With so many goat, pig, sheep and cow herds locally, it's only natural we would be blessed w/ an abundance of great milk from grazing in our lush meadows and pastures. For us at mas that means two great things: cheese and meats. You can only suckle so much milk before the babies are on their own - what to do with all that extra milk? Preserve it through cheese-making. Much like making wine the cheeses are a result of time, environment, bacteria, and the skills -of the crafts person. But it all starts with good, wholesome milk chalked full of pro-biotic qualities and nutrients. We love our goat and cow's milk products from albemarle county's caromont farm and use them in as many dishes as possible, often on their own with some fresh bread, lavender honey, on our flatbreads, or in a chopped salad or over some fresh tortillas w/ braised akaushi brisket.
If we are lucky, the process of suckling will produce an overabundance of piglets, kids or calves and so some are culled and we have one of our signature special dishes: cochinillo, cabrito or lechazo, young suckling pigs, goats and lambs roasted in our brick hearth. This is such an integral part of the traditional food experience in spain that many wines and even regions are famed for their preparations: castilla leon's ribera del dueros and pais vasco's riojas are two of the best known. Simply prepared with minimal condiments the roasts and braises reflect the simple austerity of. Pure, unadulterated ingredients. My favorite chef and mentor always said "you must never be afraid to let the ingredients speak for themselves." how twue.