Johnson & Wales associate
instructor TJ Delle Donne MAT, CEC recently hosted True Aussie Beef & Lamb
master butcher Doug Piper and Chef Adam Moore to show his class how to break
down a lamb carcass and taste what each cut of Aussie lamb brought to the
plate. We caught up with him to see how it went; here’s what he had to say:
At JWU, teaching our students about sustainability is a major initiative, and part of that is getting back to the craft of whole animal products and butchery. In the bigger picture, we have to be efficient and not waste anything - especially with proteins.
It was a great opportunity to have Aussie Master Butcher Doug Piper come in, his passion and energy and amazing skills really captured our students’ attention. Especially when he’s kitted out like a knight with his chain mail protective shirt and glove, and with the Aussie accent, they were captivated.
It was more powerful also because we not only saw a butchery demo on Aussie grassfed beef and lamb but heard the story behind it and then tasted it too, with Chef Adam Moore cooking off each cut as Doug did the breakdown. Eating is a great teaching tool! American students are used to grain-fed and feedlot meats, so they have to learn what these sustainable options taste like.
Much like consumers in general, our students are just learning that making the right food choices means more than just local; we try to impress upon them the importance of quality, consistency and that how something is produced often matters more than simply where.