Michael Maddox, chef/owner of Le Titi De Paris, a restaurant in suburban Chicago renowned for its excellence in French cuisine and expert service, believes he’s made a great find in Berkshire pork. He describes it as being so flavorful and tender that it stands on its own without having to be enhanced and slices ¼” thick with a plastic knife. “I once had a customer ask ‘what did you do to this pork?’. They were surprised when I told them a little salt, a little pepper and a little bit of spice. They were expecting a much more extraordinary type of preparation.”

This has been the most pleasantly surprising aspect of using Berkshire for Michael – there’s simply less work involved with preparation. “It has lots of flavor already with nice marbling. It doesn’t need tenderizing or brining, and it’s very easy to handle. Of course, you have to not overcook or undercook it, but when you let the Berkshire pork stand on its own just surrounding it with great flavor and great textures – so you’re highlighting the pork versus covering up the pork – you’ve got a great dish.”k

Although Le Titi De Paris has a highly-regarded reputation that has endured for decades, Michael believes his customers are interested in trying different and great things. He had wonderful success with a Berkshire dish featuring two cuts: a smoked pork shoulder ravioli and a mushroom-encrusted pork loin. “People loved having two different types of pork on the same plate. Lots of time when people think pork, it’s pork chops or pork tenderloin.” Recently, he prepared an Asian spiced Berkshire pork loin with brandied peach compote. People could smell it across the room and would ask “what is that wonderful smell” or remark “my husband told me that I absolutely had to try this!”.

Michael likens his passion for working with food, and finding a unique breed like Berkshire, to his parent’s passion for raising animals. “I grew up on a farm. I know the passion it takes for raising pigs. We didn’t mass produce, we had a couple hundred acres and raised pigs, cows and chickens. I still take my children out to the farm today so they can have that experience, too.”

In addition, Michael says he enjoys visiting www.nichepork.org. “I like to see all the different things farmers are doing today, and if things are being done differently, or not, compared to how my parents did things. Having lots of kinds of information is good, it’s great to know many things.”

Working with smaller meat purveyors has also been a great fit for Michael. He again relates it to coming from a small farm. “I like to work with people that have the same passion for raising their animals that my parents did. And for providing that personal touch. We’re a small privately-owned restaurant. I’ll tell them what I want and they’ll go get it for me right from the farm. You don’t get that kind of individual attention from the larger suppliers.”

Michael believes in taking that personal approach with his own customers as well, coaching his staff to imagine they’re putting out each plate to their grandmother or a close family member. “You want that kind of pride in what you serve.”

Pride. Passion. Elegance. These are the three steps followed in everything that is done at Le Titi De Paris “and that includes selecting pork.”

For more information on Michael Maddox and Le Titi De Paris, visit www.letitideparis.com.

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