Im getting my own place!

[schutd]

So, the restaurant group and chef that I work for would be considered small by all means. But we have been consulting on several places and are now going to open a few more of our own projects. Having worked with this chef for several years, I pitched a concept to him a while back, and recently plans have been finalized to make that concept a reality! No way. I will be named chef, and concept developer, and will own an equity share in the restaurant as well as the intellectual property should we be able to brand this concept and open more in the future. This is such a HUGE opportunity for me and my cooking. Im so freaking excited.

The restaurant will be called Cabrito, and will feature the foods of, where else? Mexico and the SW. My dream.

I'm throwing a copy of our first menu draft up here for everyone to see. Ive got SO MUCH work to do I dont know what to do with myself, so if y'all dont see much of me, you know were I'm at. So if you make it t NYC, come see me at Cabrito. Theres a huge bar area, and we will have tons of tequilas and mezcals. We are hiring a serious cocktail guy to feature fresh juices and drinks that work around tequila. We'll have delicious Mexican beers, and to keep the edge that we've been known for in some of our other projects, the environment will be hip, loud and rock and roll. Hope to see some of you soon!

heres the menu so far:

Cabrito



Cemitas/Tacos/Huaraches:

Housemade Chorizo
Pollo Milanesa
Al Carbon
Cecinas
Lengua y Tomatillo
Ensenada-Style Fish
Pork Belly
Pickled Radish and Avocado
Carne Enchilada
Huitlacoche


Firsts:
• Seared Hamachi w/ Caper sauce
• Mackerel Ceviche
• Camarrones en Escabeche
• Roasted Jalapeno Relleno
• Baked Queso Oaxaca, wrapped in Squash Blossoms, toasted pumpkin seed oil
• Fundido (with roasted pumpkin seeds or chorizo)
• Frijoles Puercos

Plates: (served with warm flour torillas)
• Braised Chicharrones – Served in a spicy tomato broth
• Carnitas Urupan – chopped and served by the lb.
• Heritage Pork Green Chili – Slow Cooked Shoulder, pulled and served with Roasted Hatch Green Chilies
• Red Chili Beef Rib – Braised Beef Ribs in Chili Roja
• Cabrito – Sour Orange, garlic, and chili rubbed. Slow roasted in banana leaf, served chopped with Salsa Borracha
• Whole Steamed Snapper – Wrapped in Hoja Santa, served with a cilantro, chili, garlic salsa fresca
• Enchiladas:
Queso Chihuahua with red chili
Tomatillo braised chicken


Sides:
Classic Mexican Rice
Black Beans, slow cooked with lard and Epazote
Soupy Beans
Frijoles Refritos
Chopped Egg Salad - shaved radish, red onion, tender purslane, chili and lime
Sauteed Lambs Quarter – pinto beans, chorizo oil

House made Salsas: Roasted Tomato, Tomatillo, Vinegared Chipotle, and Pico de Gallo

Desserts:
Churros y Chocolate
Housemade Flan
Bunelos
Sorbets: Mexican Cinnamon, Coconut, tres leches, caramelized goat’s milk



BRUNCH:

Pozole – Pork and Hominy Stew
Chilaquiles
Migas
Slow Poched Eggs in Tomato Chili Broth
Chorizo and Egg Taco/Burrito
Potato and Egg Taco/Burrito
All Tacos and Tortas
Chicharrones w/ fried Eggs

 

[Linderbee]

Congratulations!!! I'm so excited for you!

(Umm, since I don't know what anything on your menu is...what's on there that I could eat?)

 

[schutd]

Congratulations!!! I'm so excited for you!

(Umm, since I don't know what anything on your menu is...what's on there that I could eat?)

Hmmmm. Most likely the tongue tacos (lengua) and the roasted cabrito (baby goat). And the habanero salsa of course. HA!

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Congrats, it's great that you get to do what you love.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Congrats schutd! The menu and concept sound terrific!! What is the location? I get to NYC quite a bit and would LOVE to drop in!

 

[Chaz]

Congratulations Chef!

 

[HeavyB3]

That sounds very sophisticated.. I like chimichangas... haha

 

[schutd]

Its not too sophisticated, and I LOVE chimichangas. Im just trying to make soulful, traditional mexican food (chimis are an american creation) but elevate the technique in which its prepared. Street food brought up a notch, esentially. Mexican food is all about tradition, most great, some not so in my opinion. Im not trying to create some new cuisine or new fangled version of mexican food. Im trying to perfect my cooking of classic mexican food.

P.M. me for additional info. I actually need to keep locations and stuff a bit under wraps for the time being. We are taking over a failing space, and Im not sure of the ramifications of that... Looks like we are scheduling our opening party for..... May 5th! Surprise! The great part is, thats 5 weks away, and I still have two weeks left at my current consulting gig. That gives me three weeks to get everything together. Seriously, I'm crapping in my pants.

