Pig out at Cochon555 Tour 2018

Emily Ludolf

Cochon555 has been a long-standing feature on every meat-loving foodie’s calendar since its conception in 2008. Its mission was to educate people about heritage breeds, in particular pigs, and how to prepare them nose-to-tail. A decade later, Cochon555 is still supporting local family farmers, and it has grown into a nationwide festival of fleshy delights. Every year, Cochon555 tours around the states, visiting fourteen cities to satiate the hundreds of gluttons who visit the event for the incredible food and legendary bourbon punch. You can also expect to find stalls there selling everything from elegant kitchen decor to the finest condiments for your meat.   

Cochon555 gets its name from the main event — an intense cooking competition, where five top chefs fight to prepare five heritage breed pigs in the tastiest ways possible, accompanied by the best offerings of five select winemakers. Guests are invited to weigh in on the judging process, and the winner is crowned the “Prince/Princess of Porc.”

The 2018 Cochon555 tour of North America starts its epic journey into the world of American Heritage meat in New York on Jan. 21. Crowds of well-dressed socialites will descend on the most refined bbq event there is, and eat hundreds of pounds of the finest U.S heritage meat, as well as hundreds of bottles of free-flowing wine, spirits, craft cider and craft beer, all of which is included in the cost of the ticket.

The tour continues on, and will land in Dallas on Feb. 11 and San Francisco on March 4, featuring an event called “Swigs for Swings” where revellers will enjoy a Vertical Tasting and Wine Seminar with winemaker Nate Weis, expertly paired with footage on the big screen of the Giant’s Greatest Moments. It’s a must for any sport and wine lovers, who also enjoy their meat, and costs $400 per ticket.

Cochon555 then comes to Los Angeles on March 11. General admission tickets are $130 and VIP tickets are $200 and include an extra hour of admission to the event, as well as the chance to get up close and personal with the chefs, butchers, farmers and winemakers participating in the event. The next stops on the tour also cost $130 for general admission and $200 per VIP ticket. The tour takes in Minneapolis on March 25, and then moves on to Chicago for April 8, and in Seattle for April 22. On May 20 Cochon555 will be in Austin, and the final leg of the tour will take place in Miami on June 12 and finish in Denver on June 24.

The big finale to the tour has been planned to mark Cochon’s decade anniversary. The tour will culminate in the Grand Cochon in Chicago on Sept. 30, and tickets are $225. The ten winning chefs will showdown for the title of “King or Queen of Porc” and the event will feature the “Best 3 Bites” from the entire tour, as well as unlimited tastings of caviar, oysters, artisanal cheese and local wine, as well as craft beer and cider.

Cochon555 tour tickets and Grand Cochon tickets are available here.