Never in my life have I eaten duck and goat in the same day… until yesterday.

Beast Feast 2014 was held on the lawn of Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown and featured local chefs and butchers slaving over open fires since the wee hours of the morning to cook whole goats, pigs, ducks, chickens and sides of beef.  They fixed some delicious side dishes too.  There was also lots of local beer, wine and cider to sample.  Oh and a country/bluegrass band.  And a chance to tour Scotchtown.  And if you paid a bit more for a VIP wristband, plenty of cocktails mixed and served by local bartenders and Rappahannock oysters to enjoy.

The slow-cooked meats were all delicious.  Long, slow cooking over open fires is a technique that goes way back, probably into prehistory, and there’s something primal (and yummy) about seeing and smelling the different animals being cooked.  The outside skin crisps up or chars, and the meat inside is left to roast in its own fat.  The duck, especially, was amazingly juicy.  The sides were veggie-heavy and plentiful.  The ambience – hay bales for seating and constant cornhole games – was laid back but what I like to call “country elegant” (think Garden and Gun magazine).  Lots of girls in dresses and cowboy boots.

Here are some pics.  Enjoy!

Cooking

Serving – mmm… goat!

Goat, beef, farro salad, sweet potatoes

Pork two ways, beans, Caprese-type salad

Duck breast, beet salad, sweet potatoes, gravy

Local wines and ciders

Visited the kitchen and found out that Scotchtown offers hearth cooking classes for $25 a person.  I totally want to do this for my birthday at the end of October.  Who’s with me?

Everyone could use a bit more meat juice.