A New Wave of Charcuterie from Montreal to Astoria

The Deli is an ode to the artisanal food makers of New York. Two weeks ago, we introduced Brutus Bakeshop, an inclusive Brooklyn-based cake and pastry company by Lani Halliday. This week, we are spotlighting Cochonneries’ artisan meats by Marcelo Argueta.

The Product: Charcuterie (terrines, dry cured meats, sausages, and more)
The Deli Pick: The Lonza (cured pork loin, similar to a prosciutto but with a bit of spice)
How To Buy: For inquiries or special orders, direct message @cochonneries.nyc on Instagram. Bushwick & Astoria pick up + local delivery available for larger orders. $12-$30.

Charcuterie has always been a passion. It started with being from Montreal, and experiencing the great quality ingredients and French culinary culture there. I was working as a chef, and it was not easy. So I left when David Aghapekian, a friend of mine who was a butcher and owned Boucherie dans la Côte, asked me to be his apprentice. I learned where animals came from, how to break them down and how to use them sustainably, without wasting anything - something we don’t learn as cooks. Switching from being a cook to being a butcher was just night and day. It was like therapy. 

When I got a visa to move to New York and be closer to my now-wife, I wanted to focus on one thing and become really good at it, as opposed to trying to make a name for myself as a chef in a city that I was new in. I got hired by the Wythe Hotel as an assistant butcher and line cook at Christina Lecki’s Reynard. When Le Crocodile took over, the new team made me the head butcher for the transition, and I was able to help develop their charcuterie program. Unfortunately, when the pandemic happened, everything got shut down. Besides making meals for healthcare workers, I wanted to find a way to be useful. My friend was working at Foster Sundry and their team needed help breaking down animals. I introduced them to charcuterie preparations ranging from chicken liver mousse to boudins and terrines, and a year later I am lucky to have become their head butcher. 

I have been making client’s orders from their kitchens. Moving forward, I want to do more special orders for chefs and have a brick-and-mortar location for the public. I’d like to have a cafe where I can offer very simple sandwiches with the charcuterie that I make, and where you can sit down, have a little piece of cheese, have a little bread, have a little bit of wine with some charcuterie. What matters to me the most ultimately is bringing products from local farms that are doing incredible work to the public. There's something really beautiful about that.

Greatest hit: The coppa! What I started to make first.

Most underrated product: The pâtés (from classic rillettes to prune and rabbit, which most people associate to a strong taste of organ meat whereas it can incredibly elegant and complex if done right).

Tip to best enjoy your products: Charcuterie should be seasoned well. Eat it with fresh bread and any condiment you like, from honey and cassis jelly to mustard and pistachios or simply Maldon salt and olive oil.

Favorite place to eat in NY: Ammazza Caffè where I got married, Diego Moya’s food at Racines, and my #1 supporter, LaLou. 

Food makers to follow: El Rey Del Tamal reminds me of home, and Ravenna’s Native Bread and Pastry.