Thanks for the well wishes, all!

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Congrats !!!!!

 

[thirty-two]

Very, very cool. Good luck!

 

[Jersey Girl]

Awesome! All the best!

 

[Nasser22]

Is there an ASFN discount? I'll need it if I come visit you one year while I'm in college. Good luck schutd!

 

[FArting]

Congrats !!!!!

 

[schutd]

Is there an ASFN discount? I'll need it if I come visit you one year while I'm in college. Good luck schutd!

Nasser, why come see me? Theres Chipotles everywhere in NYC, now...

 

[Heucrazy]

No breafast enchiladas?!!!!


J/k

Have fun man, even though you won't because you will be working your butt off. Take pictures of your wife and kid now so that you can remember what they look like. I've been in on the opening of a new restaurant before as the Saucier and I never went home. As the Chef you will become very intimate with Red Bull.

All that said, after opening night and seeing that place full and bumping you will be one of the happiest men on the planet. Good luck, bro.

 

[abomb]

Awesome and congrats!

We will definitely visit when we come to NYC in the next year (hopefully).

 

[Shane]

Congratulations! Happy for you!

Dont have much hope for your menu considering some of the thing you have posted that you like. Good luck!

 

[schutd]

Congratulations! Happy for you!

Dont have much hope for your menu considering some of the thing you have posted that you like. Good luck!

Ill overcook your meat for you, dude. Just ask!

 

[Shane]

Ill overcook your meat for you, dude. Just ask!

 

[schutd]

No breafast enchiladas?!!!!


J/k

Have fun man, even though you won't because you will be working your butt off. Take pictures of your wife and kid now so that you can remember what they look like. I've been in on the opening of a new restaurant before as the Saucier and I never went home. As the Chef you will become very intimate with Red Bull.

All that said, after opening night and seeing that place full and bumping you will be one of the happiest men on the planet. Good luck, bro.

HUGE oversight. I added enchiladas to the brunch menu. Duh.

Thanks for the well wishes. This wil be the 4th opening Ive done in the past year. I cant believe being on a consulting team is what Ive chosen. Opening places is the hardest part! but its fun. I love to do it, and I love the recipe writing testing and development.

I got off the phone with a small farm in Hatch, NM yesterday thats trying to hook me up with chilies, processed and flash frozen, so I can have them year round. I have to have hatch chilies......

Im leaving my current consulting gig in one more week, then its a sprint to the opening party on Cinco de Mayo, so at least the knife cuts deep and quick on this one... Mmmmm green chili.

 

[Gizmo Williams]

I got off the phone with a small farm in Hatch, NM yesterday thats trying to hook me up with chilies, processed and flash frozen, so I can have them year round. I have to have hatch chilies......

I grew up just down the road from Hatch, so Hatch chiles are staple around our house. We usually buy about 50 lbs every fall to freeze. When we run out (about now) ...the next best alternative is the frozen Hatch green chilis that come in a tub. I know Bueno and Albuquerque Tortilla Company are two of the brands that we typically bought. You might want to give either of those companies a try and see if they can supply you the chiles.

Since we moved to the Bay Area, we have not been able to find the frozen tubs. We called Albuquerque Tortilla Co., but shipping was really, really expensive. Mayber you can get a deal with your volume and frequency.

Here is the link to their website:

http://www.albuquerque-tortilla.com...ath=2&osCsid=ed950b0f58d3428e02c3f1751af04442

 

[schutd]

thx for the heads up, Gizmo. Ive been dealing with the regional supplier fro Bueno. I like their baccas family red chili. Unfortunately, all their product has been pasteurized for commercial sale, and I just feel like the flavor is lacking. The stuff im getting will be quick frozen in ziplocks, and held for me in their coolers. Im hoping to turn a couple hundred pounds a month of product. Damn staright they better give me a wholeslae cut!

For you, I know of a place that sells GREAT frozen chilies, but she jacks the price up considerably for her services. Its called Hatch CHili Express. I think their product is better than Bueno, but its gratuitously more expensive.

 

[Gizmo Williams]

For you, I know of a place that sells GREAT frozen chilies, but she jacks the price up considerably for her services. Its called Hatch CHili Express. I think their product is better than Bueno, but its gratuitously more expensive.

I just checked out the website...and the green chile is sold out. You are right, it is expensive....about $10 a pound. I guess next year I will have to up my order to 100 lbs and buy a freezer for the garage.

If this guy falls through, I would call New Mexico State Univ.. Their Agriculture Department, in addition to being very friendly, tends to work closely with the local farms and would be able to put you in contact with a number of farmers who grow the chile.

 

[Assface]

What about toast, your signature dish?

 

[schutd]

Im saving it for a future concept. AT this place Ill be serving a little thing Ive invented, called THE TORTILLA. Its bread, for mexican food. Groundbreaking. It'll blow yer freaking mind.