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Mondo
Carne The World of the OtherWhite (and Red) Meats BY FRANCESCA FRENCH Whether because of increased competitiveness or a desire to be different, Portland chefs are beefing up their menus with exotic meats. This is good business for Geoff Latham of Nicky USA, an exotic meats wholesaler who started by selling rabbits out of his garage in the early 1990s. Today he works out of a large warehouse on Southeast 3rd Avenue and sells everything from rattlesnake to musk ox. With a round face and a ready smile, Latham, 33, looks like a boyish version of the quintessential friendly neighborhood butcher. But he's a wholesaler, not a hands-on butcher, and his "growers" (vendors) cut meat to his specifications. From there, he sells to distributors, who in turn sell to some of the best restaurants in cities like New York, Los Angeles and Boston. "Rabbits are what have been the backbone of our business," says Latham, who adds that venison, buffalo and alligator are becoming very popular. One of the toughest sellers, water buffalo, is also one of the toughest meats, Latham admits: "The steaks are like leather to me." Ostrich, which may sound exotic to some, is becoming common. As a result, the price has dropped tremendously. "There's so much production of ostrich in the U.S. now....You'll be pummeled to death with ostrich in the next 10 years." What Latham can't get from growers in Oregon, he acquires elsewhere in the United States, Canada and Scotland. His wild boar is from Texas; his caribou comes from Alaska. But Latham speaks most enthusiastically of the hunted game he imports from Scotland. "Scottish hare, without a doubt, is the most unusual tasting, and it just takes the right person to cook it," he says. "Most of us wouldn't want to buy one and take it home and try to cook it without some experience." Latham prefers his Scottish wild hare with a foie gras medallion down the middle, the way Heathman chef Philippe Boulot prepared it for him. Though its product list contains hundreds of items, Nicky USA doesn't sell meats that have not been approved by the Department of Fish and Wildlife, like bear. "What we do here in the Northwest is all farm-raised and USDA-inspected, not like they can get away with in Colorado or Illinois," he says. "I'm pretty proud of the fact that all of our local stuff is federally inspected." Currently, Latham says, venison cannot be imported from Scotland because the Department of Fish and Wildlife believes it's possible for hoofed animals from the British Isles to contract mad cow disease. He hopes the ban will be lifted by next year. Latham doesn't sell retail, but you can find his meats in many local restaurants. Because many of these alternative meats are lower in fat and cholesterol than traditional meats like pork and beef, health-conscious people are happily turning to them. But Latham also believes that bison heart, buffalo jerky and ground kangaroo are the products for which bored palates are longing. "Hey," he says with a winning smile, "this is not what you're going to get right up the street."
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