When Pigs Fly Island Charcuterie

Chef Devin Lowder's Black Forest hamCharcuterie (from chair 'flesh' and cuit 'cooked') is the culinary art devoted to salting, smoking and curing meat and making forced meat products. Originally intended as a way to preserve meat millennia ago, long before the advent of refrigeration, today the art continues to be practiced not only for preservation but also, and particularly, for the flavors derived from the preservation process.

When Pigs Fly Island Charcuterie Company is owned by Devin Lowder, PCEC, and his wife, Kristin Lowder. Chef Devin, a 1989 graduate of the New England Culinary Institute (NECI), is also the Co-President of the American Culinary Federation Kona-Kohala Chapter, a Kona County Farm Bureau Board member and serves on the Advisory Committee for the West Hawai'i Community College.

Although Chef Devin has been making charcuterie since his days as a student at the NECI, it wasn't until about two and a half years ago that he realized there was a demand for locally produced quality charcuterie that uses island-grown meats and ingredients.

All of his charcuterie products are made with island-raised duck, chicken, pork and grass-fed beef. The other ingredients used in sausage making or curing meats are either mostly grown in Chef Devin's own gardens or purchased from his fellow Keauhou Farmers Market vendors.

In their gardens, Devin and Kristen are growing thyme, oregano, lemongrass, Thai basil, coriander, cilantro, pink peppercorn and allspice. They also grow the sage for their chicken and roasted garlic sausage, and the rosemary used to flavor their guanciale (pork jowl bacon) and pancetta (cured pork belly).

It is the same with the produce and products used in making their kimchee, sauerkraut and chowchow relish.

Chef Devin Lowder with some of his products."We try to support other vendors at the farmers market by purchasing or trading for produce as much as possible rather than buying from a grocer", says Chef Devin. "We have friends bring us produce, like the green tomatoes that we use in our chowchow (a Southern specialty), and luscious ripe tomatoes that are made into marinara sauce that tops one of our specialty 'dogs.'" He adds, "The honey used for our Big Island Honey cured ham is bought from Big Island Bees Company."

At this time, the company is producing several styles of bacon such as Kiawe smoked, Italian Pancetta and Back Bacon, which is cured pork loin Canadian-bacon style. Their long list of meat and sausage products includes Cotto Salami, Mortadella, Italian Pastrami (made with their own pastrami, caramelized onions and bleu cheese), German Bratwurst made with pork and veal, Italian sausage made from pork and Italian herbs and spices, Kimchee sausage, Chicago Style hot dogs made with Big Island grass fed beef, Local Style Portuguese sausage, Cajun Style Andouille, Jagdwurst (ham-style cured pork belly sausage), Tuscan "Salumi," regular Chorizo, Portuguese Dry Chorizo, and Shawarma Sausage (Big Island beef and mutton mixed with Middle Eastern spices). The Lowders also make pork and duck pâté, kimchee, chowchow relish and sauerkraut.

Their catering department can prepare assorted platters with 48 hours notice. Not all of the products mentioned above are available at all times, so they ask custombers to call for the list of assorted combinations, sizes and prices.

The Keauhou Shopping Center Farmers Market (Saturday mornings) is their flagship location, but their products can also be found at the Kailua Candy Company and at Kevin Pittman's Kona Hawk Farms booth at South Kona Green Market on Sundays (limited availability at the last two locations for now), and other locations to be announced soon.

For the time being, all advertising is being done through their Facebook page and word of mouth.