What's a cure to the End of Summer Blues? Brooklyn Cured.

On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of going to Trophy Bar in Brooklyn to go to the Brooklyn Cured Cookout. What can complete a summer night better than the aroma of grilled meats wafting in the twilight air?

Brooklyn Cured was started by Bensonhurst native, Scott Bridi, as an antidote to the lack of imaginative charcuterie on New Yorkers plates. Everything he makes, from the sausages, the bacon, to the smoked pork rillets (a sort of  spreadable pulled pork) is done small batch style to ensure its deliciousness. The cookout was a great way to be introduced to his product line in an intimate, super relaxed setting.

My favorite dish of the evening? The Chicken Chorizo Slider, with a cilantro and grilled scallion pesto and a vinegar red cabbage slaw.

So usually, when you think slider, you think of a thimble-sized sandwich/burger/whatever that barely has any flavor and doesn't stick around long enough even if it had any. Not this one. The sausage patty was thick, juicy, and smelled fantastic. I loved how vibrantly colored the condiments were.The taste, even better. Incredibly succulent because of the dark meat, and very flavorful without being too salty. I never imagined applying the flavors of chorizo to chicken before, but now I definitely won't count it out. You can make a satisfying sausage with chicken!

A closer look at this thing of beauty. 

The tangy crunch of the vinegar-based slaw and the pungency of the pesto kept the sandwich from seeming too rich. I think the only additional thing I would have liked from this sandwich was if the brioche roll was toasted, just a little bit. Toasting bread just adds another textural component for me that I really enjoy...but it was only a minor point off. I also had another sandwich, the Hot Italian Sausage with Provolone Fonduta, which was very tasty...but I think this little gem stole my heart.