In a time where most of our fish comes pre-cut and neatly-packaged, many of us have forgotten the skills needed to break down our own food in our own kitchens. Learning how to break down whole fish will not only leave you empowered with new knowledge, it will help you learn how to save money and cook more efficiently.

Taught by butcher McCullough Kelly-Willis, founder of the Chicago Meat Collective, this Azadi Folk School workshop is aimed towards the home cook who wants to increase their skills in butchery, cooking, and cost-efficiency. Each student will get hands-on experience breaking down their own whole fish, sourced from the Upper Mississippi River Valley by Tyler Kutscheid of Fish Food.

We’ll cover scaling, gutting, filleting, and navigating rib bones, as well as how to source sustainably raised fish, how to check for freshness, how to cook, and how to store fish.

Each participant will get to take home their filets, bones, and all! We will share a sample of fresh-cooked fish in class, along with refreshments.

Join the Chicago Meat Collective and Chef Cecil Rodriguez of FatCap Supper Club in this hands-on class, where we will cover the basics of sausage making from sourcing the best meat and fat, to butchering, grinding, seasoning, and stuffing. Students will have the opportunity to get involved in every step of the process, and will also get to take home several pounds of fresh, hand-made sausage!

This class will take place at CoLaboratory Chicago in the West Loop. Students each take home at least one pound of sausage. Class will run approximately from 3pm to 5pm, and will end with a light meal and refreshments.

This class is limited to 14 attendees.

In this hands-on class we will break down half a hog muscle by muscle, discussing the cultural and culinary diversity that hogs offer. You’ll get to hand-cut pork chops, grind fresh ham, and hone your knife skills! By the end of class, the students will have broken the pig down into cookable cuts including ribs, tenderloin, ham roasts, chops, and coppa. Each student will take home approximately 10-15 pounds of locally raised, pastured pork.

This class will take place at CoLaboratory Chicago, in the West Loop. We will end the class with a lunch prepared by Chef Cecil Rodriguez (FatCap Supper Club), along with wine, beer, and N/A options. Class will run approximately from 10 am to 2:00 pm.

This class is limited to 10 attendees.

In a time where most of our meat and fish comes pre-cut and neatly-packaged, many of us have forgotten the skills needed to break down our own food in our own kitchens. Learning how to disassemble whole fish and chicken not only will leave you empowered with new knowledge, but it will help you learn how to save money and cook more efficiently.

Taught by butcher McCullough Kelly-Willis, founder of the Chicago Meat Collective and former butcher at the Butcher and Larder, this Azadi Folk School workshop is aimed towards the home cook who wants to increase their skills in butchery, cooking, and cost-efficiency. We will practice on certified halal whole chickens and locally-caught whole lake trout.

We’ll go over basic fish and chicken anatomy, including how to use more uncommon cuts like fish skin and fish heads or chicken livers and feet. We will also discuss butchery techniques and equipment, and how to store large quantities of meat for sustainability and cost-saving.

Students will take home a whole chicken and a whole lake trout they will butcher and/or de-bone themselves, along with recipes to utilize each every part.

Early Bird Pricing: Tickets will be $185 before 02/01/2026. After that point the price will be $200/person.

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In this workshop, Chicago Meat Collective condenses years of hands-on butchery instruction into a full day of learning, covering whole lamb butchery. We will break down a whole, locally sourced lamb, explore sausage making technique, preparing offal, and beyond.

This workshop is a deep dive for food lovers, aspiring chefs, farmers, butchers, homesteaders, and anyone who’s seeking an integral understanding of where their food comes from.

Class includes a chef-prepared lunch, as well as thoughtfully curated snacks, wine, beer, and N/A options to end class. Students take home a portion of the meat we butcher in class.

*We will be offering one fully funded spot at this workshop to a culinary industry worker, culinary student or mentee. If you qualify and you'd like to be entered in the giveaway, email mccullough@chicagomeatcollective.com. Include information about your current employment or enrollment.

Charcuterie is an umbrella term that covers a wide variety of delicious creations. In this class we will explore the world of charcuterie from cooked items like terrines and rillettes to cured meats like salami and whole muscle cures (think prosciutto, coppa, bresaola). CMC founder McCullough will be joined (via Zoom) by Grant Albano-Richardson, a butcher at Blue Hill Farm at Stone Barns in Tarrytown, New York. Grant will be sending us some of his charcuterie to sample, sharing his story, and answering all your questions about cured meat!

