Indianapolis, IN
Each month, Smoking Goose hosts one or two hands-on Meat School classes. Students get suited up in professional butcher’s uniforms and work in their USDA inspected production facility next to Smoking Goose owner and meat master Chris Eley.
These unique classes cover topics like whole hog butchering or sausage making. Some seasonal classes include a nose-to-tail beef butchering class, a "belly dancing" class, covering all manner of pork belly preparations, and Thanksgiving Turkey 101, a start-to finish holiday prep class from bringing and roasting to table-side carving and making stock with the bones.
Each participant's class uniform includes a Smoking Goose butcher's hat to keep. Eley leads classmates in step-by-step instruction as he dishes house recipes and techniques. Since all Smoking Goose classes are hands-on, everyone gets to practice making meat magic!
At break time, Chris and the Smoking Goose crew serve a spread of Smoking Goose meat treats. Salumi, smoked meats, sausages and more all cascade down the hundred-year-old barn board that's the clever serving platter. Sides include Smoking Goose’s local pickled veg, beer-spiked mustard, house-cured olives, and fresh baguettes from the local bakery. Occasionally, special guests will pop by with libations to wash down snack time. Recently, they even hosted a local bourbon tastings during the Whole Hog Butchering classes.
The "homework" for Meat School is delicious. Each participant heads home with protein provisions like sausages, hand-trimmed fresh pork, or turkey for the whole family.
