Cosentino - Offal good: cooking with heart, guts, and all the rest

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Tatiana, we met when I was a young, overly eager cook with outsized dreams. You introduced me to sushi, the absolute decadent pleasure of eating a ripe, raw heirloom tomato, and cultured me with museums, nurturing a deep connection I didnt even know I had to classic and contemporary art. But the most important thing was how you taught me to understand how to fit things into a larger context, revealing my own place in the world. After coming into my own as a chef, I realized I really wanted to write a book on offal, but I had no idea where to begin. For years, people and publishers denied the idea, but you, ever supportive, worked with me to shape a proposal, even while bickering over my grammar and poorly written recipes. You helped me find my voice and follow the original vision wed begun discussing nearly a decade ago, setting the course for what this book has become. Thank you, Tatiana. Without your help I would still be struggling to tell my story. Your love and support makes me feel lucky every day, challenging me to be the best husband I can be for you.

To Easton, my awesome, kind, and cool son, I love making ham burgers with you and Im so proud of the young man youre becoming. Being your father is the most important job Ive ever had.

To my mother, Susan, thanks for your love and support, even though I know you would sooner kiss a Yeti than to eat offal. I love you, Mom.

Michael, you have been with me on this journey for ten years shooting photos, and then, somehow, I roped you into writing this with me. Thank you for your boundless optimism, loyalty, and belief in this project from day one. You are a great friend and I couldnt have done this without you.

To Sammy Jo, thank you for being my second set of eyes. Youre a strong and confident cook, and so naturally translated my style for the page.

To Alexa, you made the dishes look great on camera while still looking like real food. Thank you.

Jeremy Fish, thank you for your friendship and amazing artwork, you are keepin SF real!

Francis Lam, my editor, you got this book by default, but with composure and class, you saw it through, and I thank you for putting together something Im so proud of.

Mark Pastore, thank you for letting me cook all these cuts of meat at Incanto without the fear of people being scared. We truly changed the world one head to tail at a time.

Mark Miller, I owe you a debt of gratitude for the many history lessons on food. You are a great teacher and an amazing friend. To the greats: Jean Louis Paladin, I constantly go back to when you said, cook for your guest, not the reviewer, and everything will work. Rosalie Cosentino, my great-grandmother who inspired it all, I would not be the chef I am today without those days standing on a chair making pasta. Pierre Kaufmann, for teaching me to debone trotters at La Tante Claire. Marco Pierre White, for inspiring me to be myself and slamming a door in my face when I tried to stage at Harveys. Harold McGee, for always answering my crazy questions about food and helping me when I was stuckwithout you, the food world would never have evolved as quickly.

I would like to thank all the past staff of Incanto for their hard work and dedication, you all know who you are. Thanks to the team at Boccalone, past and present, for making such delicious cured meats. And to my team at Cockscomb, for sticking with me in pursuit of not only great food, but also believing in what we cook. I am proud of each and every one of you. Stand strong and remember nothing is impossible. Jeremy Emmerson, my secret weapon, thanks for always being there, you really are the best!

Thanks, in no particular order, to this group of industry standouts: Fergus Henderson, Derek Dammann, Jamie Bissonette, Staffan Terje, Matt Jennings, Traci Des Jardins (my chef mom), Martin Picard, April Bloomfield, David Chang, Francis Derby, Ed Lee, Alex Stupak, Sean Brock, Fred Morin and Dave McMillan, Daniel Boulud, Anthony Bourdain, Jos Andrs, Paul Cunningham, Mario Batali, Andrew Zimmern, Rene Redzepi, and Chris Ying. You all play a significant role in my life; your friendship, candor, and care means everything to me. To all the chefs past and present for the constant inspiration and friendships, there are too many of you to call out, but thanks for having my back or stabbing it.

To all my great farmers and ranchers without whom I would have nothing: Andy Griffin of Marquita Farms for your friendship and your exemplary produce, Jim Reichart of Liberty Ducks, Cream Co. Meats for your amazing heritage beef, Hamada Farms for your delicious fruits, Poli Yerena of Yerena Farms for the best of berries, and Don Watson of Napa Valley Lamb.

My business partner, Oliver Wharton, thanks for always pushing me to do more. Were an odd couple, but it works. To Zach Field, my agent, thanks for being a thoughtful navigator. Phillip Baltz and the Baltz team, thank you for the constant encouragement and direction. And, finally, to Dr. Heung, Im so grateful to you for getting my guts back on track, so I could have the guts to write this book about guts.

SOURCES

Boccalone

boccalone.com

For all of your cured-meat needs. Yes, I know its my company, but I think we do a good job.

Butcher & Packer

butcher-packer.com

Sausage casings of all sizes, curing salts, and specialty equipment

The Butchers Guild

thebutchersguild.org

A great source to help you find good butchers in your area who can provide quality meat and offal cuts

Casa de Case

casadecase.com

Amazing olive oils, vinegars, dried beans, and a lot of specialty Italian ingredients

Cayson Designs

caysondesigns.com

They make the best chef coats and aprons around.

Cockscomb

cockscombsf.com

And yes, this is my restaurant too. But if you see an organ you like and you dont feel like cooking it, be sure to stop by. I might be serving it tonight.

Cream Co.

eatcream.co

Lots of specialty beef and pork, as well as offal cuts: udder, liver, heart, oh my!!

DArtagnan

dartagnan.com

A great source for game birds, head and feet on birds, foie gras, and a lot of unique parts

Don Watson and Napa Valley Lamb

woolyweeders.com

Don is my go-to for all things lamb. Not only is the product delicious, he is an amazing human.

Fresca Italia

frescaitalia.com

Italian cheeses, cured tuna heart, and so much more

Jacobsen Sea Salt

jacobsensalt.com

Highest quality American-made sea salts, including smoked, vanilla, and regular flake salt; they also sell top-notch kosher salt

Liberty Farm Ducks

libertyducks.com

Jim Reichart is the best of the best; his ducks are amazing and delicious.

National Pork Board

porkfoodservice.org

Their website has a lot of great information for professionals and interested home cooks.

Offalgood

offalgood.com

My website is a source for all things fun about offal and what I have going on.

Williams Sonoma

williams-sonoma.com

For serving utensils, and some harder-to-find kitchenware, this is your place.

THE
ORGANS

ONLY A GENERATION AGO, EVEN IN OUR CITIES, THE WHOLE BEEF OR PORK OR LAMB CARCASS WAS DISSECTED BEFORE THE EYES OF THE HOUSEWIFE BY HER LOCAL BUTCHER, AND OUR MANY FARM FAMILIES DID THE JOB THEMSELVES.FEW AMERICANS ANY LONGER RECOGNIZE, THEREFOREMUCH LESS EATTHE FULL RANGE OF EDIBLE PRODUCTS EVEN OUR MOST COMMON FOOD ANIMALS CAN SUPPLY, AND GASTRONOMIC POSSIBILITIES NECESSARILY BECOME MORE LIMITED FOR THE AVERAGE AMERICAN FAMILY.

CALVIN W. SCHWABE, UNMENTIONABLE CUISINE,