The Cochon Muffuletta
This week in Dining, Susan Quick reviews Cochon Butcher, the new Germantown incarnation of chef Donald Link's palace of meaty pleasures.
The original Cochon Butcher in New Orleans is itself an extension of Link's acclaimed Cochon. Cochon Butcher is more casual and meat-centric, and Link and his fellow chef and business partner, Stephen Stryjewski, figured it's a perfect concept to thrive in Nashville.
Located in the Germantown neighborhood and helmed by chef Levon Wallace, Cochon Butcher is a friendly and convivial joint with a remarkable dedication to "the craft of butchery and everything-from-scratch cooking," Quick says. And yet the price point is surprisingly affordable, she notes, with sandwiches and small plates respectively averaging $6 and $12.
Some of her favorites include the charcuterie plate, the Duck Pastrami Sliders, the Buckboard Bacon Melt, and the Cubano sandwich. But saving the best for last, she describes the Cochon Muffuletta:
Made locally by a New Orleans-trained baker (as is all the bread), the sesame-seed bun is warm and pillowy on the inside, golden brown on the outside. When combined with the kitchen's finely minced olive salad, the warmed mortadella, salami and ham, and the slightly melted provolone, it brokers a damn near perfect marriage of flavors and textures. Muffaletta purists may whine that the signature NOLA sandwich should be served cool or room temp, as tradition dictates. Honestly, I cannot imagine eating it any other way.
I'm sure there are many muffuletta experts out there in Bites world. Have you tried the Cochon Butcher version? Does temperature matter? What's your favorite muffuletta in Nashville or NOLA or beyond?
And what else is on your mind this week?
