Despite the scorching effects of global warming from Heatpocolypse, hundreds of people came out to celebrate all the great eats this weekend at Meatopia!

Presented by Amstel Light and Whole Foods, it seemed like nothing could keep us from melting, so we succumbed to the heat and stuffed our faces with meat.  Over 45 renowned chefs, restauranteurs, farms, and butchers congregated on Pier 5 of Brooklyn Bridge Park on Saturday, July 23, 2011, where there was more than plenty of space to accommodate all of us hungry hungry hippos.

The most impressive spectacle of the event was the 850 lbs. whole steer by meat purveyor Pat LaFreida.  Legs splayed out, it was mind-boggling to see an entire cow being cooked at once.  We were told that they had started grilling the day before and it had been grilling for over 32 hours.

The end result was a beautifully cooked Black Angus slider topped with a delicious BBQ sauce, cooked thoroughly on the outside and slightly pink on the inside to retain some juices.

Pink on the inside, after 32 hours of grilling?  I can’t say that I’m too educated on cooking meat, so I sat in on one of the demonstrations they hosted under the shade of the large tent to learn more about cooking.  And more importantly, to learn more about meat.

Chef Michael Psilakis of the UWS Greek restaurant Kefi demonstrated how to prepare one of his signature sausages.

For a pro like Chef Psilakis, it probably would take him less than two minutes to make a whole slew of sausages, but he explained how deeply rooted food is in his family and culture, and how meaningful it is in bringing people together.  He also explained some scientific elements of cooking meat (how you can cook a 45-day aged steak with mold and not get sick, but always use fresh ground meat), and also added in a spiritual element: to appreciate the life the animal gives to us for nourishment and not take them for granted.  Despite what some vegetarians may claim, not all carnivores are barbarians.  A two-minute sausage lesson turned into a great life lesson in food appreciation.

There were a great deal of outstanding dishes, so here are a few more.

Chef Philippe Massoud represented ilili Restaurant with a sumac and zataar-spiced grilled lamb ribs with Lebanese salad. My takeaway from this dish is that if you don’t know or can’t even pronounce any of the ingredients, it’s probably worth a try and it’s most likely going to be excellent.

Maybe a bit too adventurous for me was the elk shoulder crepenettes by Chris Hastings of the Hot and Hot Fish Club. On the other hand, my friend raved about the roast baby goat with arugula and sweet onion salad by Chef Floyd Cardoz of North End Grill. And while some people may consider pig foot, oxtail and beef cheek stew to be an outrageous offering from Chef Eddie Huang of Baohaus , these were bizarrely normal for me growing up.

Other curiosities included quail (Seersucker), wild boar (Fossil Farms), crispy pig’s head (Edi & the Wolf ), goat tacos (Centrico), chicken hearts (Animal), and so much more.  I can’t believe I missed the spicy lamb sloppy joe’s from The Meatball Shop – arggh!  For additional food porn money shots, check out the awesome slideshow from Grub Street.

About a thousand breaks were necessary to cool off, and fortunately there was no shortage of Amstel Light.

Capogiro Gelato Artisans was doling out gelato that instantly melted.  Someone started a cruel rumor that there was bacon ice cream, but much to my disappointment, there was none to be found.  The Whole Foods stand was giving out bars of desserts and a yummy hibiscus soda that seriously hit the spot.

The Whole Foods butchering contest was helping to promote their five-step animal welfare-grading program, so that customers will always be assured that they can find the best quality of meats in the store by the best farmers, no matter the location. In a similar spirit, Chipotle Mexican Grill was there highlighting their “Food With Integrity” program and providing an impromptu dance floor in front of their stand.

It was a fabulous event for meat lovers and we can’t wait to feast at some of the featured restaurants in the near future.

Yours,
Von

Check out event more Meatopia photos here.