This class will be somewhat interactive, but the focus will be on observing, tasting, and discussing charcuterie. Thoughtfully paired wines, beers, and N/A options will be available! This is sure to be a unique and delectable afternoon of learning and savoring!

In this workshop, Chicago Meat Collective condenses years of hands-on butchery instruction into a full day of learning, covering whole beef butchery focused on the loin and round primal. Staying true to our commitment to local sourcing, this class will feature grass-fed beef from two farms in Wisconsin.

This workshop is a deep dive for food lovers, aspiring chefs, farmers, butchers, homesteaders, and anyone who’s seeking an integral understanding of where their food comes from.

Class includes lunch by Chef Ethan Lim (Hermosa, Chicago), as well as snacks and refreshments (wine, beer, and N/A options) in the last hour. Students will take home a portion of the meat cut in class.

*We will be offering one fully funded spot at this workshop to a culinary industry worker, culinary student or mentee. If you qualify and you'd like to be entered in the giveaway, email mccullough@chicagomeatcollective.com. Include information about your current employment or enrollment.

It's time to fill our bellies and our freezers with wontons, and you know what they say: many hands make light work! Grab some friends and join the Chicago Meat Collective at Present Company for an afternoon of hands-on wonton making, featuring locally-raised pork. McCullough of CMC will cover the process from trimming, grinding, and seasoning the meat, then stuffing wontons, with opportunities to get hands-on every step of the way. Class includes a nice big bowl of fresh, steaming hot wontons (with broth, or with soy and black vinegar - your choice, plus chili oil of course), a portion to take home, and a glass of wonton-friendly wine or spirit-free beverage from All Together Now's shelves.

Join the Chicago Meat Collective in this hands-on class, where we will cover the basics of sausage making from sourcing the best meat and fat, to butchering, grinding, seasoning, and stuffing. Students will have the opportunity to get involved in every step of the process, and will also get to take home several pounds of fresh, hand-made sausage! Snacks, wine, and beer included!

This class will take place at the Hatchery. We will end the class by sharing some delicious sausage, cheese, wine, beer, and N/A refreshments. Class will run approximately from 3pm to 5pm.

This class is limited to 12 attendees.

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In this hands-on class we will break down half a hog muscle by muscle, discussing the cultural and culinary diversity that hogs offer. You’ll get to hand-cut pork chops, grind fresh ham, and hone your knife skills! By the end of class, the students will have broken the pig down into cookable cuts including ribs, tenderloin, ham roasts, chops, and coppa. Each student will take home approximately 10-15 pounds of locally raised, pastured pork.

This class will take place at the Hatchery. We will end the class with a lunch prepared by Chef Cecil Rodriguez (FatCap Supper Club), along with wine, beer, and N/A options. Class will run approximately from 10 am to 2:00 pm.

This class is limited to 12 attendees.

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In this workshop, Chicago Meat Collective condenses years of hands-on butchery instruction into a full day of learning, covering whole beef butchery, a range of steaks from the familiar steakhouse cuts to the unexpected gems from the leg and shoulder, as well as insights into BBQ from an experienced professional.

This workshop is a deep dive for food lovers, aspiring chefs, farmers, butchers, homesteaders, and anyone who’s seeking an integral understanding of where their food comes from.

*We will be offering one fully funded spot at this workshop to a culinary industry worker, culinary student or mentee. If you qualify and you'd like to be entered in the giveaway, email mccullough@chicagomeatcollective.com. Include information about your current employment or enrollment.

Class details:
Arrive at 9am. The workshop begins with a hands-on whole beef butchery session, in which students will learn seam butchery technique, hand-saw technique, and more.
Around 11, we will have a cooking demo, ending in lunch prepared with the beef we worked with in our morning session.
Class will recommence around 1pm after our lunch break, and we'll deep dive into steaks and BBQ technique.

The workshop will end with a selection of charcuterie and cheese, along with wine, beer, and other refreshments.

Students will take home ~10 pounds of fresh, freezer-wrapped local beef, along with worksheets and recipes.

