getting the leftovers from casinos. Making unbelievable money, but they do indoor commercial.

Mike Cook: It’s a pretty gross operation.

Krystina Cook: Right now we’re just breaking even. If Mike wasn’t working full time and didn’t have a career then we couldn’t do this. Pigs become exactly what they eat. Let me show you our pigs.

Mike Cook: It’s funny they think our fat dog is their leader. Sometimes he’ll go into the pen and they’ll clean him; his ears and everything else.

MEAT ME: Wow! Your pigs are very photogenic, have they modeled before?

Krystina Cook: (Laughs) I take a lot of pictures.

MEAT ME: So what types of pigs are these?

Krystina Cook: They are red wattles which is a heritage breed pig. They are almost extinct. You see those huge wattles hanging off of their face? Most of ours have wattles and some of them are mixed. That’s our big difference here most farmers don’t do wattles in Southern California. The closest person that does red wattles is on the border of Oregon. Their meat is like a rib eye. Its dark red meat and the fat cap is about 3 inches thick. They are definitely a fat pig. They are not a lean pig so if you want a lean pig they are not your friend. It’s delicious and perfectly marbled but they do need to be pastured. These are not commercial pigs.

MEAT ME: These 3 pens are…..?

Krystina Cook: This is our maternity ward. In fact we have a fourth pen that connects. You can see where all the water runs down on our property. We lost about 20 piglets this winter, maybe more, from the mud. They have to stay at 90 degrees when they are born and if they get cold or stuck in the mud, they die. I came out here one morning it looked like a massacre. So we decided to move them to the concrete. We keep it hosed down and really hygienic. We have a better mortality rate. The middle pig “Unknown” is nursing because all of her babies died and that’s the only one left. Wilma is due on Friday.

Over here is our breeding stock. Right now we have one boar. We have bought 2 more. So each boar will have its’ own space and we’ll rotate the females in and out. This is Dorthy. She’s also due the week after next.

MEAT ME: How long is the birthing cycle on a pig?

Krystina Cook: 3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days. (made me think of the 3 little pigs) Really fast production.

MEAT ME: What is the average littler?

Krystina Cook: Ours with these crosses are pretty big; usually 12-14. They have a quick turn around time. Three days after they stop nursing they can get pregnant. We don’t turn them that quickly. We give them time to let their milk dry up and move them away from the babies.

We have already purchased 20 more breeding stock that a farmer is holding for us until we move. We’ll have about 30 sows and 3 boars. If they only produce 10 a litter, we are talking about 300 or so pigs per year.

We have a mix of pure red wattles and duroc crosses but most of them are original red wattles. Once we move, all of our animals will be pastured on half to one acre of land each. Each pen, a toddler pen, a butcher pen, and the sow pen will each have a half to one acre.

MEAT ME: What is a typical day for you?

Krystina Cook: Wake up at 5:30-6 every morning because my boys HATE to sleep! Get them breakfast and out to feed everyone by 730ish. We spend 2 hours in the mud getting dirty cleaning pens and feeding. Then I do "normal" mom stuff.. Play dates, errands, swimming etc. During that time we also pick up feed and I do marketing and business calls for the ranch. We get home, unload the feed and spend another 1-2 hours feeding and cleaning and of course getting dirty as hell! Then it's dinner time, serious bath time, bed time, and if Mike is home, whiskey and beer time!

MEAT ME: How often does Mike get deployed?

Krystina Cook: Mike and I have been through 3 deployments prior to having kids and marriage. He was on shore duty (un-deployable) for 3 years and has seen both boys born and growing up to be the crazies that they are! He will be gone all the time during the next 4-5 years. He will be deployed in August for 9-10 months then will be home for 10 months and then gone again.  When Mike is home, honestly, everything is better, like more complete, but not easier. I never view things as being hard or easy it's just life and it always will have its ups and downs. I do feel for my boys. They are at the age where they get it and are affected by his absence.

MEAT ME: What are some of the challenges you face as a military wife when Mike is deployed?

Krystina Cook: Changing out plumbing, moving pigs around by myself, having two sick kids and having pigs in labor, picking up feed when my kids are so spent from driving around all day, maintaining the yard. Pretty much everything is challenging without him. But I stay up late and get up early to get it all done.

MEAT ME: What advise would you have for other women out there that are thinking about starting their own hog farm?

Krystina Cook: Yeah! Don't do it! You know, when we started this, I met a woman from Anza that does hogs with her hubs, and she said “I hope you have good insurance because you will need to be admitted to a mental hospital!” I didn't get it then but I do now! It's insane the amount of work I (as a farmer) put in everyday along with maintaining my kids’ sanity and happiness. But honestly, I love it. I mean like passionately am obsessed with it. Sort of like an oil painting I guess (Krystina is a Fine Arts major and as a Masters in Art Therapy/MFT).  What I mean by that is it’s all a masterpiece in work and it's a slow progress but the more you look at things and manipulate it, the more beautiful it becomes. I guess my form of art now is the pigs. They make me happy and I love seeing the finished product which is as beautiful as the live product!

My only advice to anyone is to follow your dreams. Follow them with a vengeance because no one can define your own happiness. Only you can. Life is short so make shit happen. Don’t feel bad for yourself or live in sorrow because then you’re just stagnant and life moves; so go with it. That's what I do everyday and I'm so lucky because I found a partner in my life who lets me do that and does the same. I guess there is no advice for just female or mom farmers. It's just to do what makes you whole and happy and this is the lifestyle that does that for me. It's my own therapy.

So who’s up for the challenge? I am. I can’t imagine what kind of person it takes to be able to do all of that - Obviously a very powerful and amazing woman with a huge amount of guts and passion. There are only 2 small local farms in Southern California (that I know of) so it sounds like there’s a lot of opportunity and innovation to be had by the Cook Pigs Ranch. I wish them the best of luck and have the greatest respect for what Krystina and Mike are accomplishing.

You can check out Cook Pigs Ranch website at: http://www.cookpigs.com/

I would like to thank them for their time and welcoming me on to their ranch. I have so much respect for the people who fight to protect this great nation, so with that THANK YOU MIKE and Godspeed!

Written and photographed by Sean Rice,  Edited by Aaron Black (Meat Inc.)


Respect the MEAT!
Sean Rice
Aka MEAT ME