What is nose-to-tail cooking? And this Brabant restaurant is doing it right!
You hear it more and more in the restaurant world: nose to tail. But what does it actually mean, and why are more and more chefs opting for this way of working? We dove in, thanks in part to Erloom, our favorite pop-up restaurant in Hilvarenbeek (Brabant) at the momentt, which is cooking entirely according to this principle this year. And if you ask them, it is actually very simple: you just use the whole animal. In this article, they explain more about the principle.
What is nose-to-tail cooking?
Nose to tail is a cooking philosophy in which a chef uses the entire animal, not just the easy, popular cuts. Don't order sirloin just because you're in the mood for sirloin. If you want to work with beef, work with the whole cow. Bones become rich sauces. Fat becomes flavor. The cuts that used to be skipped actually become the dishes that stick with you. It is a way of cooking that revolves around respect, awareness, and perhaps most importantly, better food.
Why do restaurants choose this?
The reason is not to be different. It is simply the right way to cook when you raise and slaughter an animal. Using everything is not a trend, it is logic. And it really does result in better food, more depth, more character. It forces chefs to cook consciously, to move with what is available, and to work with what the land has to offer at that moment.
How is Erloom doing?
Erloom is a pop-up restaurant that we this year follow extensively on Barts Boekje And they may well go further than most. Last winter, they opened their own butcher shop, where whole animals are processed. The linchpin in this is Luc, who has been busy for weeks supplying the seasonal chefs with a completely homemade charcuterie assortment. Pulled pork, pâté, various charcuteries hanging to mature—all from animals they personally selected and processed. In this way, they are increasingly becoming their own producers. From animal to plate.
The animals come from suppliers they consciously choose. The Black Angus cattle come from 't Schop, the location of Erloom, as local as it gets. The pigs come from Buitengewone Varkens, where the pig's well-being comes first. The chickens come from Boerderij Op 't Erf. And throughout the season, they also work with lambs from Hoeve Hoogeind, a small-scale sheep farm around the corner where the animals roam outdoors all year round.
What do you notice about this as a guest?
To be honest: maybe a little, yes. Not everyone at the table gets exactly the same cut of meat. Everyone gets both a prime cut and a braising cut, but where your neighbor has a rib-eye, you might have a sirloin. Not because something went wrong, but because that is simply how it works when you cook with the whole animal. And if you understand why, it only adds to the story on your plate.
Why do we find this so beautiful?
Because the story behind the plate is at least as important as what is on it. Nose-to-tail cooking is not a marketing term or an item on the menu; it is a way of thinking. About animals, about suppliers, about waste, and about what food actually is. This year, Erloom shows how to put that into practice, from the butcher shop to the table. And we are fully involved.
