MASTERCLASS: Whole Hog Butchery by Peter Sanagan

Masterclasses offer in-depth explorations of food and drink topics, presented by experts and accompanied by demonstrations and tastings. There was a time when breaking down a whole animal — snout to tail, with nothing left over — was simply how butchery worked. Every cut had a use and a butcher's skill was measured by how completely they could turn one animal into a season's worth of food. That tradition faded as refrigeration and industrialized processing made individual, boneless cuts the norm — but it never disappeared from the trade, and in Toronto few people carry it as visibly as Peter Sanagan. As owner and founder of Sanagan's Meat Locker, Peter has spent more than fifteen years championing whole-animal butchery, using humanely raised, pastured animals sourced directly from small Ontario family farms. In this exclusive demonstration, you will get to experience the entire process of breaking down a whole hog into its large 'primal' cuts — shoulder, ham, loin, and belly — and then working section by section, gain an understanding of how each primal is carefully processed into the familiar cuts you know. You'll learn about the optimal uses of different parts — pulled pork and sausage from the 'butt' (shoulder), roasts and cured ham from the leg, pork chops and tenderloin from the loin, bacon and ribs from the belly — and what happens to everything else, including the pieces that rarely make it to a supermarket case. This intimate event event takes place at Sanagan’s Meat Locker in Kensington Market, and is capped at 10 guests, so everyone is close enough to see (and ask) everything. It also includes a delicious selection of Sanagan's house-made charcuterie to snack on during the demonstration, and $25 worth of your choice of pork cuts to take home to enjoy. ----- Sanagan’s Meat Locker is a renowned Toronto neighbourhood butcher shop with locations in Kensington Market, Gerrard Street in Little India, and most recently, on Annette Street at Runnymede. After years of honing his culinary skills in esteemed Toronto kitchens such as Auberge du Pommier and Mistura, Peter Sanagan's passion for quality meat led him to open the Kensington shop in 2009. Drawing inspiration from his culinary experiences and time spent in Milan, he sought to create a space that celebrated Ontario's exceptional meats and poultry from small, family farms and local producers. Peter's commitment to quality and sustainability has made Sanagan’s Meat Locker a staple in Toronto's food scene, offering not only top-tier meats but also prepared foods, artisanal grocery products, and fantastic housemade charcuterie. @sanagansmeatlocker ----- The Depanneur is where Interesting Food Things happen. For more than a decade The Dep has been showcasing Toronto’s remarkable culinary diversity by hosting unique food events. @thedepanneur