Last week marked one year since a TCU professor in an entrepreneurship class changed my life. That, plus a tiny tap from a sledgehammer wielded by the Big Guy upstairs is what finally got my attention and toppled my corporate career before it ever had a chance to start. Then and there, I determined to trade my Brooks Bros suit for a butcher’s apron and I promised myself I was going to be the best butcher I could be.
Not to sound haughty or arrogant, but if a guy is going to dream, he better dream big, right?
To be the best would mean I had to go back to square one to learn the craft. It meant tracking down the foremost butchers in the world and learning directly from them. Not only did I need to learn the lost art of butchery but also I needed to understand nose to tail philosophies, sustainable and humane practices, as well as the ubiquitous knife skills for primal and sub-primal cuts.
To keep myself focused and on track, I decided to keep my goals close to me. I wanted to look at them every day, especially on days when things weren’t going so well. I decided to list my goals and to keep them under my hat. Literally, inside my old Stetson, I have written:
- Brooklyn, New York( This represents Fleisher's Butcher School and the first leg of my journey)
- Gascony, France(The 2nd leg of my journey to study charcuterie with the masterful, Kate Hill)
- Panzano, Italy(An apprenticeship with 8th generation butcher, Dario Cechini - the rock star among butchers)
- Lima, Peru(An apprenticeship with Renzo Garibaldi – the Meat Prophet of Peru)
- Patagonia(To learn the art of outdoor, Argentinian cooking from one of the world’s great chefs, Francis Mallmann)
Then at the very center of the crown, I added an appropriate scripture for my journey:
It is written, “ Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word from the mouth of God.
Perfect, don’t you think?
Endnote: I'm not certain if any or all of these masters will even take me on as an apprentice, but I'm going to give it a shot knowing God has everything under control. I've trusted Him this far and I know He's not going to leave me hanging out on a limb. My work is to be patient and trust in His timing.
I am so blessed to be able to follow my dreams, none of which would be possible without the loving support of my family, so please follow along here at rawrepublicmeats.com or through my Instagram or Facebook sites.
I don’t speak a word of French or Italian so I’m sure this might be interesting at best!
Photo credit: Mitchell Franz Photo