It was a hot day in St. Helena and the open fire pit made it even hotter. But that didn’t stop Taylor Boetticher of Fatted Calf and Long Meadow Ranch Executive Chef Stephen Barber and his team from putting on a unique dinner and demonstration – of all things lamb.
It was all part of the SF Chefs Dinner Party Project series, which brings together talented chefs in a fun and collaborative effort. It also gives food enthusiasts a chance to meet chefs or those in the culinary industry in a much more intimate setting . It’s all a prelude to the event proper (SF Chefs is being held from July 28 – August 4 this year).
Long Meadow Ranch Winery & Farmstead is a family-run operation that focuses on organic farming. Owned and operated by the Hall family, the large property produces fruits and vegetables, grass-fed beef, eggs and extra virgin olive oil – not to mention Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon on more than 70 acres of vineyard.
Although guests did not get the chance to tour the farm itself, they got treated to a mini tour at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch. The property features a full service restaurant, wine tasting room, farmers market, garden and an outdoor area featuring a larger smoker and fire pit. Kipp Ramsay, Farm-to-Table Manager at Farmstead said the garden offers the entire staff a chance to learn about the produce featured on the menu. “Although this is just a mini version, it allows everyone to get a chance to dig up their own produce, cut their own herbs and understand what we are growing, what we are putting in each dish,” he said.
The partnership for this particular dinner party project was a perfect match – pairing the farm-to-table philosophy of Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch with the world of whole animal butchery from Fatted Calf and owner Taylor Boetticher. Boetticher’s background is in the kitchen, but his work with knives is what the charcuterie, with locations in Napa and San Francisco, is best known for. Boetticher took to the task of butchering the lamb with aplomb, finely detailing each step, what parts of the animal he was cutting, what some parts are used for and how to do the job at home. Butchering a whole animal can be a tedious exercise, but Boetticher handled the lamb expertly. He said he’s glad whole animal butchery continues to gain steam in restaurants as it has over the last few years, as more and more chefs and consumers are becoming more knowledgeable about all the different parts of each animal. 
All of this concluded with a family-style dinner, featuring produce from Long Meadow Ranch and the lambs that were cooked on spits and over open fires. Dishes like a Plancha Beet Salad, Whole Lamb Asado and Crispy Lamb Roulade were served with wine pairings from Chris Hall, Long Meadow Ranch Winery’s executive vice president and general manager. 
There are two more dinners left in this series of SF Chefs – Dinner Party Projects: one featuring chefs Ravi Kapur and David Bazirgan at Fifth Floor is sold out. The other, called “Pizza, Pasta, Pastry,” is being held on Monday, May 20 at Una Pizza Napoletana and features Anthony Mangieri from Una Pizza Napoletana and Michele Belotti and Gary Rulli of Ristobar. Tickets are still available for that unique pairing.