Grand Cochon's Massive Pork Blowout Is Coming To Chicago Next Month

By Stephen Gossett in Food on Sep 14, 2017 7:50PM

Grand Cochon

Fans of delicious, meaty excess are likely already happily familiar with Cochon555, the pork-stained blowout that rounds up some of the city's best chefs to create heritage-pork dishes, in one of gloriously gluttonous competition. But Cochon555 is just regional prologue to the annual Grand Cochon, where winners from 14 cities gather for the ultimate title of “King or Queen of Pork." This year, the final bracket goes down in Chicago for the first time ever, and you can be a part of the grand-prize glory.

Literally hundreds of pounds of heritage pork will be served up, with 30 celebrity chefs making the final decree. Including Chicago's 2017 winner, Chef Ricardo Jarquin of Travelle Kitchen + Bar, each of the 14 chefs will come up with at least three heritage-breed bites, taken from the menu that won them their local glory.

Grand Cochon likens the competition feat to a standup tasting menu, if you will, featuring a slew of specialty wines, craft cocktails, "dozens" of competition plates, "and some of the best cheeses, charcuterie, sweets, and pop-up food experiences the country has to offer."

Here's a breakdown of what you can expect:

Welcome Bites
1500 Pounds of Heritage Pig
14 Chefs Cooking Whole Hog
Pop-Up Ramen Bar
La Brea Bakery Pop-Up
Farmstead Cheese Bar
Creminelli Cured Meats
Luxe Butter Bar
Perfect Puree Dessert Station
Five Featured Winemakers
Wines of the World
The Manhattan Project
Angostura Swizzle Bar
Heritage Rum Cart
Smoked Old Fashioned Bar
Artisanal Beer Exclusives

It ain't cheap, with tickets starting at $150 for general admission, but the opportunity is of course a rare one, and profits help to support the family farms that raise the hogs.

Grand Cochon will be held at Morgan Manufacturing on Oct. 1, at 5:55 p.m. Our new pork master will be crowned at 8:30 p.m.