Pork Chef of the Month
Haleem Card
August 2017
It’s all in the cards for 20 year old chef Haleem Card. The young chef was voted Observer Food Awards ‘Chef on the Rise’ when he was only 17. He certainly has a winning hand when it comes to taking culinary risks. From his Green Apple Vodka Bbq pork loin or his Top Hog cake made from pork fat, Red Stripe and candied bacon, he certainly doesn’t play by the rules. We’ll take a slice of both! We sat down stove side with the young chef to talk adventurous eating and how he got the name Haleem “di gyal dem buttercream”.
Copperwood: Word on the street is that you’re Haleem “di gyal dem buttercream”! We’ve got to know. How did you get the name?
Haleem: Well besides cooking pork all the time, I also dabble in pastries - more specifically customized cakes. My custom hashtag used to be #EveryGyalChef, but I thought ‘Haleem Di Gyal Dem Buttercream’ fit better, and it has a nice ring to it!
Copperwood:Some people believe pork is just for a Christmas ham. As a chef you’ve said pork is one of your favourite meats, tell us why we don’t just have to save it for December 25th.
Haleem: Pork is my favourite meat and i'll cook it any day of the week, month or year because unlike most meats it has a natural sweetness, coupled with it's own umami qualities that's brought out each time you cook it. In other words, it never tastes the same way twice.
Copperwood: There’s so much more to pork than a good old tenderloin (although we love those too!) A lot of people don’t know about the countless varieties of pork cuts that can be used to challenge the “same old same old”. What’s some of the craziest dishes you’ve made with pork?
Haleem: When I met Chef Angie Mar at the first 'Making The Cut', I was inspired to try the craziest of things, I've re-created her porchetta—using a loin and wrapping it in pork belly. And her blood velvet cake—using pig's blood to deepen the chocolate notes and add a beautiful minerally quality that you'd normally taste when eating liver. Lately I've started using the cuts that normally would be disposed [like the ears and tongue], but you'll see those showcased soon!
Copperwood: You thought were joking when we said we love pork so much we want to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But then we thought - hey wait! That’s a great idea! Think you could help us out with a couple ideas?
Haleem: Unlike most other meats, pork fat can be used in almost the same ways as plant based oils, the use of bacon fat as an oil can substitute any cooking fat you'd normally use and add a great flavour to whatever you incorporate it into. For example, making a vinaigrette for a salad, or cooking your eggs for breakfast. Cooking roasts from bigger cuts like the leg, shoulder and loin ahead of time and just slicing off it make great meat for sandwiches or for times when you feel like switching up your normal lunch routine; not to mention adding one to your dinner table will definitely turn heads and impress your guests. The possibilities are endless!
Copperwood: We love that you support the Jamaican local market with Coronation market as one of you favourite spots to grab produce. At Copperwood we’re investing in the local industry and we have a dream to make the pork industry sustainable for farmers. What would you recommend to readers who want to support the local food market?
Haleem: What I love more than the food is the market itself, it's one of the only places that is still untouched and hasn't been turned into a tourist attraction. The vendors toil in the sun for months and continue a craft that's passed down from generation to generation for years, sometimes even sleeping in the market to sell all their goods to send their children to school. Why wouldn't we want to support that? Jamaican produce consists of vibrant colours and rich flavours, leaps and bounds ahead of what we import. I suggest to just take the time and visit the local markets and support the Jamaican food, made by Jamaicans for Jamaicans.
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It’s all in the cards for 20 year old chef Haleem Card. The young chef was voted Observer Food Awards ‘Chef on the Rise’ when he was only 17. He certainly has a winning hand when it comes to taking culinary risks. From his Green Apple Vodka Bbq pork loin or his Top Hog cake made from pork fat, Red Stripe and candied bacon, he certainly doesn’t play by the rules. We’ll take a slice of both! We sat down stove side with the young chef to talk adventurous eating and how he got the name Haleem “di gyal dem buttercream”.
