Gordon Ramsay Learns About Hickory Nut Gap’s Regenerative Agriculture Mission and Tastes the Flavor Raised™ Difference
Asheville, NC, June 22, 2021 – Gordon Ramsay, British chef, restauranteur, television personality, and writer, visited Hickory Nut Gap Farm last fall to film an episode of his hit TV show, “Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted,” set to air on July 4, 2021, on National Geographic Television. On the grounds of Hickory Nut Gap Farm, Chef Ramsay met up with Matt Helms from Asheville’s very own Chop Shop Butchery (one of Hickory Nut Gap’s retail partners) as he showed Chef Ramsay how to make livermush — a true Appalachian staple featuring Hickory Nut Gap pasture raised pork.
Chef Ramsay also paid a visit to the Hickory Nut Gap Heritage Breed hogs and learned about the remarkable difference in taste that comes from Hickory Nut Gap’s pasture raised pigs.
“Working with the Nat Geo team and Gordon Ramsay was a pleasure. A big shout out to our friends at the Chop Shop for helping to set this up. I’ve been a Gordon Ramsay fan for a long time, and it was super special to share the farm with him and show off the good work that our production team does day-to-day. It was actually my birthday the day we filmed and I can’t think of a better, more memorable present than to be a part of the show,” stated Asher Wright, Director of Agriculture Operations at Hickory Nut Gap, who accompanied Chef Ramsay on the farm tour.
It was an exciting opportunity for the Western North Carolina region to shine as Chef Ramsay accompanied other local chefs who took him on a culinary adventure through the Great Smoky Mountains. He learned about Appalachian and Great Smokey Mountain foods – including wild foraging, catching crawfish, Cherokee Native American culture and food heritage, and much more – before facing off against Asheville-based chef, William Dissen. Be sure to check out the Smokey Mountains Episode on July 4, 2021.
About Hickory Nut Gap:
Hickory Nut Gap harvests and markets crave-ably delicious grassfed and pasture raised meats that are unsurpassed in quality and nutrition. We are partners with the land – committed to renewing our soil and pastures, improving the health and happiness of our animals, strengthening rural farming communities and helping create a cleaner environment.
Hickory Nut Gap. Flavor Raised™
For more information visit our website or contact 828-628-1027 x305 / marketing@hickorynutgap.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
About National Geographic:
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 133 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National
Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.
Featured photo by Justin Mandel from National Geographic.
Two of Asheville’s Favorite Craft Brands Partner to Create a Delicious New Product and Give Back to the Community
Asheville, NC, May 27th, 2021 – Hickory Nut Gap is excited to announce a unique collaboration with Wicked Weed Brewing to create three new mouthwatering dinner sausage flavors, all crafted using Hickory Nut Gap pasture raised pork and Wicked Weed Beer. This collaboration between two of Asheville’s top food and beverage brands has been in the works for over a year, and they’re excited to unveil these special sausage flavors just in time for grilling and beer drinking season in Appalachia.
To ensure the unique flavor profile for each new sausage was just right, Hickory Nut Gap and Wicked Weed Brewing also teamed up with a third local partner, Spicewalla, to create the perfect spice blend for each of these three distinctive flavors:
- Jerk Style Dinner Sausage made with Wicked Weed Fresh Pressed Wheat Ale, jerk seasoning, and habanero;
- Bratwurst Dinner Sausage made with Wicked Weed Pernicious India Pale Ale and cascade hops;
- Appalachian Style Dinner Sausage made with Wicked Weed Appalachia Session IPA, sassafras, and sumac.
Jamie Ager, Fourth Generation Farmer at Hickory Nut Gap, states, “Hickory Nut Gap has been a part of the WNC and Appalachian communities for over 100 years. It makes me super excited to develop partnerships with like-minded brands who, like Hickory Nut Gap, also have a commitment to craft. Wicked Weed and Spicewalla are not only great companies with great products, but they are also friends in our community. Relationships are a core value at Hickory Nut Gap and this partnership is a testament to the amazing food scene here in Western North Carolina.”
