While we love selling spices online to home chefs, we will never forget where we started — in person, with restaurants. What began as a few wholesale spice orders to restaurants in the Rocky Mountains has grown to more than 400 restaurant partners across the country. We’re inspired by these chefs every day, so we figured it’s only fair to share them with you so you can be inspired in your own kitchen too.
Nate Singer, Head Butcher — Blackbelly
If you love meat and haven’t been to Blackbelly in Boulder, what are you waiting for? In addition to a kick-ass restaurant and catering company, Blackbelly also has a whole animal butcher shop where they cure and sell their own meat. Today, we caught up with Nate Singer, Head Butcher and Salumiere of the entire operation. He has been with Hosea Rosenberg and Blackbelly for almost seven years, when it was just a catering company. Bottom line — you haven’t lived until you’ve watched Nate break down a whole animal.
Why do you choose to work with The Spice Guy?
I’ve worked with Zach since we met through mutual friends, really since the beginning. He’s able to offer that quality assurance that we’re always looking for. We trust his ingredients and transparency because he respects where food comes from. And quality meat and quality spices go hand-in-hand.
What TSG products do you incorporate into your dishes? Do you have a favorite?
A lot — I use The Spice Guy products at home, at Blackbelly and for Carter Country Meats — the meat company I do some R&D for. We’ve even used some of the blends in a Carter Country Meats box to sell up in Yellowstone. They have different names in the box, but I love the Perfect Burger, Summit Country Steak & Veg, Citrus Pucker Pepper, Tiger Steak and Burger and Buffalo Bills Black Gold.
You helped The Spice Guy team develop the Buffalo Bills Black Gold blend (our July featured spice). Can you tell us about that?
It’s another reason I love working with you guys. When I had an idea for something, Zach and the team was excited to try it out and see if we could make it work. I came to him with this idea, and instead of turning me away, he was like, “Let’s do this.”
I love the charcoal blend because it helps bring in the smoke flavor in the winter and fall time without pulling 12 hours of smoke on a meat. Anything we want that carbon mark on to emulate a long smoke time at Blackbelly, we’re using it. Mostly on beef, though.
What do you wish more people knew about using herbs and spices?
People are definitely too cautious with it… put more on there, you know? And, there’s a whole realm of spices that you can’t explore without letting them bloom in some water, oil and fat. All of the aromatic spices, like in Indian dishes, really come alive after that.
What are you most excited about right now?
Well, a few things. At Blackbelly, we’ve got a lot of summer events going on, and it’s the best time of year for catering.
Carter Country Meats will start selling meat online August 1st, and we’re really excited about that. AND, I’m about to go on tour with COCHON555 to do cooking demos exclusively with Carter Country Meats and the Buffalo Bills Black Gold.