Camas Davis, a name synonymous with whole-animal butchery and a deep dive into food origins, once navigated a different landscape: the bustling food scene of Portland, Oregon. Before establishing the Portland Meat Collective and penning her memoir, Killing It: An Education, Davis was a food writer in Northeast Portland, a vibrant hub known for its culinary innovation and farm-to-table ethos. This background is crucial to understanding her journey, especially when considering locations like Camas, Washington, a city often compared to Portland, yet distinct in its own right. Understanding where NE Portland stands in relation to Camas provides context to Davis’s career trajectory and the broader Pacific Northwest food culture she champions.
Camas Davis in butcher attire, reflecting her dedication to whole-animal butchery and food education.
From NE Portland Food Scene to French Butcher Shop
Davis’s initial foray into the culinary world was through writing, specifically as a food reviewer in Portland. During her time at Portland Monthly (from 2006 to 2009), she became increasingly aware of a disconnect. Even in NE Portland’s acclaimed restaurants, celebrated for their farm-to-table philosophies, tracing the exact origins of meat dishes proved challenging. This sparked a fundamental question in Davis: how could one truly appreciate and write about food, especially meat, without understanding its complete journey? This journalistic curiosity, rooted in her NE Portland experiences, ultimately propelled her towards a radical shift.
Seeking firsthand knowledge, Davis embarked on a transformative experience in Gascony, France. Leaving behind the familiar streets of NE Portland and the world of food criticism, she immersed herself in the traditional practices of whole-animal butchery. For two months, she lived and worked on a farm, learning from a multi-generational family of pig farmers and butchers. This immersive experience, a stark contrast to the consumer-focused food scene of NE Portland, provided the visceral understanding she craved. Chopping a pig’s head and holding a brain in her hands were not just tasks; they were profound moments of connection to the source of food, experiences far removed from the restaurant critiques of her Portland days.
The Portland Meat Collective: Bridging France and NE Portland
Upon returning from France, Davis didn’t simply revert to her former life in NE Portland. Instead, she channeled her newfound knowledge and passion into creating the Portland Meat Collective. This cooking school, based in Portland, became her way of bridging the gap between consumer and producer, between the plate and the pasture. It offered a hands-on approach to butchery, making the once-obscure process accessible to home cooks and aspiring professionals.
The Portland Meat Collective stands as a testament to Davis’s commitment to food education, a direct response to the questions that arose during her time in NE Portland’s food writing circles. It provides a local avenue for learning skills she acquired abroad, effectively bringing the essence of French butchery traditions back to the Pacific Northwest.
NE Portland and Camas: Contrasting Food and Lifestyle Contexts
While Camas Davis’s work is deeply rooted in the Portland food scene, particularly NE Portland, considering Camas, Washington offers an interesting point of comparison. Located across the Columbia River from Portland, Camas presents a different lifestyle and, to some extent, a different food culture.
NE Portland is characterized by its urban density, vibrant culinary scene, and progressive food ethos. It’s a place where farm-to-table dining, artisanal food producers, and a strong emphasis on local sourcing are prevalent. Camas, while geographically close, offers a more suburban and, arguably, a less intensely focused food culture. It lacks the same density of cutting-edge restaurants and specialized food shops found in NE Portland.
However, this contrast highlights the significance of Davis’s Portland Meat Collective. By establishing her school in Portland, she taps into a community already engaged with and passionate about food origins and sustainable practices. Yet, the skills and knowledge she imparts are relevant everywhere, including communities like Camas, where an appreciation for quality food and understanding its source is equally important, even if expressed differently.
Conclusion: Davis’s Enduring Impact Beyond Location
Camas Davis’s journey, from a questioning food writer in NE Portland to a respected advocate for whole-animal butchery education, underscores the importance of understanding where our food comes from. Whether in the culinary epicenter of NE Portland or in a neighboring city like Camas, her message resonates: knowing the origins of meat, appreciating the craft of butchery, and making conscious choices about consumption are essential. Her Portland Meat Collective serves as a vital educational resource, fostering a deeper connection to food that transcends geographical boundaries and continues to shape the culinary landscape of the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
