Minneapolis, Minn., March 1, 2012-- Hype would be redundant. Hyperbole, an exercise in futility. Suffice it to say that for lovers of pork, SALUT BAR AMÉRICAINS upcoming TOUR DE COCHON dinner, to be held on March 21st in Edina, will be the meal of a lifetime.

The Mangalitsa: The ultimate pig....

Nearly all connoisseurs of pork have heard of it. Very few have ever eaten it. A breed native to Hungary, the Mangalitsa was developed by the Habsburg dynasty in the 1830s, chiefly as a source of lard. With the development of faster-growing pigs and new vegetable-based fats, the pigs popularity faded. By the early 1990s, the breed was almost extinct. In fact, Hungarian animal geneticist Peter Toth rescued the final few from the stockyards.

Then chefs discovered the Mangalitsa, and suddenly this heritage breed of pig vaulted to a status in the pork world that eclipsed the Habsburgs place in theirs. Says James Beard Award-winning chef Tim McKee: Its the Kobe beef of pigs. The meat is pervasively marbled and unbelievably tender. The fat is sweet and aromatic. Its high in omega-threes. And it simply melts on the tongue.

The very qualities that appeal to foodies, however, make the Mangalitsa wholly unsuitable for commercial production. They yield half the meat of ordinary pigs, says McKee. In fact, theyre so fatty they cant even be butchered conventionally.

featured in 17 extraordinary dishes.

A pig like this demands snout-to-tail eating, says McKee, and were happy to comply. To give the Mangalitsa its due, McKee and his team of collaborators, led by executive chefs C.J. Van Proosdy of SALUT in Edina and Anthony Leonhardi of St. Paul, have created a 17-dish family-style meal that McKee likens to a French country picnic.

First

Guests will be greeted by an array of shared appetizers ranging from warm olives with rosemary, orange and lardon to smoked ham focaccia and grattons with fennel pollen.

Next

The second wave of dishes again served family-style will align broadly with ones expectations of a first course. Theyll include paté de compagne with rabbit loin and pistachio; and fresh Mangalitsa sausage braised with apple brandy, poached apple and truffle.

And then

Veering into red wine territory, shared third courses will include dishes like crispy pigs ear Salade Lyonaise with endives, lardon and poached egg; and pigs foot torchon with walnut oil, caramelized onion and mache.

Leading to

Roasts come next. Among them: pork loin with herbs and baby peas; and slow-roasted shoulder garnie with crepes aux fines herbes.

Concluding with

Finally, pastry chef Adrienne Odom will present a bacon-chocolate bostock with toasted almond ice cream and bacon praline.

Click to view full menu

Currently, McKees menu includes 17 dishes. That number may go up. Working with a Mangalitsa, theres a temptation to keep going, but I dont want to overwhelm the guest. And seventeen items is pushing things already.

A best-of-breed Mangalitsa.

Any Mangalitsa pig would warrant excitement, but SALUTs Mangalitsa boasts unique credentials:

It was hand-raised by one of SALUTs own, Chef Stephen Jones, and his wife Cristina-Cruz Jones, at their homestead, Provenance Farms, near Taylor Falls, Minnesota.

Chain of custody is a critical component of ingredient sourcing, explains McKee. You can order from a great supplier, but if your order goes through an intermediary who for some reason drops the ball, youre not getting what you paid for. Guests at TOUR DE COCHON wont have to worry about that.

Says Stephen Jones: The chain of custody is me.

Born in 2011, the pig will be about 13 months old at the time of butchering and yield nearly 200 pounds of useable meat and lard. Over the course of its life, says Jones, the pig will never have lived in a pen. It will roam freely, feeding on Minnesota grasses, along with wheat, oats, barley, nuts and vegetables, from cabbage and potatoes to pumpkins. Its free of antibiotics and hormones, and will never endure any of the stresses of factory farming.

Raising Mangalitsas like we do the same way as in centuries past is tremendously expensive, continues Jones, but if you want the ultimate in flavor, this is how to do it. Plus, youre giving your Mangalitsa the best possible quality of life.

The details

When: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at 7 p.m.

Where: Salut Bar Américain in Edina

Price: $150 per person, inclusive of wine, but not including tax or gratuity.

Number of guests: The TOUR DE COCHON is limited to 50 people.

Reservations: Please call SALUT in Edina directly at 952-929-FROG (3764)

About Parasole

Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Parasole Restaurant Holdings operates SALUT BAR AMERICAIN in Edina and St. Paul; Chino Latino and Uptown Cafeteria & Support Group in Minneapolis; Mannys Steakhouse, The Living Room & Prohibition at the W Minneapolis The Foshay in downtown Minneapolis; Pittsburgh Blue Steakhouse in Edina and Maple Grove; Muffuletta Café in St. Pauls Como Park neighborhood; the Good Earth Restaurants in Edina and Roseville; Burger Jones in Burnsville and on the north side of Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis; and Mozza Mia Pizza Pie & Mozzarella Bar in Downtown Edina.

By joining the Parasole Dining Club, guests have the opportunity to earn points for the dollars they spend and to redeem them for food and drink at any participating Parasole restaurant. Details at Parasole.com.

Company Contact:

Kip Clayton

Parasole Restaurant Holdings

Vice President of Marketing

Office 612.822.0016

Fax 612.822.0705

Cell 651.341.8009

kclayton@parasole.com

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