Cooking is something great chefs do inherently, not necessarily for a pay check. Ideas for a new dish come at the most untimely times, overturning sleep patterns and jamming schedules. But those sleep-deprived, ever-blinking light bulbs can turn into tremendous, unexpected things in the kitchen.
Ben Grossmann of Dig A Pony in Portland is that ever-imagining kind of chef. He spent almost four years as sous chef at Nostrana, a James Beard favorite and Italian joint nine blocks away. His new office is known for long weekend lines and wee-hour dance parties but beneath the house music is a noteworthy cocktail and food menu.
Over a drink at his bar, Grossmann talks about the potential of complex cocktails and the wonders they can do for certain foods. The Portland native seems relentlessly curious, a likely quality from someone who studied biology in college. Apparently, he got into food while cooking for kids during an after-school program after he graduated. The kids would tell their parents that Grossmann’s food was better than anything they were getting at home. Not exactly what a parent wants to hear, but his skill set was revealed nonetheless. He opted for culinary school and has been in the restaurant world since.
Today, Grossmann is revealing a side project of sorts. He collaborated with Face Rock Creamery in the southern Oregon coastal town of Bandon for a few cocktail and cheese pairings. The creamery sources from a single dairy, putting the 100 percent grass-fed cow’s milk in the capable hands of founder and second-generation cheesemaker Brad Sinko. While none of the pairings ended up on Dig A Pony’s menu, it was a creative exercise and palate widener that brought new life to drinks typically seen as solitary. And with Arkansas and North Carolina is his family tree, there was a noticeable Southern bend to his creations. Here’s what we had.
Pairing 1: “Old Fashioned & Gritz”
On display here was Face Rock’s Bacon and Sun Dried Tomato Cheddar. It was melted onto a polenta square and hit with Dungeness crab, orange juice, chive, zest and a few other things. The result was bright, taking the sweetness of the Old Fashioned to more citrusy terrain. The fat of the bacon reveled in the caramel-like flavors of the drinks, while the tomato offered just enough acid to temper things.
Pairing 2: “Rye On Rye”
“I pretty much love any cured meat,” Grossmann says. “This one, bresaola, worked particularly well as a sly take on roast beef. The spices used in the cure—juniper, nutmeg, clove, etc.—tasted great with the horseradish and the rye toast and the aquavit.”
Grossmann says this is a spin on a Gibson, a gin and vermouth standby. He was trying to avoid the obvious pairing of a Bloody Mary, so often used in tandem with horseradish. Here, the Uruguayan-style meat—bresaola—played wonderfully off the baking spice hit of the of aquavit. Altogether, the flavors were at once comforting and winter-like and sprightly, with a briny quality afforded by the faux-Gibson.
Pairing 3: “Elevated Corn Ball & Pink Moose”
While there was spice in this pairing, the floral notes reigned supreme. Grossmann drew from an old Nostrana combo, the Negroni and pimento. The Pink Moose, built around tequila, lime, grapefruit, agave and bitters, took the natural MSG of the pimento head on, while still offering a nice kick on the finish. This pairing was the most topsy-turvy of the bunch, starting savory, going spicy, going herbal and then finishing with one last spicy finale.
Pairing Advice from Chef Grossmann:
“Any pairing should start with either a great contrast or a great affinity. If you’re starting with a cocktail, think about the flavors in the base spirit. For instance, some gins are really juniper forward and are great with richer foods like pork or duck. But a crisp citrusy gin would work better with a composed salad.
Or take a Manhattan. Very rich with vanilla and caramel from the bourbon and all the savory qualities of the vermouth. You could match all those with an ice cream Sunday. It’s even already got a cherry! But you could also cut completely through all those flavors by playing with spicy greens and orange zest and something crunchy and salty.”
