On the pass: An interview with Agnes chef Ryan Carlson

It all started by accident, really. My first job in hospitality was frying fish and chips after school at age 14. From there, I kept cooking while studying engineering at university. It wasn’t until I left uni at 21 that I seriously considered where cooking could take me. I gave it my full attention, much to my parents’ dismay at the time, but thankfully, they’ve since come around.

You age pork at Agnes – what does this do for the flavour of the meat?

At the moment, we’re working with incredible loins from Tasmanian Duroc pigs. Once portioned, we place them in our temperature- and humidity-controlled aging room. From here moisture loss intensifies the flavour, allowing the character of the meat to really shine through. It’s not unlike the difference between grass-fed and grain-fed beef. The fat becomes more pronounced and it renders beautifully over fire.

Which Agnes dish do you most enjoy eating?

The hot-smoked pig’s head is a personal favourite. It’s not always on the menu, but we bring it back now and then. Each time, it seems to get better and better.

Tell us one thing that you like to pass on to young chefs.

When I was an apprentice, I had the good fortune to work under Tom Sarafian. He’s incredibly passionate and there’s a real emotion – almost a romanticism – in the way he speaks about food. It left a huge impression on me. It pushed me in directions I may not have otherwise explored. Now, I try to pass on that same sense of passion and emotion that Tom passed to me all those years ago.