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likes “the method and the challenge.� But what about the audience? While offal has garnered plenty of buzz in recent years, I sometimes wonder how much variety the typical restaurant patron is truly willing to embrace. Macri, however, doesn’t overthink it. “You have to be happy with what you’re doing and hope people are receptive to it,� he says. “I notice most people aren’t the hugest fans of terrines,� he goes on, but adds that a minority are fervent fans, “so why make them suffer at the hands of some lame people?� He concedes that while something like andouillette will never sell like a chocolate dessert, he still might be motivated to try it on the chance that he’d be making “a small section of Francophiles� very, very happy. (To be clear, French andouillette, not to be confused with Cajun andouille, is a sausage made of chitterlings that’s most often noted for its — how to say this politely? — funk.)
What strikes me the most about Macri is an easy coexistence of selfassuredness and endearing humility. I ask him if charcuterie is actually the thing he wants to be known for. Well, not exactly: “I would like to be known for being fair and working hard and having the respect of my peers. So if charcuterie is a way to achieve that, then sure.� (Is it what he originally thought he’d become known for? “I cook. Honestly, I didn’t think I would be known for anything at all.�) It’s that attitude, more than anything, that I take away from my very short stint in Macri’s kitchen. The way he talks about charcuterie is grounded and reassuring. While extensive dry-curing may remain a bit out of reach at the moment, I can absolutely start to work through my fear of charcuterie right now. To that end, I’ll leave you with a few recommendations picked up from Macri himself. While much specialty equipment is not neces-
sary, at base, you will likely want to get your hands on a meat grinder. You can purchase an attachment for a stand mixer if you have one, or look for a solid hand-crank grinder that clamps onto your counter. If you would like to encase your sausages in link form, you will also need to purchase a stuffer — but plenty of sausages don’t need casings. And, of course, you’ll want books. Asked for recommendations, Macri was nice enough to lend me a few. Terrine, by Stephane Reynaud, is full of recipes you could likely get into right away. Charcuterie, by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn, is a more heavy-duty instruction manual. But it’s Paul Bertolli’s Cooking by Hand that gets the most enthusiastic recommendation, even though just one section is devoted to charcuterie. Macri’s eyes lit up while talking about it. Try Charcuterie for the thoroughness, Cooking by Hand for the bigger picture. (carly@citypaper.net)
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