I keep a bottle of colchicine in my medicine cabinet. “What’s that?” you might ask. Well, it's a treatment for bouts of gout. “Why do you need it?” you might query. Well, in the decade-plus since I started working as a full-time food writer, I have suffered from episodes of gout and diverticulitis. Or as I like to tell people, “I am afflicted with the maladies of a 17th-century French king.”
This is all to say that I recently called the pharmacy to refill that colchicine prescription because Heritage Fire is coming back to Nashville at Two Rivers Mansion on Sunday, March 12. This national culinary competition tour matches up local chefs with heritage breeds and encourages them to utilize the whole animal from rooter to pooter to create inspired dishes that the assembled crowd will judge to choose a champion.
In the past, Heritage Fire concentrated solely on heritage-breed hogs, but this year they've increased the protein options to include an array of beef, whole pigs, lamb, goat, rabbit, duck, fish, chicken, artisan cheeses and heirloom vegetables. Featured farms this year include Bear Creek Farm, Black Hawk Farms, Gifford’s, Nashville Grown, Wedge Oak Farm, Simpson’s Meats and Tennessee Grass Fed, Palmer Farms, Greener Roots and Flowers Creamery.
Since organ meat is particularly inflammatory for gout sufferers, I’m already loosening the laces on all my shoes to accommodate what is sure to be a painful big toe joint where the pointy little uric acid crystals like to settle. TMI? Sorry, not sorry.
Another change from the past is that all the assembled crowd will have a say in picking the ultimate winner, as opposed to a panel of judges that used to move from chef to chef, sampling an array of small dishes prepared from all parts of the pig. I like the democratization of the event.
They have assembled a very talented cadre of chefs to compete in this live-fire al fresco cooking event. Here’s the list of participating talent: Adam Terhune (Commons Club), Angelica Ramirez (Little Fib), Billy Terrell (The Beached Pig), Brian Kersey (Stationary in the Union Station Hotel at the Nashville Yards), Joey Fecci (Yolan at The Joseph), Pepe Camero (Mijo Gordito), Christopher Ayala (Ellington’s Restaurant), Dmitriy Kakuschke (Bourbon Steak Nashville), Edgar Victoria (Alebrije Nashville), Jason Lalacona (Miel Restaurant), Jeanne Strout and Team Fat Bottom (Fat Bottom Brewing), John Tesar (Knife Dallas), Jordan Brown (Pastaria Nashville), Junior Vo (Noko Nashville), Joshua Peoples (Deacon’s New South), Kristin Beringson (Henley), Levi Raines (The Dutch & Carne Mare), Mike Colón (Goo Goo Chocolate Co.), Shauna McCoy (Donut Distillery), MacHenry’s Meat & Three, and Adam Barnes (Southern Spoon).
Since no one can live by meat alone, there will also be beer available from Creature Comforts Brewing Company, Bearded Iris, Scofflaw and Guinness, and craft cocktails from Blade and Bow, George Dickel Tennessee Whisky, Fords Gin, Ole Smoky Distillery, Post Meridiem Cocktails and LaCroix Sparkling Water. All tickets are inclusive of unlimited tasting of each of the chef’s presentations and beverage pairings plus live entertainment throughout the afternoon from 4:45 until 7 p.m. VIP-level tickets include admission at 4 p.m., when each chef will present a special dish exclusively for people who are V.I.
After tasting your way through all the dishes, attendees will vote for their Best Bite of the Day to help choose one champion. The event is 21-and-up only, so grab your ticket today at the event website.
