Life, Liberty and the Prociutto of Happiness: Spreading the Good Word of Charcuterie and Making it in the Restaurant Business

Nationally acclaimed practitioner of charcuterie, Brian Polcyn shuffles into class, Starbucks in hand and a large black bag slung over his shoulder, sporting black leather motorcycle jacket. His deep scratchy voice speaks with an unmistakable Michigan accent: a Detroit native. Just as class it about to start, he emerges from his office with his button up white chef coat stretched across his meat belly, and tall white hat, propping himself on a stool to take attendance.

“Good morning, boys and girls”. His students gather around his all dressed in the same Chef getup, hands behind their backs, answering “Here, Chef” when he calls each name. The students are in the middle of their one week practical exam at Schoolcraft College in the Charcuterie class: the ancient art of curing meats. Each student will prepare a number of meat dishes to be graded and critiqued by Nationally acclaimed author, chef, and of course teacher Brian Polcyn.

Polcyn worked his way up the “totalitarian brigade” of culinary training in his early kitchen years remarkably fast, attributing much of his success to his instructor, Chef Milos. Polcyn describes the culinary world of apprenticeship as a responsibility to teach the next generation everything you know. It was unforgiving and tough to be trained in the culinary profession during this time, and very few people made it.

“I expect my students to go out and teach the same, just like I do”.

The students go about their business and Polcyn barks his way around the kitchen, critiquing sanitation practices, fixing broken equipment, and cutting cured meats for sampling from the transitional room, where salted meats have been hanging, aging for years.

Polcyn speaks of Charcuterie as common sense.

“When was the refrigerator invented?” Early 1900s.

“And How long have people been eating meat?” Forever.

Charcuterie is the art of curing and preserving meat without cooking it. The meat gets dried and brines in salt and then hung to dry in the transformation room.

Polcyn doesn’t just worship meat, but the fat, Polcyn learned in Italy, is where the flavor truly lies. Polcyn’s sausages and salami are speckled, with fat distributed throughout bringing out rich, creamy flavors. The copa muscle on the neck of the animal holds unique flavor because of the nature of the tendons infused throughout the meat.

“The world would be a terrible place without fat”.

How does this carnivore reconcile the vegetarianism of so many of his customers?

“I don’t have a problem with it… I don’t see the importance of it, I mean you need a certain amount of fat in your diet, and I think animal fat is the best”.

Actually, he shares his office with a vegan, and they generally agree to disagree.

His space-mate made two good cases for veganism: most illnesses stem from meat consumption, doctors advising their patients to stop eating meat, so why wait until you get to that?

“He makes a good point. I hate it when he’s right”

The second reason being the land used to feed animals could feed people instead.

“Oh shit, I hate it when he’s right”.

He recognizes vegetarianism as an important value to some of his customers, taking methods of cooking meats and making them with vegetables. A terrine is typically a meatloaf style casserole wrapped in additional meat such as bacon

“I adapt the principle of the ancient craft of Charcuterie and apply it to the modern American menu. So I’m going to make a roasted vegetable terrine. In my mind, I’m honoring the tradition, but I’m also thinking about the contemporary palate of my customers. Yeah, I know it sucks. It’s an oxymoron. It’s like saying jumbo shrimp… vegetable terrine”.

Polcyn settled onto his stool at the front of the classroom and began sampling his student’s exam dishes.

“Smoked fish? Ok, watch this, she’s going to grade you. Whatever she says goes, and do not be nice”.

“I want you to ask yourself, is it pleasant to east, first and foremost?”

Yes.

“Ok, is it too salty?”

No.

“Is it moist?” Ehhh it was a little dry.

“Ok, so here’s someone who doesn’t know a lot about food, but this is our customer, right? So we have to listen to her. So for a score of 1 out of 25 what would you give him?”

He got a 24, but Polcyn is cheeky.

“If I liked him I would do 24, but I don’t like him, so I’m gonna go 23.9”.

“Another thing I learned is to buy local, which, I have been doing that my entire career: going to farmers markets and developing relationships with small farmers. And, here’s the big secret… today there’s so many buzzwords about ‘gate to the plate’, ‘but local’, or ‘organic’ blah blah blah blah blah. Is there any other type of food? My entire career I’ve never known any other type of food besides organic”.

Buying local for Polcyn isn’t just about supporting the family farm, it’s about getting the best quality product for the lowest price. In fact, while many critics are unable to equate expensive food with high value or quality, Polcyn plans to change the way we eat through his use of ingredients and education of customers surrounding the importance of the food, by “creating a demand”.

“I’m going to impact the way people eat in America. My Charcuterie book has sold 130,000 copies, I’m traveling around teaching classes, I make 1 trip a month, spreading the good word of Charcuterie and saving the family farm”.

How did he make it in the restaurant business? Not only has Polcyn become Nationally acclaimed in one of the toughest professions, he has done it all in the state of Michigan, independent of cities with established taste and demand for his skills.

Son Dylan attests that if his Dad had hauled the kids out to New York or Chicago, he would be a star on the food network right now. Why not? Because of the values that distinguished Polcyn from other chefs and the sacrifices he has made throughout his life for his family.

“For me, being a chef and married to the same woman for over 30 years, and raising five children, in this profession is more of a challenge than cooking in Michigan because the business that I’ve chosen is very demanding. What time of day do people eat dinner? Oh, in the evening… so what time of day do I work normally? Oh, yeah… see, I work when everyone else plays”.

Polcyn was raising his children and decided to open a restaurant in his hometown, giving birth to his value of local community. Though he attempted to cut back on complexity of menu items in order to have more time with his family, the demand in the restaurant grew to credentials that ultimately had him written up in the New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, nominated for a James Beard Award, Restaurant of the Year in Michigan, showcasing his talent amidst his natural and feasible habitat: “I got nationally recognized as a chef in that little community where I could raise my family and just be open for dinner. I could go coach soccer practice at four o’clock and be back at the restaurant for dinner service because it was only five minutes away. I’m a very successful business man, very successful chef, Nationally acclaimed, financially stable, I make a lot of money for being a cook. That’s not bragging, that’s fact”.

Polcyn’s accomplishments are a testament to his skill and acclaim he has built in the field, all while being a father.

“You can never know everything there is to know about food. That’s why we say we practice Charcuterie, the way a lawyer practices law or a doctor practices medicine, because everything has to be interpreted differently by today’s society because we’ve evolved”.

Polcyn hopes that new technology can bring the flavor and qualities of his food to an on-the-go market, opening vending machines that seal high-quality prepared meals inside plastic that can be microwaved to inflate, and cook the meat inside in its own condensation, that will be marketed at chain grocery stores. He equates it to a Bob Evans, but it will use high quality ingredients.

“We’re being a pioneer. First one through the wall always gets bloody. After I knock a hole in the wall and everyone comes behind me, its easier for them”. Polcyn is going to break down the wall and reform our food system.

Intended Publication: Undecided

Word Count: 1430