Despite what you may think, Hank Charcuterie is not named after someone named Hank. In actuality, hank is another term for a coil or bundle of sausage links. For those of you not up on your French, a charcuterie is a delicatessen specializing in dressed meats. Thus, Hank Charcuterie is an appropriate name for a Lawrence’s premier delicatessen.
I spoke with owner and head chef, Vaughn Good, and chef de cuisine, Juan Carlos Tovar-Ballagh, on how Hank Charcuterie (heretofore referred to as “Hank’s”, it’s more common moniker) came about. Good became interested in charcuterie while attending a culinary school in New York City. After having worked at Pachamamas for a few years, Good realized he wanted to pursue his love for charcuterie.
Hank’s serves a variety of cuts from local farms. According to Good and Tovar-Ballagh, the delicatessen’s wide variety of sausage links, including Garlic Pale Ale, is the best selling meat. While Hank’s is primarily known for its locally-sourced meat, that is certainly not all the delicatessen offers. They have expanded their operations to include brunch, lunch, and dinner options. The dishes often change from week to week, so there’s always something new.
Hank’s also serves vegetarian dishes and pickled vegetables, including kimchi. And as someone who lived in South Korea for two years and desperately misses eating kimchi every day, Hank’s kimchi is the closest thing that I have eaten to the “real” thing.
I arrived at Hank’s right as they stopped serving lunch. So, after perusing their happy hour menu, I chose the charcuterie board and kimchi & duck fat roasted potatoes with a 6 minute egg. The charcuterie board was a sample platter of sorts, including some more uncommon meats and meat products, including smoked headcheese and duck rilettes. The board also came with four slices of bread, as well as pickled vegetables, duck liver pate, and smoked apple butter.
While not too expensive, it might not fit every college student’s budget. However, the meal was worth every penny. The kimchi & duck fat roasted potatoes with a 6 minute egg was a perfect alternative for more liberally-oriented vegetarians, and was only one dish among many that could appeal to our herbivore friends.
The drink consumed with the meal was a Horsefeather, a libation that happens to be a personal favorite. It is not too difficult to mess this one up, but the Horsefeather at Hank’s was particularly tasty. It had just the right balance of ingredients.
Hank Charcuterie is located at 1900 Massachusetts Street, on the corner of 19th and Massachusetts Streets. Hank’s is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on Sundays. It’s closed on Mondays.
*Note: Photos by Jonathan Blum*