--butchers' everyday claims
When the Meat Hook opened in November 2009, I had no idea what to expect and was worried it was going to be a frou-frou hipster enclave -- that I wouldn't belong, that I wouldn't know what to buy, and that I wouldn't know how to cook it. These concerns couldn't have been farther from the truth.
Butchers Tom, Ben, and Brent welcomed all customers with smiles and free sausage samples. I forget what I purchased on that first visit, but I kept coming back for more: pork chops for crunchy baked pork chops, chopped meat for gwumpki, chicken wings for the Super Bowl, and so on. Sure, the prices aren't cheap, but the meat's delicious and comes from grass-fed animals raised on local farms. And you won't get better service elsewhere.
Unbeknownst to me at the time, Tom's a big guy in the Brooklyn foodie scene; moreover the group has gotten a lot of press, but you'd never guess from their total lack of ego. Since they're so generous with advice and sausage, I've dropped off extra gwumpki a handful of times and popped in one Friday with a bottle of Jack Daniel's just for the hell of it. (Note to future groupies: They prefer Wild Turkey 101.) In turn, they've let me know about secret goings-on, shared even more whiskey with me after taking a cooking class, and invited me and a guest to Meat and Gin night free of charge. When I walked in, Odessey and Oracle by the Zombies was playing -- you'll always hear good music -- and Tom and James Moreland from Bombay Sapphire lead us through three pairings. I argued about the proper gin for a martini with James, who taught the class that British bartenders count in "elephants," not "Mississippis," and praised Tom's sirloin, which can put Peter Luger out of business. I left happily drunk with a liter of gin and a special project from Tom.
They've got a great sense of humor and are also open to feedback. When they first tried making kielbasa, it was a failure: too fatty and not enough "smokey." After a few other versions, they've perfected the taste but not the consistency. Though most customers go for their inventive sausage, which tastes exactly how it's described (bacon cheeseburger, bahn mi, and the new-ish scallion and sesame -- stir-fry in casing!), my personal favorite is '90s Man, a nice simple blend of chicken and herbs. I recently explained to Tom why I go for that one above others: it doesn't have the usual 70-30 lean-to-fat ratio their other sausages have, and I dislike the greasiness of the fat when cooking and eating. He suggested I have an edible complex: I grew up on kielbasa, so I'll always go for leaner meat. You can't find such accurate psychoanalysis at your local grocery store!
Encouraged by a co-worker who is not only a sideshow performer but also a barbecue judge, I took a pig-butchering class, learned all the cuts of pork -- even a secret one -- and appreciate these guys even more than before: They spend hours practicing a labor-intensive art, then they do it again and spiel about it. Here's Tom tenderizing ham:
Tom Demonstrates a Tenderizing Technique, originally uploaded by masto.
The Meat Hook and its butchers (I can't call them "men" anymore, since Sarah recently joined the ranks) are another reason to love Greenpoint, even if the store's technically located in Williamsburg. They always make my day when I visit, and Wild Turkey's the least I can do.
You can sign up for their next pig-butchering class here, get tips from Tom here and here, and learn how to cook the perfect medium-rare steak. Follow their adventures on Twitter too.
