‘Family approved’: Chef preparing meat dishes at San Juan Capistrano cooking and wine tasting class

The problem with most cooking shows is that after an hour of watching a Brit bake a lovely cake or a contestant miraculously make a meal out of mystery basket ingredients, you can’t try the food yourself. At The Market by the Meat Cellar in San Juan Capistrano, founder and meat master Anthony Villegas is doing his version of reality television cooking, in real life.

The hybrid artisan butcher, culinary boutique and steakhouse restaurant hosts a monthly “Meat Master Class” and wine tasting. The unique experience allows guests to have their meat and eat it too.

“Our goal here is to educate and bring our community together,” said Villegas. “We really want to strike a blend of community values, Sunday supper feels and a little class too.”

Chef Anthony Villegas demonstrates frying soft shell crab at a “Meat Master Class” at the Market by the Meat Cellar in San Juan Capistrano.

(Sarah Mosqueda)

Located at the River Street Marketplace, the Market is a one-stop shop for the epicurious with a butcher counter that specializes in hormone and antibiotic-free, humanely raised cuts, a cheese counter with a dedicated cheesemonger and a shop full of kitchen treasures, quality olive oils and hard to find seasonings.

On the other side of the 4,000-square-foot space is a full service restaurant and oyster bar. Co-founded by Villegas and his wife, Sara, the San Juan Capistrano space is the second store for the couple, with the first location, the Meat Cellar, open in Claremont since 2016.

“Everything we sell is Villegas’ family-approved,” Sara said in a statement. “So we hope that guests will turn to us when setting the table for their loved ones.”

At the class, Villegas teaches guest how he uses the various proteins and provisions in the store through an eight-course menu. Villegas’ sister and co-owner of Anaheim’s Colony Wine Merchant, Sonya Villegas Kelsen, assists with wine pairings. A butcher block positioned at the front of the room serves as the demo table, with a tablet rigged up to project what Villegas is cooking on the screen behind him. A packet with dish descriptions and room to take notes is set on each table with pen, a way for the more studious guests to remember what they learned. Most of the attendees of a recent class were couples on dates, or foodie families and friends.

“Do we have any vegetarians in the house?” Villegas jokingly asks at the start of the class. “I didn’t think so.”

A study of cheese from The Market by the Meat Cellar’s head cheesemonger in San Juan Capistrano.

(Sarah Mosqueda)

The first course is an expertly curated cheese tasting dubbed “cheese school,” paired with a glass of Huber sparkling rose. While guests savor Spanish olives, house-made honeycomb candy and Mimolette-style Gouda, Villegas starts heating oil to fry soft shell crab. When it’s hot enough, he drops the buttermilk soaked crustacean in the hot pan, serving the finished crab as a sandwich on brioche with Meyer lemon aioli. While he explains the preparation, servers bring guests their own soft shell crab sandwich, fully assembled and ready to eat; a 2022 Sauvignon Blanc is poured to pair with it.

Villegas takes diners through each course in this manner, explaining his favorite way to poach lobster (in blood orange Grand Marnier butter) or where he learned his steaming technique for his Wagyu beef cheek taco (in Mexico, where he was born and raised by his restaurateur parents).

He also touches on the more exotic cuts of meat the store offers and suggest ways the average home cook might use them. A veal cutlet is prepared as bread-crumbed German schnitzel. He uses the sous vide technique on Sonoma Valley lamb rack before searing it off with mint, thyme and extra virgin olive oil. Grilled bison strip loin is served with a blackberry veal demi, giving the lean meat a sweet taste. The final course is a chocolate bread pudding with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

“This dessert is to live for,” Villegas quips. “Because we don’t die here; we live.”

Expertly grilled steak at The Market by the Meat Cellar.

(Courtesy of The Market by the Meat Cellar)

The recipes for most the dishes go up on the Meat Cellar’s website, Villegas said, and he encourages diners to try them at home, armed with their new knowledge. Of course, they can also return to the restaurant and have Villegas and his team cook for them; it’s open for lunch, dinner and brunch on special occasions.

The Villegas family wants guests to feel like they were invited to their house for dinner. The casual and intimate setting feels as familiar as watching your favorite cooking show, but with the added bonus of the finished dish presented before you after each demonstration. It is no wonder guests take classes more than once.

“A lot of times, actually a majority of the time, people end up being friends and they come back to the next “Meat Master Class” with those new friends,” the Anthony Villegas said.

The “Meat Master Class” at The Market by the Meat Cellar are priced at $250 per person and held monthly. To book a seat, visit themarketbythemeatcellar.com.