Butcher and Beast: Mastering the Art of Meat, a Cookbook

This singular cookbook features the food of Greenwich Village's Beatrice Inn. But just as significantly, it showcases the remarkable philosophy of the Beatrice's chef-owner, Angie Mar, who turned an old-school New York City institution into a vibrant locus for downtown nightlife that is also seriously respected for its food. And in particular for its bold approach to meat.

The recipes here are almost entirely for meat dishes or their accompaniments, and where they don't include meat, they feature poultry or seafood. (Okay, there are a few desserts, too.) Throughout her menu, Mar uses animal fat the way other restaurants use butter. But because of its ability to convey the animal's own distinct flavor, she can use less of it to obtain similarly sumptuous results. Among the dishes that caught our eye:

• Oxtail and escargot bourguignon
• Muscadet vine-smoked rabbit
• Lavender-aged beef
• Bone marrow-bourbon crème brûlée
• Truffled hen and leek pie
• Pork liver pâté with port and juniper gelée

Completely unlike any other chef's book in 2019.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.