The standard tools of food safety — thermometers and bleach buckets — are always within reach in the Charleston, S.C., kitchen of High Cotton, a sister concept of SNOB. But executive chef Anthony Gray says proper sanitation begins at the farms where he procures whole animals for his Low Country cuisine.
The free-range animals he sources not only taste better, he also claims they’re safer for consumption because they’re not “cooped up in a pen and on a concrete slab” or standing in their feces. “That really reduces the chance of cross-contamination,” he says.
Throughout each week, multiple South Carolina farmers ship whole hogs, fowl, fish and hare to High Cotton, one of several restaurants under Maverick Southern Kitchens. When they arrive, Gray’s crew is ready with thermometers to check and log product temperatures. Should a foodborne illness occur, the log would help track the source of the problem.
“That’s another benefit of working with farmers you can visit personally," Gray says. "If something happens, you can get them on the phone immediately.”
Whole hogs are broken down systematically by Gray and his sous chefs. Hind and forequarters come off first and go directly to the cooler for later dismantling; the remainder is dismantled into primal cuts. Organs arrive in separate Cryovac containers, and leftovers used in sausages or forcemeats exit the grinder into a bowl placed over ice.
Gray is proud that his crew can break down a 180-pound hog in 20 minutes, but pride isn’t the only benefit of speed. Even when the air conditioner is working overtime, he says the Deep South’s heat threatens sanitation. “We work like we do to try as much as possible to keep temperatures from fluctuating, so speed is a virtue,” he says.
So are passing health board grades. Gray says local authorities visit quarterly to check conditions and records. He credits his Johnson & Wales University training for being a stickler for sanitation.
“We stress sanitation heavily here,” he says. “You always have to cover yourself.”
The kitchen’s charcuterie production presents additional challenges, he adds, since curing requires long periods of time.
“When you’ve got a ham that can hang for a year, if it spoils, you’re kind of S.O.L. for all that effort,” he says.
Cooler temperatures and humidity levels are monitored carefully, he adds. “Some are under lock and key so they aren’t opened and closed so much the temperature changes. You’ve got to stay on top it.”