The Whole Ox

It was the night before snowmaggedon, or stormzilla, or sleetapocalypse, or whatever you want to call it. We were lucky and had scored two seats for a Cassoulet Dinner hosted by our local butcher, The Whole Ox. The meal was wonderful and a terrific way to “prep” for the storm ;-).

 Actually, we had been prepping for the storm for a few days, getting things for the house, barn, and horses ready. We checked the backup generator; bought more gas and diesel for our gator and tractor; set up another heated water trough closer to the barn; put warmer blankets on the horses; brought more firewood into the house; placed styrofoam covers on the outdoor faucets; placed an extra heater to protect the water pipes going into the tack room; etc, etc, etc.  You know the drill. I have never hated the snow, or the cold, but living on the farm has made me more mindful of it. That is particularly true with a storm like this, when they are forecasting the potential loss of power due to ice storms.

 We were doing so much prepping, we almost forgot about the dinner. Thank heaven, we did not. 😉

 The Whole Ox, a great butcher shop here in Marshall, VA, has been around for many years now. In addition to meat, it also has a nice selection of wines, cheeses, fresh bread, and many other culinary delectables. Cath and I do not eat as much meat as we used to, but still love to shop there. They serve lunch as well and have a nice selection of beers and wines to go with it. Occasionally, they schedule a cooking class, or a special dinner. When they do, we try to make it if we can. They are popular and tend to sell out, so you must act quickly. Pro tip: When your local butcher advertises a cassoulet dinner, don’t miss it!

 For this dinner, there were sixteen of us. Cath and I arrived promptly at 6PM, the start time, and Gerald, our waiter, greeted us with Kir Royales (Sparkling wine, and in this case, homemade crème de cassis). As we sat at the chef’s counter, he placed plates of house-made charcuterie in front of us, along with small bowls of a spreadable cheese. The night was off to a great start. 

What followed were three more wonderful courses.

The first was a salad to die for – poached egg, frisée lettuce, lardons, and pickled shallots. We had a glass of nice French white wine with it, a combination of Petit Mensing and Gros Mensing grapes, a combination I’d never had before. 

 Next came the star of the evening, the cassoulet. For those who are not aware, cassoulet is a classic French “peasant” dish, known for its rustic flavors. It combines white beans, sausage, pork, and usually, duck confit. Slow cooked, it is a hearty dish and perfect for a chilly winter evening. On this night, they served it with bread, and, this is going to sound stupid, maybe the best butter I have ever had. Sprinkled on top of the butter was a combination of chive, and small salt crystals, which made it incredibly tasty.

The cassoulet was delicious. The only problem? I was getting full, and I knew I was getting full. With each bite, I told myself, “OK, this is my last bite.” And then I ate another bite, and another, and another. I eventually did stop, with 1/3 of the dish left. We washed it all down with a French red, but I forget the makeup.

The final course? A nice little lemon tart from a bakery in Front Royal. It too was excellent. After the heavy main, it provided a lite counterbalance. 

Eventually, we finished our wine and went out into the cold for the drive home. Once there, in keeping with the French theme of the evening, we each had an Eau-de-vie (Poire William) pallet cleanser. It was an enjoyable way to end the night.

If you ever have the chance to attend one of The Whole Ox’s dinners, go for it. The owners, Derek and Amanda do an excellent job – the food is great, the wines are nice, and the show is over the top. Just one more wonderful thing about where we live in the Virginia Piedmont.

Addendum:

• By the way – The Whole Ox knows how to cater to people. The evening of our dinner, they also made a vegetarian cassoulet for four vegetarians who also reserved for the evening. I did not taste it, but it looked delicious. 
• The storm did eventually start Saturday evening around 10PM. By the next morning, there were 6 inches of snow. Around 9 AM, the snow turned to sleet and that continued for most of Sunday, adding a crust to the top of the snow. The forecasted freezing never arrived, and the sleet finally stopped around 7PM. We were lucky, and never lost power.