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Here’s a good reason to leave the city in the dust: Next month, on Saturday, February 1, beginning at 10:30 a.m., chef and master butcher Mark DeNittis, the brainchild behind the Rocky Mountain Institute of Meat at Cook Street School of Culinary Arts, is giving food-conscious curiosity seekers and students the opportunity to take a field trip to the farm, specifically Sunrise Ranch, a 350-acre, holistic prairie land burrowing in the hills of Loveland. “This is the first of many unique cooperative opportunities to come from the professional teams of the Rocky Mountain Institute of Meat,” says DeNittis, adding that the all-day excursion, complete with lunch and dinner, is “geared toward home cooks, enthusiasts and professional alike.”
See also: Whole hog hoedown with Il Mondo Vecchio’s Mark DeNittis: the piggy food porn
Those who make the trek will get a tour of the farm and ranch, which utilizes organic farming methods and is home to permaculture vegetable gardens, pasture-raised poultry and eggs, goats, cows and pigs. Following the tour, DeNittis, who’s always theatrical in his chain apron, will teach a hands-on course in whole cow butchery; lunch and dinner, courtesy of the chefs at Sunrise Ranch, will also be provided. “Truly, this is a unique opportunity for food lovers, regardless of their experience, to better understand how meat is raised, processed and prepared. This is all about demonstrating the path from pasture to plate” stresses DeNittis.
The $135 tuition includes the class, the tour and both meals, and if you go, DeNittis asks that you bring your own apron; if you want to bunk overnight, lodging is available for an additional fee. To register, call 970-679-4244.
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