Slow Food Sausage

It was a chilly morning in Chattanooga late last year when I visited Link 41. The little butcher shop that could wasn't officially open for business, but I was there on business as a writer, to learn about what they did and why they did it. (That's what you always look to learn when you talk to creative people, by the way.)

And tasting the sausage and bacon, it was clear Trae Moore and Tom Montague were creative.

But little did I know it was going to feel so homey. Words like "heritage breeds," "apprenticeship," "closed loop production" and "mindful eating" started to float about the room. Slow food was the language spoken here, and for me, it was like settling into the easy chair at my best friend's house.

Link 41 served some amazing mole sausage that day, crunchy with cocoa nibs that made taking a second helping a no-brainer, even if it was following the two pieces of bacon I had already consumed. I got really excited about the whole thing and wrote all about it for the Southern Food and Beverage Museum's online pub, OKRA, which is a great resource for foodies and those interested in food history.

Link 41 doesn't yet ship it's product, but after reading the article, you might want to join me in requesting that the shipping service begin. Or else you might have to plan a trip to Chattanooga ...