Well, even though I feel like I've been rode hard and put up wet, our first attempt at grilling dawgs at the Cherry Street market went as well as can be expected. As with any new venture, the learning curve can be quite steep, like trying to scale Everest in sneakers. I definitely learned alot about what to do, and especially what not to do, but first and foremost, I want to thank everybody that came out in the not so ideal conditions to support us!
A few gems of wisdom I gleaned from the day include:
1. Make sure the cart is oriented so the juices from the dawgs flows toward the drain pan, not away from it. (memories of the Exxon Valdez flashed before me towards the end of the market)
2. No matter what your friends tell you, don't put wet paper towels in one of the steam pans. (unless you're out of kindling or want to see if you can get one of the LP gas canisters into orbit)
3. Line the bottom of the pans with foil to make clean up easier. (KP duty when I served in the army was like a paid vacation to Bali compared to the aftermath Saturday)
4. Organize the cash in the apron so it's easier to change money for the customers. (my system, which really means no system unless one humongous wad counts, was akin to trying to shuffle a deck of cards while holding a brick in each hand)
5. Don't forget vital tools when it comes to securing the cart in the trailer. (I left my drill at the farm I needed to secure the cleats around the tires so the cart wouldn't roll around in the trailer. Driving to the market I had to pull over and put my spurs on, as the trailer was bucking that bad)
With all that said, everyone seemed to think the dawgs were tasty (the pigs want their props) and we really appreciate the nice comments from everyone. We hope to have some green pepper & onion brat dawgs and a limited amount of chorizo dawgs (for you spicy hot connoisseurs) in two weeks. Next week will be brats and hots.
I also want to give a huge thank you to Jackie Smith for holding fort at the booth while I'm at the cart. She's taken to it like a duck to water, and her help has been invaluable to us! Thanks for reading, and a huge thank you for supporting your local farmers!
Pork & Greens