Recipes

This is a recipe I adapted from this guy called the Farmstead Meatsmith who is a kind of eccentric butcher and slaughterman who also understands that these roles are meaningless without a cook in the farmhouse kitchen. Check out this clip for the inspiration. All of the animal products that we produce are done so with the end user in mind - the dedicated home cook. No cut embodies this better than the humble ham hock. It’s one of my favorite cuts to cook, but it requires a little bit of patience (though very little actual work). It’s also a great example of the kind of nose to tail economy of which I am a huge proponent and that we strive for in our husbandry and production practices here at Hidden Villa. It’s a tough cut that requires a long slow cook with liquid, either water based or lipid based. You often won’t find these in the grocery store, so I think it’s really special that we offer them, as they’re kind of a butcher’s and a farmers special secret cut. They’re full of gelatin that creates a really unctuous and savory stock that really sticks in your craw and is hugely satisfying to the appetite. I really hope you’ll venture with me to cook this underappreciated cut because the reward is nothing short of the finest, and most nutritious peasant dish one can cook up, and once you know the basic technique it’s really dead simple to cook one up any time you’re in the mood. They also work great in a slow cooker.

Breaded cutlets are found in cuisines across the world. Veal is most common in traditional recipes from Italy, Germany and Austria, but just about all types of meat can be made into cutlets including chicken, beef and pork. In Germany and Austria these are Wiener Schnitzel (‘Viennese Cutlet’), one of the national dishes of Austria, in Italy they’re Cotoletta Alla Milanese, in South and Central America they’re called Milanesa, and in Japan they’re Tonkatsu. In all cases, they’re made with a thin cut of meat, usually, and indeed in the case of our Hidden Villa Pork Cutlets, this comes from the leg, but also often from the loin. The thin pieces are typically pounded flat with a meat mallet, then breaded, and finally shallow fried in oil, lard or clarified butter. There are countless variations you can make by adding sauces and toppings, so there’s plenty of room for creativity. It’s an incredibly easy preparation and will rate highly as a weeknight dinner.

Making chicken soup is so easy and delicious, especially while the weather is chilly! You can make this using a whole chicken, or the leftover carcass and meat bits from a chicken you've roasted or boiled the night before. No need to use broth - our slow-growing heritage breed chickens make the most incredible broth on their own.

An easy savory breakfast dish. Top with soy sauce, scallions, sesame oil, sesame seeds, or any other toppings you can dream up. And you can make it in the microwave! You can also use a metal or bamboo steamer by just placing a ramekin with the custard in the steamer basket.

Aïoli is a simple and versatile dip or spread from the Mediterranean. AKA classy mayonnaise. This recipe makes a little over half a cup and will keep in the fridge for weeks. Try spreading it on a sandwich with eggs, bacon and tomatoes from the farm for an easy delicious/nutritious breakfast or lunch!

A go-to weekday breakfast for our hard-working livestock farmers that you can enjoy any day of the week.