Cochon 555 Brings More Heritage Pork To Chicago This Sunday

By Melissa McEwen in Food on Apr 7, 2014 6:10PM

The Butcher & Larder's Robb Levitt does a butcher demo at Cochon 555 in 2013. He'll also do one this year. (Minna An, Chicagoist)

Heritage pork cooking tour Cochon 555 returns to Chicago April 13. The event pairs up five chefs with five different heritage pigs and five wineries for a cooking contest. Guests get to enjoy a bounty which includes mountains of pork, Goose Island beer, cocktails, wine, cider, a selection of cheeses from Pastoral, and Jeni's ice cream.

Last year's winner was Cosmo Goss of Publican Quality Meats. This year's contestants are Tim Graham of Travelle, Abraham Conlon of Fat Rice, Giuseppe Tentori of GT Fish & Oyster, Cory Morris of Mercat a la Planxa and Ryan McCaskey of Acadia. The winning chef will compete at the Grand Cochon at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen in June.

Heritage pigs are historical breeds that almost died out when livestock raising was industrialized. Many almost died out, but in the past decade interest from chefs and consumers has led to a heritage pig revival. These pigs have many unique qualities and each brings a different flavor to the table. Many are known for having richer fat and marbling compared to the average grocery store pig. First-time contender Abraham Conlon, who will cook up a Hereford pig from Purely Gourmet says "I’ve been excited about what Cochon 555 has been doing since its inception. Support for ethically and sustainably raised heritage breeds from small producers is something this country needs more of."

Tickets may be purchased here.