| A KosherEye chat with Alan Broner |
 |
 |
Co-founder, Jack’s Gourmet Kosher Sausage
How did a dentist become involved in a sausage, meat company? And then, a class on pairings of meat and beer was being given in my Brooklyn neighborhood by Chef Jack Silberstein, a graduate of the CIA. Even though I am not a beer drinker, Jack made four incredible meat dishes and paired them with very interesting beers. I was more than impressed, so I took a second class with him on pairing cheeses and wines. After that class when Jack, my wife and I, finished the left over wines.... well you know what happens when you've had a good amount of wine...one thing lead to another and I challenged a professional chef to a "Jerk Chicken Throwdown" The outcome is irrelevant, other than it forged a friendship that went beyond teacher and student. I asked Jack to teach me how to make pastrami, and after I purchased a smoker and aromatic woods, Jack and I started to make the best pastrami anyone had ever tasted, bar none. I then asked Jack to teach me how to make sausage and well, the rest is history. Friends and family were blown away by the quality and taste of kosher products that simply were not available to kosher consumers. Their encouragement, and our commitment to kosher quality, was the impetus to create "Jack's Gourmet". We launched our product line at Kosherfest 2010. It was there that Susie Fishbein went on the radio to say, "Jack's Gourmet was best in show" in her opinion. Are your products all beef, or do you also use lamb, veal, chicken etc.? What is your most popular product(s)? In truth, our products do well across the board and when I give tastings in stores/supermarkets I ask "which is your favorite" and most people respond, "I like them all" At the "Kosher Food and Wine Experience 2011" we served our Bratwurst on slider buns with Tarragon mustard and Caraway sauerkraut. We also served Chorizo Tacos; by sautéing our chorizos and serving them on hot corn tortillas with guacamole and salsa Fresca. The guacamole was made with 2 avocados, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. The salsa Fresca was made from 3 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed and chopped, 1 small red onion, 1/2 bunch cilantro, 1 jalapeno, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper — all pulsed in a food processor until chopped and combined. (A KosherEye note: Our tasters at the 2011 Kosher Food and Wine Experience enjoyed Jack’s presentation!) Where can the consumer purchase your products? (Readers, KosherEye will let you know when Jack’s is open for online ordering) March 9, 2011 |
