Chef Eron Picus has a passion for pork, and his take on this traditional food stays true to the source while adding just the right seasoning to make it really, really good. When Eron met wife Sarah – on a blind date arranged by their moms, by the way – the two never imagined they’d end up in the bacon business.

Ten years later, date night dinner talk often turns to the best spice combo (garlic and chili flakes). To slice or not to slice (slice). Even whether there’s such a thing as too much bacon (um, no). And what started as just one more delicious ingredient in Eron’s catering repertoire, and the occasional host gift or pride of the potluck, soon took on a life of its own. Today, Cured & Crisp is the go-to source for quality bacon in the greater D.C. Metropolitan area – a farm-to-fingers dream come true.

Chef Eron

Chef Eron Picus is the person behind the pork and the architect of all things Cured & Crisp. Classically trained at the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Eron spent two decades working in some of the finest restaurants and resorts in New York, Massachusetts, Maryland and D.C. before founding Foxhall Catering specializing in events and exceptional food. When he’s not busy making the most delicious bacon and other foodstuffs, Chef Eron can be found rooting for the University of Maryland basketball team or hanging out with his wife Sarah and their two kids, Nora and Isaac.

“I love to see people freak out over good food, so I’ve made it my life’s work to make it happen using the best ingredients and thoughtful preparation. At Cured & Crisp, we care about what we do and the people we’re doing it for. It’s that personal investment that I think makes all the difference.”

Sarah

Sarah is Chef Eron’s partner in work and in life. Together, she and Eron own and operate Foxhall Catering, where Sarah takes the lead on all things sweet. Her attention to detail makes her as successful a pastry chef as she was a math teacher before fate and family intervened. And although preparing a slab of bacon may not call for the same precision as, say, a chocolate torte with grappa, currants and pine nuts, running a successful business like Cured & Crisp does.

“There’s something so satisfying about making things from scratch… sourcing the ingredients, giving it the thought, putting in the time. It keeps you honest. That’s how we ended up making our own bacon. Plus, when you have a relationship with the people making – or eating – your food, I swear it tastes better.”

Isaac

Isaac is Cured & Crisp’s taster in chief and guerrilla marketing guru. Rumor has it his first word was “bacon,” though parents Eron and Sarah will neither confirm nor deny. They will tell you, however, that Isaac is a small person with big opinions about bacon, which serve Cured & Crisp’s research and development department well.

“Is it Daddy Bacon? If not, I don’t want it.”

About the bacon

We start with pork belly thoughtfully sourced from Ozark Mountain Berkshire Cooperative. Cut into 3 pound portions, the pork cures up to 5 days in our signature five-spice rub. Once rinsed, we hot smoke it at around 165˚ for about 2 hours – long enough to render the right amount of fat and ind infuse an unforgettable flavor. Then we cool it, slice it, seal it and send it on its way.

Ozark Mountain Berkshire Cooperative is a group of 30 family farms raising 100% Berkshire pigs, on pasture and antibiotic free. No gestation crates.