Meat, Salt and Time: Schnitzel Joe’s Approach to Real Food

When you meet Josef Dvoracek, you can’t help but notice his mountain man vibe. He has a stocky build, a full beard and a well-worn cowboy hat. He carries himself with a calm confidence that makes you think this is a man who appreciates the slower pace of life and takes pride in the details. When he talks about food, his eyes light up with a passion that only comes from a lifetime spent honoring the traditions of his homeland. That same care and attention to craft drive his food truck, Schnitzel Joe, where Dvoracek brings the traditional flavors and old-world techniques of his Czech heritage to Denver, serving schnitzel and handmade sausages.

Born and raised in the Czech Republic, Dvoracek grew up in a country renowned for its beer — it is, after all, the birthplace of Pilsner. As a landlocked nation in central Europe, it is no surprise that Czech cuisine carries deep traditions of preserving and curing meats, as well as sausage making. “The Czech Republic, it’s the heart of Europe. In the middle of Europe. So, there is an influence from all directions. Huge influences from Germany, from Bavaria, Austria and so on,” says Dvoracek.

Growing up surrounded by so many cultural and culinary influences, Dvoracek became fascinated with food, especially the science behind how it is made. “In Czech, I studied food technology with meat specialties. I didn’t finish my PhD program, but I am a food technologist and have a degree from the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague, Czech Republic,” he explains. “It’s all about how to process the food, all kinds of food. Meat and food preservation is a big part of this. And another is technology, like bakery, milk industry, and beer.”

Armed with knowledge and curiosity, Dvoracek moved to the United States in 2002, settling in Chicago. “I see a lot of opportunity to make your own business here in the United States, much more than in Europe,” he says. His time in Chicago, however, was short-lived. By 2005, he had relocated to Colorado. “Chicago is much better for business, but living there, it’s only about business. I like the mountains and rivers; I like the countryside. So, I moved out here.”

Upon arriving in Colorado, Dvoracek worked in the food industry, applying his food technology background with a focus on preservation. “All my life has been about food. I always work with the food. The only preservation process is salt and drying, no chemicals. That’s what I hate,” he explains. “That’s why I do the food truck, because I was on the other side of the food industry, working for the food industry, but I don’t like how they changed the technology to use more and more preservation chemicals. It’s not good, it’s not healthy. The corporations sell products to be preserved for a long time because customers like food to be preserved for a long time. I don’t like it. When I make sausages, ham, all kinds of salami, it’s made like they did fifty years ago. So, minimum chemicals, minimum substitution of meat. It’s mostly meat, salt and some sort of drying and curing technique.”

While his frustrations with the food industry’s use of chemicals were the main push behind starting a food truck, Dvoracek primarily works with restaurants and private clients, specializing in sausages and cured meats. “Mostly they hire me,” he says. I bring all the equipment to the restaurants. I bring my stuffer and meat grinder.” He describes his work as a hands-on, small-scale craft: he makes sausages to each restaurant’s specifications, supplies hunters and private customers, and builds charcuterie tables for parties and business events.

That background in meat processing and preservation led naturally to the truck, Schnitzel Joe, which is now entering its third season. He still works with local restaurants, providing products mainly to Helga’s Haus: German Restaurant, Bier Garden & Deli in Aurora, but the food truck allows him bring his schnitzel and sausage directly to the public. “The food truck, it’s kind of an extension of my work,” says Dvoracek.

At his mobile food business, “I do different kinds of schnitzel,” he notes. “The original version uses a different breading and is more American style, and then I make a schnitzel bite. It’s pieces of schnitzel, bite-size, that you can share. The most important thing is to have good meat. For the original version, I use pork chops. For the other one, it’s a secret, but the meat is a little fattier, it’s tastier,” he says. “I use a little breading and fry slowly like my grandmother. A lot of people like teeny tiny meat with a lot of breading. My schnitzel is half an inch thick. I like meat. I like to sell meat. I don’t like to sell breading and frying oil.”

In addition to serving schnitzel accompanied by homemade pickled vegetables and bread, Dvoracek also offers sausages and charcuterie boards, made to the same low-chemical, high-meat standard he provides for restaurants. Oh, and he also makes his own tartar sauce for schnitzel dipping, which is common in the Czech Republic.

Schnitzel Joe typically operates every other weekend at Cohesion Brewing, where it has become a familiar presence. “That’s my base because they make the best Czech beer, best beer in town,” Dvoracek says. On November 8, the truck will host a pig roast at Cohesion, 3851 Steele Street.

Although the business does not have a large social media presence, the best way to connect is through Facebook or via josefthebutcher.com.

Next up for Dvoracek: the launch of his patented cast iron Q-pot. “I invented the pot. It’s like a barbecue pot. If you want to smoke liquid like stews and beans, it’s the only apparatus you can use,” he concludes.