Kelly Kawachi and Andrew Gumpel on Being an Independent Butcher Today

Denver butchers Kelly Kawachi and Andrew Gumpel had only connected over social media when biltong brought them together in person. Gumpel, butcher/plant manager of River Bear American Meats came into Blackbelly Market, where Hawaii-native Kawachi has been head butcher for four years. He had a question about a recipe he was testing for the South African air-cured meat. Kawachi and Blackbelly chef/owner Hosea Rosenberg were intrigued by River Bear’s large-scale...