Food Finds - The Spotted Trotter Charcuterie

When it comes to charcuterie, Atlanta remains woefully under-served

The Spotted Trotter Charcuterie (www.thespottedtrotter.com) is the latest mobile purveyor to hit the streets of Atlanta. Owner Kevin Ouzts’ passion for charcuterie is evident in the array of impeccable cured and processed meats he sells every Saturday morning at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market. Ouzts has an impressive resume with stints under chefs Shaun Doty and Linton Hopkins while studying at Le Cordon Bleu. After graduation - and a trip to the Slow Food International Terra Madre Conference in Torino, Italy, as a delegate chef - Ouzts worked his way up the line to sous chef at Restaurant Eugene. He also completed an educational externship at the famed French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., under the venerable chef Thomas Keller, and worked at chef Taylor Boetticher’s popular Fatted Calf.

When the time came for Outz to strike out on his own, he knew charcuterie was the place to be. He knew that, when it comes to charcuterie, Atlanta remains woefully underserved. The Spotted Trotter’s offerings are simple, but each product is revelatory. Take for instance, the Asian spiced lamb crépinettes. Freshly ground local lamb is mixed with hints of lemon and ginger, formed into patties, and wrapped in caulfat. The caulfat keeps the patties uniform and coats the tangy mixture, which also keeps it moist. Slightly sweet Toulouse sausages made with local pork are redolent of traditional French spices. The Fegatelli, a ubiquitous item at any Tuscan butcher shop, delivers a dry and tangy sausage made from minced pork liver that’s spiced and wrapped in slender tubes of caulfat before being air-dried. The result is a piquant and super meaty snack with a pleasantly bitter finish.

Ouzts’ philosophy is a beautiful mashup of all the great chefs he has worked with and his own personal experiences with food. “Our mission is to make the food you eat the food you love because it is handled with the utmost respect - from the farmer that produced it to your dining table,” says Ouzts. Anyone who has tasted the Spotted Trotter’s products can attest that Ouzts is doing just that.

Look for the Spotted Trotter Charcuterie at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market on Saturdays from 8 a.m.–12:30 p.m., or at Sawicki’s Meat, Seafood & More.