Copperwood: Word on the street is that you’re Haleem “di gyal dem buttercream”! We’ve got to know. How did you get the name?
Haleem: Well besides cooking pork all the time, I also dabble in pastries - more specifically customized cakes. My custom hashtag used to be #EveryGyalChef, but I thought ‘Haleem Di Gyal Dem Buttercream’ fit better, and it has a nice ring to it!
Copperwood:Some people believe pork is just for a Christmas ham. As a chef you’ve said pork is one of your favourite meats, tell us why we don’t just have to save it for December 25th.
Haleem: Pork is my favourite meat and i'll cook it any day of the week, month or year because unlike most meats it has a natural sweetness, coupled with it's own umami qualities that's brought out each time you cook it. In other words, it never tastes the same way twice.
Copperwood: There’s so much more to pork than a good old tenderloin (although we love those too!) A lot of people don’t know about the countless varieties of pork cuts that can be used to challenge the “same old same old”. What’s some of the craziest dishes you’ve made with pork?
Haleem: When I met Chef Angie Mar at the first 'Making The Cut', I was inspired to try the craziest of things, I've re-created her porchetta—using a loin and wrapping it in pork belly. And her blood velvet cake—using pig's blood to deepen the chocolate notes and add a beautiful minerally quality that you'd normally taste when eating liver. Lately I've started using the cuts that normally would be disposed [like the ears and tongue], but you'll see those showcased soon!
Copperwood: You thought were joking when we said we love pork so much we want to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But then we thought - hey wait! That’s a great idea! Think you could help us out with a couple ideas?
Haleem: Unlike most other meats, pork fat can be used in almost the same ways as plant based oils, the use of bacon fat as an oil can substitute any cooking fat you'd normally use and add a great flavour to whatever you incorporate it into. For example, making a vinaigrette for a salad, or cooking your eggs for breakfast. Cooking roasts from bigger cuts like the leg, shoulder and loin ahead of time and just slicing off it make great meat for sandwiches or for times when you feel like switching up your normal lunch routine; not to mention adding one to your dinner table will definitely turn heads and impress your guests. The possibilities are endless!
Copperwood: We love that you support the Jamaican local market with Coronation market as one of you favourite spots to grab produce. At Copperwood we’re investing in the local industry and we have a dream to make the pork industry sustainable for farmers. What would you recommend to readers who want to support the local food market?
Haleem: What I love more than the food is the market itself, it's one of the only places that is still untouched and hasn't been turned into a tourist attraction. The vendors toil in the sun for months and continue a craft that's passed down from generation to generation for years, sometimes even sleeping in the market to sell all their goods to send their children to school. Why wouldn't we want to support that? Jamaican produce consists of vibrant colours and rich flavours, leaps and bounds ahead of what we import. I suggest to just take the time and visit the local markets and support the Jamaican food, made by Jamaicans for Jamaicans.
We also asked Haleem to create two unique pork dishes for us. He made juicy Ground Pork Sliders and succulent and easy Roasted Pork Shoulder that could easily be your next go to main dish on your Christmas Table. See both recipes below!
Recent posts
February 18, 2018
Recent news
July 19, 2017
Do you like it?
The third staging of Copperwood Pork’s Making the Cut Seminar opens today with International Chef Charlie Mckenna and Animal Science expert from the University of Georgia, Dr […]
July 10, 2017
Do you like it?
Copperwood’s pork-centric ‘Making the Cut’ seminar will return to Kingston for its third staging next week. Borne out of Copperwood’s ‘Know Your Pork’ campaign, Making the […]
February 22, 2017
Do you like it?
The Opposition has accused the Government of contributing to the glut by granting permits for imported pork and pork products. President of the Jamaica Pig Farmers’ […]
We also asked Haleem to create two unique pork dishes for us. He made juicy Ground Pork Sliders and succulent and easy Roasted Pork Shoulder that could easily be your next go to main dish on your Christmas Table. See both recipes below!
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