Join the Chicago Meat Collective in this hands-on class, where we will cover the basics of sausage making from sourcing the best meat and fat, to butchering, grinding, seasoning, and stuffing. Students will have the opportunity to get involved in every step of the process, and will also get to take home several pounds of fresh, hand-made sausage! Snacks, wine, and beer included!

This class will take place at the Hatchery (135 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago), and we will end the class by sharing some delicious charcuterie, cheese, and natural wine. Class will run approximately from 3pm to 5pm.

This class is limited to 8 attendees.

In this hands-on class we will break down half a hog muscle by muscle, discussing the cultural and culinary diversity that hogs offer. You’ll get to hand-cut pork chops, grind fresh ham, and learn to bone out a pig’s head! By the end of class, the students will have broken the pig down into cookable cuts including ribs, tenderloins, ham roasts, chops, and coppa. Each student will take home approximately 10-15 pounds of locally raised, pastured pork.

This class will take place at the Hatchery (135 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago), and we will end the class by sharing some delicious charcuterie, cheese, and natural wine. Class will run approximately from 11am to 1 pm.

This class is limited to 8 attendees.

In this workshop, Chicago Meat Collective condenses years of hands-on butchery instruction into a full day of learning, covering whole lamb butchery, cooking technique, working with offal, and charcuterie making. CMC founder McCullough Kelly-Willis is joined by butcher Jake Calthorpe of Cut Once, who will lead a hands-on, nose-to-tail lamb butchery session. Ethan Pikas, chef & owner of Cellar Door Provisions, will demonstrate his creative approach to working with lamb, and provide lunch for the group. The afternoon session will cover basic sausage technique, as well as a demonstration by Evan LoJacono (chef de partie, Smyth) on cutting edge charcuterie and cooking with offal, informed by his ongoing work with lamb and other proteins at three Michelin star restaurant, Smyth.

This workshop is a deep dive for food lovers, aspiring chefs, farmers, butchers, homesteaders, and anyone who’s seeking an integral understanding of where their food comes from.

*We will be offering one fully funded spot at this workshop to a culinary industry worker, culinary student or mentee. If you qualify and you'd like to be entered in the giveaway, email mccullough@chicagomeatcollective.com. Include information about your current employment or enrollment.

Class details:
Arrive at 9am. The workshop begins with a hands-on whole lamb butchery session, in which students will learn seam butchery technique, hand-saw technique, and more.
Around 11, chef Ethan Pikas leads cooking demo, ending in lunch prepared with the lamb we worked with in our morning session.
Class will recommence around 1pm after our lunch break. We’ll cover basic sausage technique, including working with notoriously tricky lamb casings, followed by a workshop led by chef Evan LoJacono focused on lamb charcuterie and nose-to-tail eating.
The workshop will end with a selection of charcuterie and sausage from the afternoon session, along with cheese, crackers, wine, beer, and other refreshments.

Students will take home ~10 pounds of fresh, freezer-wrapped local lamb, ~ a pound of lamb sausage/charcuterie, along with worksheets and recipes.

We're inviting you to dinner! Chef (and CMC assistant!) Tess Bixby is putting together an abundant, mutli-course, family-style meal featuring Indian flavors and local lamb sourced by the CMC. We're also offering an optional wine pairing, put together with the help of our friends in the industry. Join us in welcoming spring!

Ticket sales from this dinner will fund a fully sponsored ticket to our April 5th workshop. The sponsored ticket will be offered to culinary students, Impact mentees and graduates, and individuals currently working in the culinary industry. We'll gather nominees from our network through email and social media. The recipient will be chosen through a randomized selection process of nominees who meet our criteria. We're excited to make this in-depth butchery workshop more accessible to someone just getting started in their career!

Address and other details will be emailed directly upon ticket purchase.

In this workshop, Chicago Meat Collective condenses years of hands-on butchery instruction into a full day of learning, covering whole hog butchery, sausage, and charcuterie making. CMC founder McCullough Kelly-Willis is joined by Publican Quality Meat’s Rob Levitt, who will share knowledge gained over years of experience as a chef, butcher, and charcuterie maker. This workshop is a deep dive for food lovers, aspiring chefs, farmers, butchers, homesteaders, and anyone who’s seeking an integral understanding of where their food comes from.

