Producer Spotlight: Bill Miner from Il Porcellino

Meet Bill Miner Chef abrian_billnd Owner of Il Porcellino, a salumari and market in the highlands neighborhood that is standing up big for pasture raised meat.

We spoke with Bill about what eating local means to him and Il Porcellino.

How does local food play a central role in your life?

I feel like I surround myself with local food, especially this time of year with all of the amazing produce available in Colorado. My wife and I have a vegetable garden, which provides herbs to the restaurant. We have 2 young boys, and like them to understand where their food comes from via our garden, as well as visits to local farms like Corner Post Meats and Ugly Goat Farm! We eat local and live local everyday.

How do your local food values show up in your business?

Everything at Il Porcellino Salumi that we can source from Colorado we do. There are a few exceptions like olive oil, nuts, and some produce when we’re not in the height of our growing season. We pride ourselves on sourcing 90% of what we use from within the state of Colorado. Every animal that we use was raised here, on a pasture, given a happy life and fed what it should be. We know our farmers and ranchers, and they are our friends. We our proud to use the term “Colorado Cured Meats”!

Who/which restaurants/farms/businesses inspired you to begin on your business’s journey?

I think there are couple of businesses that inspired us to open Il Porcellino. One is Boccalone in San Francisco. It is a salumeria owned by celebrated chef Chris Cosentino. Their cured meats are second to none and this is where I discovered Nduja, a spicy, spreadable salami. Also, Fruition Farms in Larkspur owned by Alex Seidel has been an inspiration. He is a true pioneer in Denver leading the local food movement. His dedication to raising his own livestock, growing his own vegetables and making the best sheep’s milk cheese I’ve ever tasted is extremely inspirational to me. Thank you Alex for what you’ve done for the Denver food scene.

What does the term “locavore” mean to you and do you consider yourself a locavore?

A locovore is someone who eats nothing but local food. I try my best to be one, but it’s hard in Colorado because of the growing season and the lack of seafood here!

Tell me one local food item you can’t live without?

One local product I can’t live without is the Shepherd’s Halo cheese from Fruition Farms. It is made by Jimmy Warren, the head cheese maker at Fruition, and it might be the greatest cheese on the planet. The richness of the sheep’s milk shines through in a creamy texture and ripeness from a bloomed rind. It’s unbelievable if you’ve never tried it, you can find it at Mercantile or we sell it at Il Porcellino.

Share one tip for someone who is interested in incorporating local food into their daily life.

My advice for anyone trying to incorporate local food into their life would be to know where your food comes from. Get to know farmer’s and ranchers. They are our friends and we pride ourselves on the relationships that we have built with them!

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Recent Posts

Being a Conscious Consumer this Holiday Season.

It's upon us, the season of celebration filled with joy and gathering. As we embrace a time of giving and receiving, I’d like to suggest we approach it with intention and care. I mean many things by this, but primarily the predictable suggestion to consciously consume...

Announcing the Snail Trail!

Slow Food Denver is excited to announce the launch of the Snail Trail. It is a dining passport that will take you on an eating adventure with coupons from a dozen of Denver’s restaurants & food organizations that are aligned with our Chapter’s efforts for good,...

Learning with Lil’ Sprouts: Pasta Salad

Learning with Lil' Sprouts: Pasta Salad    How best to keep a dozen kids grades K-4 engaged in a cooking class? I ask myself this as I start my first semester teaching two classes with Lil’ Sprouts. The answer, it turns out, is not to plan a class around all the...

At Home Soil Conservation

At Home Soil Conservation  The use of fertile land for crops is essential for our society. However, a report on agriculture notes that US soil is seeing high soil degradation and a drop in soil fertility. To make up for this loss, farmers use fertilizers containing...

Learning with Lil’ Sprouts: Homemade Dressing and Salad

Learning with Lil' Sprouts: Homemade Dressing and Salad   I don’t like salad! is the first response of most students when I tell them we are making a dressing and salad for cooking class.  You don’t have to like it, but you may have fun making one I tell them....

Fall Recipe: Swedish Apple Cake

Fall Recipe: Swedish Apple Cake One of my favorite things about fall, without a doubt, is the food. The scents, tastes, and memories that surround autumn dishes always make me look forward to the cooler weather and falling leaves. One recipe that has been a staple...