970 MAIN STREET
PEEKSKILL, NY 10566
(914) 930-1880
OWNERS: JOHN SHARP AND TIM REINKE;
EXECUTIVE CHEF: MARCH WALKER
In a lot of ways, Peekskill is hipster heaven. Rents are low, downtown is full of pristine nineteenth-century architecture, and it holds an excellent tattoo parlor. But unlike Brooklyn, Peekskill is virtually untouched by the mobs of wealthy lawyers and bankers who, in their eagerness to co-opt that borough’s international cool, priced out the artists who built its fame. Located a solid hour from Manhattan, Peekskill will always be rough trade. It’s artist friendly and an outlaw—and that’s why we love it.
At the heart of Peekskill’s undeniable cool lies the team of John Sharp and Tim Reinke, who teamed up after Reinke’s success with Manhattan’s beer mecca, Blind Tiger Saloon. Birdsall House debuted in 2010 with a game-changing twenty taps devoted to supremely geeky, mostly locally brewed craft beers. But behind the beer, Birdsall House had a secret weapon; its kitchen (then manned by Chef Matt Hutchins, later of The Hop in Beacon) was slinging on trend, pork-centric cuisine with ingredients sourced from local farms.
Today, Chef March Walker carries on the Birdsall House tradition with a menu that celebrates local beer, local farms, and Peekskill’s unique local flavor. In summer linger in Peekskill’s hop-lined beer garden or check out its steady roster of live music and events.
(SERVES 6)
For the Spezie Birdsall:
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon mace
4 teaspoons ground cloves
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons ground allspice
4 tablespoons ground coriander
5 tablespoons ground cumin
5 tablespoons fennel seeds
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon mild dried chili powder
For the pork and barleywine sausage:
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
¼ cup barleywine or other strong beer (Walker recommends Victory Brewing Company’s Old Horizontal or Brooklyn Brewery’s Brooklyn Monster)
4 pounds good-quality pork with a ratio of about 30 percent fat/70 percent lean (shoulder is perfect), cubed
5¾ teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Spezie Birdsall
For cooking the sausages:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
To make the Spezie Birdsall: Combine ingredients and keep in an airtight jar. Walker recommends using his Spezie Birdsall in many dishes, especially pork chops.
To make the sausage: Place the minced garlic and ginger in a blender with enough barleywine to cover and puree the mixture until smooth. In a bowl combine this mixture with the pork, salt, pepper, and Spezie Birdsall. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour.
In a stand mixer fitted with a meat grinder and a medium die, grind the mixture through once. Toss the pork mixture thoroughly with your hands, then sauté a small piece of the mixture to check the seasoning. If it’s bland, add more salt or spice and mix to taste. If it’s dry, work in a little cold water or beer. If the sausage is too coarsely ground, grind it once more, but make sure your grinder has been well chilled in the refrigerator first. Once you’re content with the flavor, knead the forcemeat very aggressively with your hands until it acquires some opacity and a slight stickiness. This step is very important for the texture of the final sausage; it will help it to stick together and hold moisture.
Stuff the mixture into hog casings according to your sausage maker’s directions, or form into patties. If using casings, make sure not to overstuff, and cook gently to avoid bursting. If making patties, be extra careful not to overcook, as these will dry out more easily. Makes about twelve 5-ounce sausages or sausage patties.
To cook the sausage: Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat vegetable oil in a medium-size, ovenproof pan over medium heat. Place sausages in pan and sear very gently until golden, then move pan to the oven to finish cooking, about 5 minutes.
Serving suggestions: Accompany the sausages with pickles, coarse, grainy mustard, and crusty bread. Says Walker, “It’s wonderful with malty beers, especially a Belgian tripel or any of the barleywine used in the recipe.”