Class details:
Arrive at 9am. The workshop begins with a hands-on whole hog butchery session, in which students will learn seam butchery technique, hand-saw technique, and more.
We will break at noon for a hot, chef-prepared lunch using some of the local pork from our morning session.
The afternoon will include a hands-on sausage making session, and a workshop led by Rob Levitt of Publican Quality Meats covering cured meats and charcuterie.
The workshop will end with a selection of charcuterie from PQM, along with cheese, crackers, wine, beer, and other refreshments.

Students will take home ~15 pounds of fresh, freezer-wrapped local pork, 1 pound of fresh sausage links, along with worksheets and recipes.

We're inviting you to dinner! Chef (and CMC assistant!) Tess Bixby is putting together the perfect winter meal, featuring succulent braised meat sourced by the CMC, local produce, and dessert, to celebrate the end of the year and ring in the new. We're also offering an optional wine pairing, put together with the help of our friends in the industry.

Ticket sales from this dinner will fund a fully sponsored ticket to our January 11th workshop. The sponsored ticket will be offered to culinary students, Impact mentees and graduates, and individuals currently working in the culinary industry. We'll gather nominees from our network through email and social media. The recipient will be chosen through a randomized selection process of nominees who meet our criteria. We're excited to make this in-depth butchery workshop more accessible to someone just getting started in their career!

Address and other details for attendees will be emailed with ticket purchase.

Sold Out

Join the Chicago Meat Collective in this hands-on class, where we will cover the basics of sausage making from sourcing the best meat and fat, to butchering, grinding, seasoning, and stuffing. Students will have the opportunity to get involved in every step of the process, and will also get to take home several pounds of fresh, hand-made sausage! Snacks, wine, and beer included!

This class will take place at the Hatchery in the Bayless Kitchen. We will end the class by sharing some delicious charcuterie, cheese, and natural wine. Class will run approximately from 1pm to 4 pm.

This class is limited to 8 attendees.

The holidays are a busy time, so instead of having you come to us, we're coming to you! We'll be hosting a live Zoom session to demonstrate butchery techniques and methods of prepping your Thanksgiving bird (spatchcocking, parting, removing wishbone, trussing), and giving you an opportunity to ask all your questions. We will cover stock and gravy making and carving, and sharing favorite recipes and marinades. If you already have your bird and you want to follow along, we can help you troubleshoot. If you are bird-less, you'll have an opportunity to see how it's done and get your questions answered.

Zoom link will be sent once you have purchased your ticket.

In this hands-on class we will break down half a hog muscle by muscle, discussing the cultural and culinary diversity that hogs offer. You’ll get to hand-cut pork chops, grind fresh ham, and learn to bone out a pig’s head! By the end of class, the students will have broken the pig down into cookable cuts including ribs, tenderloins, ham roasts, chops, and coppa. Each student will take home approximately 10-15 pounds of locally raised, pastured pork.

This class will take place at the Roof Crop (enter on Justine Street), and we will end the class by sharing some delicious charcuterie, cheese, and natural wine. Class will run approximately from 1pm to 4pm.

This class is limited to 8 attendees.

Improve your knife skills and understanding of whole animal butchery this deer season! This class will combine hands-on whole animal butchery practice on lamb sourced from local farms with a Q&A with a hunting expert who can help translate our in-class experience to the in-the-field experience.

All participants will practice seam butchery and trimming technique to get the cleanest leg meat and shoulder roasts, learn how to bone out back straps, and work through the basics of sausage making. Lamb and venison are very similar, so we will source whole lamb and lamb legs to give you the hands-on practice you need. As in all our classes, we will provide knives to work with in class, but we encourage you to bring your hunting knives so we can discuss knife care, and the difference between our butchery knives and typical hunting knives.

Students take home their share of the meat butchered in class, and can expect to take home 10-15 pounds of fresh lamb!

This class takes place at the Hatchery. Maximum participants - 10 students.

Join Chicago Meat Collective for a series on whole beef butchery. Over the course of three sessions, we will approach a side of beef primal by primal, starting with the chuck (shoulder), finishing with the two middle primals (where you get your ribeye, tenderloin, and NY strip steaks!), and ending with the round (hind leg).

