Jason DeBriere was born on August 11, 1974 in Orlando, Florida. His parents quickly moved the family to San Jose, California that same year. He vividly remembers taking frequent trips to local farm and fruit stands with his mother throughout his childhood. Little did he know these trips had planted a seed that would later become his food philosophy of sourcing local and sustainable products. Jason attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California from 1992-1997, where he pursued a degree in Biochemistry. The very first steps of his culinary career began while in college where he began working in kitchens as a dishwasher, then a prep cook, as well as cooking for his fellow peers After college, Jason worked in the biotech industry for a few years, but realized that his desire to return to the kitchen full time was better suited for him. This journey began in San Francisco in 1998 at Vivande Porta Via, a small regional Italian restaurant on Fillmore Street. Under the guidance of Carlo Midionne, Jason’s enthusiasm and passion enabled him to work his way from prep cook to lead line cook in short time. He was taught the art of making fresh pastas, creating homemade Italian sausages, learning the fine art of butchering, and most importantly, how to utilize the freshest local ingredients available. It was here that Jason first fell in love with this style of cooking; simple, clean and rustic.

In January of 2001, Jason packed up everything he owned and drove from San Francisco to Brooklyn, NY. He worked at restaurants in Brooklyn and Manhattan for a few months, searching for what had inspired him in San Francisco. As luck and determination would have it, one afternoon he found himself sitting across the table from Marc Meyer, executive chef and co-owner of Five Points Restaurant, in New York City. Jason jumped at the chance to become part of his team. There, he quickly progressed and was surrounded by the farm to table philosophy embraced by Marc. After a few years at Five Points, Jason was introduced to the acclaimed Chef Jonathan Waxman, and began working at Washington Park. There, he elevated his cooking and understanding of ingredients to a higher level. In the spring of 2004, Chef Waxman brought Jason with him to open Barbuto in the west village. Jason reconnected with Chef Marc Meyer at Five Points, and returned to became his sous chef, and eventually chef de cuisine. He elevated and honed his cooking technique and gained experience sourcing of local sustainable ingredients. The impact of both Chefs Meyer and Waxman had on Jason transcends his cooking to this day.

In 2010, Jason began working at Peels restaurant where his food philosophy was again incorporated, and refined his skills and techniques that he had aquired. There, he created an in-house charcuterie program and a breakfast following rivaled by many.

In 2014, Jason joined the Tacombi team as the opening chef of Cafe el Presidente, and shortly thereafter was named the Executive chef for the company. Jason respectfully pays tribute to Mexican cuisine by highlighting traditional flavors and sourcing the best local and sustainable products available. He has accomplished this by maintaining his style of cooking, staying true to the idea that 'less is more.'

Jason resides In Maplewood, New Jersey with his wife and two daughters.

Puerco Pueblan Estillo by Jason DeBriere

Ingredients
3-5 lb.  Boneless skinless pork shoulder

Tinga Braising Liquid
10 pcs. dry chile morita - toasted stemmed and seeded
a few ancho chiles - toasted stemmed and seeded
1 white onion
1 head of garlic
1 tsp cumin
4 cups chicken stock
salt to taste

Tinga Adobo (This will be used to dress the pork after it is roasted and pulled)
10pcs. dry morita chiles - toasted stemmed and seeded
5 pcs ancho chile - toasted stemmed and seeded
2 lbs. plum tomatoes, cut in half
1 white onion, quartered
1 poblano chiles, seeded
2 jalapeno chiles (use Serrano chiles if you like heat)
2 cups white vinegar - maybe a little more depending on the acidity of the tomatoes
salt to taste

Morito Adobo Salsa (can be made the day before)
In a roasting pan, roast tomatoes, onions, poblano, jalapenos (add Serrano chiles as well if you decide for some serious heat) at 400F. Allow the tomatoes, onion to caramelize a bit. When the tomatoes have burst and let out all their juice, add the toasted dry chiles. Mix well and return to oven for a few minutes. Remove from oven and add the vinegar. Let this mixture stand for 20 minutes to allow the dry chiles to get soft enough blend. Put ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Season to taste. Adjust by adding more vinegar if necessary, or by adding a little sugar if the sauce is too acidic.

Directions
Season the pork shoulder generously with salt. Sear the pork on both sides, then transfer to a Dutch oven or high walled roasting pan. Add the dry chiles, onion, garlic, cumin, and chicken stock (See the Tinga Braising Liquid). Cover and place in oven to slow roast at 300F. Check every 30 minutes and rotate from top to bottom. Slow roasting the pork really helps to develop deep flavor. Depending on the thickness of the meat, the cooking may take up to 4 hours. When the pork is fork tender and pulls away easily its ready. Do not remove it from the liquid. Allow to cool in the liquid and absorb some of that delicious braising liquid. When cool enough to handle, shred pork and leave in the liquid.

Remove shredded pork and dress with the Morita Adobo Salsa. Warm gently and plate on soft fried tortillas, tostadas or regular corn tortillas. Note: You can top with Salsa Verde (see recipe below), Queso Fresco, Crema Mexicana, shredded lettuce, cilantro, diced white onion or even pickled red onion.

Salsa Verde
There are many varieties of this salsa. At Café Il Presidente we roast the tomatillos with jalapeno and onion until the tomatillos are charred and release their juice. This recipe can also be made ahead of time as well, also serves as a great salsa for dipping totopos.

4 lbs. tomatillos
1 white onion
2 jalapenos
1 habanero-for the heat lovers
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a roasting an and let it go until charred and juicy.  Puree and season with salt. Roast at 400F for approximately one hour. Blend until chunky and set aside.