Every detail of the collaboration is important, including the land these products are created on. The Appalachian Style sausage pays homage to the land now protected through conservation efforts of Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. A portion of proceeds will be donated to support their efforts protecting the scenic views, mountains, rivers, and working farms that local businesses depend upon.
“This project is the culmination of years of collaboration coming together,” said Ryan Guthy, founder of Wicked Weed Brewing. “Working with both the Hickory Nut Gap and Spicewalla teams sparked a lot of imagination and innovation that allowed us to showcase part of what makes Western North Carolina so special – food, beer, and community. The opportunity to bring together local companies is something we’re honored to be a part of and can’t wait to introduce these sausages to the community we love, and just in time for summer!”
You can find these sausages for sale exclusively at the Hickory Nut Gap Farm Store and on their website with a special option to have all three sausage flavors shipped directly to your door, Wicked Weed locations, Earth Fare at Westgate, Hendersonville Co-op, Johnson Family Farm Store, and more to come. Be on lookout for exclusive chef samplings and special menu pairings at Wicked Weed locations over the coming weeks.
About Hickory Nut Gap:
Hickory Nut Gap harvests and markets crave-ably delicious grassfed and pasture raised meats that are unsurpassed in quality and nutrition. We are partners with the land – committed to renewing our soil and pastures, improving the health and happiness of our animals, strengthening rural farming communities and helping create a cleaner environment.
Hickory Nut Gap. Flavor Raised™
For more information visit our website or contact 828-628-1027 x305 / marketing@hickorynutgap.com. Find @hickorynutgapmeats on Facebook and @hickorynutgap on Instagram and LinkedIn.
About Wicked Weed:
Wicked Weed Brewing is an award-winning brewery based in Asheville, North Carolina. Founded in December 2012, Wicked Weed currently operates a 50-barrel production brewery, a sour beer production facility and four retail locations; the original Brewpub in the heart of downtown Asheville, the southeast’s first mixed-culture dedicated taproom, the Funkatorium, and the Wicked Weed West taproom. Most recently, in 2019 Wicked Weed opened Cultura, a fine dining restaurant that was nominated in 2020 by the James Beard Foundation for Best New Restaurant. In 2021, Wicked Weed launched their newest endeavor, Vidl Winery, specializing in the production of natural wines. Learn more at:WickedWeedBrewing.com.
From Guest Blogger: Ann Araps Sitler- HNG Meats General Manager
Rolled Up Pork Tenderloin
I love my grill and am easily pleased by a simple salt and peppered 100% grassfed burger any day, but sometimes I feel the need to mix it up. Pork tenderloin is a favorite cut of mine… small enough for 2-4 people, delightfully tender, and fairly uniform in shape. The shape is what makes it fun to cook and present. It is surprisingly simple to filet it open, line it with seasonal goodies, and roll it up. The result is a beautiful spiral of meat, cheese, and anything else you please.
Rolled Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 – 1 lb pork tenderloin
- 1/3 cup chopped greens (spinach, watercress, kale, anything fresh)
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped or shredded cheese (Looking Glass Drovers Rd is a favorite)
- 1 T. olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Directions: Butterfly the pork tenderloin, leaving some space on either end to tuck (make a ½ inch deep cut 2” from the top of the pork tenderloin along one side down to 2” from the bottom or to the point where is starts to thin. Pull the tenderloin apart and continue to cut along the side until the whole thing laid out is ½” thick). Rub the outside with olive oil and salt and pepper. Pan sear or grill for 30 seconds/side on medium high heat. Remove from heat and set aside. Mix your greens, onions, garlic, and cheese. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Spread the mixture over the opened pork leaving 1” around the edge. Roll lengthwise, tuck in the ends, and tie with butchers twine. Grill for 20 minutes on low heat or bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Let it sit at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Play with all different types of fillings for your pork tenderloin. Some suggestions are apples and goat cheese in the fall, shredded beets and sweet potato in the winter, or garlic scapes and brie in the spring.