Each class will be a thorough, muscle-by-muscle break down demonstration with some opportunities to wield a knife. In this round class, you will see how we get the best cross cut beef shank, marrow bones, and how to find the best cuts for roast beef and tartare!

Enjoy a bite of grilled steak freshly cut off the primal, as well as wine, beer, and locally produced snacks. Each participant will take home a cut to grill and a pound of ground beef.

This class takes place at the Hatchery, class is limited to 12 participants.

Join Chicago Meat Collective for a series on whole beef butchery. Over the course of four sessions, we will approach a side of beef primal by primal, starting with the chuck (shoulder), followed by the rib, the loin, and finally the round (hind leg).

Each class will be a thorough, muscle-by-muscle break down demonstration with some opportunities to wield a knife. In this class focused on the loin primal, you'll see where we get flank steak, NY strip and Porterhouse, sirloin, and more!

Enjoy a bite of grilled steak freshly cut off the primal, as well as refreshments from our favorite local purveyors. Each participant will take home a cut to grill and a pound of ground beef.

The Chicago Meat Collective is teaming up with Shawn Smith and Mike Shaker at Heffer BBQ to (finally!) bring you a class on smoked meats! Shawn and Mike will talk through fire building and maintenance, different styles of smokers (from their massive offset smoker used for the restaurant, to home-style smokers like the Weber Smokey Mountain, plus why Green Eggs are overrated!), and walk through the diverse offerings on Heffer BBQ's menu.

Class will include detailed demonstration of trimming and prepping a variety of cuts for the smoker, discussion and demonstration of how to maintain heat and proper airflow in different styles of smokers, a tasting of some of Heffer's offerings, and a drink ticket to cash in at Whiner Beer for each participant.

Gain confidence in both filet-ing and cooking fish in our basic fish butchery class!

Each student will break down and take home a whole fish, learning the best technique to filet, as well as how to utilize each part of the fish. Students will also take home a pair of pin-bone tweezers, in addition to the whole fish they break down in class. Class will end with a cooking demonstration for how to nail the perfect cook on a fresh filet of fish every time. Plus, learn how to shop for, clean, and prepare shrimp for a perfect shrimp cocktail.

This class will take place in the CMC home studio, and we will end the class by sharing some shrimp cocktail, fish we cook in class, as well as wine and beer. Class will run approximately from 1pm to 4 pm.

This class is limited to 8 attendees.

Expand your kitchen skills and your picnic game by making your own charcuterie! This class will cover pork rillettes, duck liver pâté, and a country-style terrine.

We will walk you through making these simple but elegant charcuterie staples, from selecting the right cuts and trimming the livers to proper storage, plus how to serve these treats at your next picnic or dinner party! Wines for class will be selected and introduced by Randall of Loci Wines. Class will end with a light meal of charcuterie, bread, and cheese accompanied by Randall’s selected wines.

This class will take place in the CMC home studio and will run approximately from 1pm to 4 pm.

This class is limited to 10 attendees.

In this hands-on class we will break down half a hog muscle by muscle, discussing the cultural and culinary diversity that hogs offer. You’ll get to hand-cut pork chops, grind fresh ham, and learn to bone out a pig’s head! By the end of class, the students will have broken the pig down into cookable cuts including ribs, tenderloins, ham roasts, chops, and coppa. Each student will take home approximately 10-15 pounds of locally raised, pastured pork.

This class will take place in the CMC home studio, and we will end the class by sharing some delicious charcuterie, cheese, and natural wine. Class will run approximately from 1pm to 4:30 pm.

This class is limited to 6 attendees.

In this Sausage Making 2.0, you will learn how to work with different proteins, different grind sizes, and different casing sizes. We’ll practice folding nuts, cheese, and other delicious mix-ins to a variety of sausage mixtures, opening a world of flavors and textures beyond your classic brat or spicy Italian link. Learn to form kebabs, make a basic summer sausage, and more! Students will have the opportunity to get involved in every step of the process, and will also get to take home several pounds of fresh, hand-made sausage! Students are encouraged to take our Basic Sausage Making class before enrolling in Sausage Making 2.0, but this class is open to all levels of experience.

This class will take place in the CMC home studio, and we will end the class by sharing some delicious charcuterie, cheese, and natural wine. Class will run approximately from 1pm to 3:30 pm.

This class is limited to 8 attendees.