It seems that everywhere you turn in American cities these days, you’re constantly reminded that the food world is rejecting mass production, choosing instead to resurrect the artisanal methods of yesteryear. From pickles to cocktails and everything in between, purveyors and restaurants are getting quite crafty—and Austin’s are certainly no exceptions.

One company at the forefront of our burgeoning artisanal scene is Salt & Time, a small yet prolific salumi company run by Ben Runkle and Bryan Butler. Runkle started the business two years ago, after he and his wife moved to Austin from the Bay Area. One of the most interesting aspects of Runkle’s foray into the world of butchery is that he was a vegan for ten years before deciding to take the dive.

Regarding his decision to convert back to the carnivorous world, he says: “I think for me, the best way to approach it was to recognize that my body wanted to eat meat. I feel healthier when I eat meat, and try to do it in a responsible way that I can be proud of.” After apprenticing under several butchers in the Bay Area, he hit the ground running.

Shortly after starting Salt & Time, Runkle joined forces with Butler, a master butcher with fifteen years of experience under his belt (the last six of which were spent as head butcher and meat buyer for Wheatsville Co-op). The genesis was simple: Runkle proposed, “I’m gonna break down a pig–you wanna help?” Butler said, “sounds like fun,” and the rest was porcine history. They set up their workshop in Niederwald, a small, dusty town about thirty minutes Southeast of Austin. Niederwald’s one traffic light and cowboy outpost vibe is an oddly fitting backdrop for making salumi; it’s easy to forget that these mostly gourmet-associated products were born out of rustic necessity in the days before refrigeration.

The pairing has been a great success, as Salt & Time was recently invited to join the Butcher’s Guild, an organization which aims to bring back the respect for the field of butchery, which many feel was, until recently, in danger of becoming a lost art. Butler remarks that only a few years ago, “the word ‘butcher’ was almost a dirty word, and you’d be called a ‘meat cutter’ instead.” They were also recently invited to compete in Cochon 555, an increasingly popular competition held in various cities in which five chefs and five winemakers team up to cook five pigs; Butler happily brought home a win in the butchery portion of the event.

Perusing Salt & Time’s website gives a very clear idea of the breadth of items the company produces. From classic Genoa salami to prosciutto and mortadella, Runkle and Butler’s emphasis is on the utmost importance of letting no part of a pig go to waste. They use fat and skin for sausage and stocks, and they debone heads to make delectable items like porchetta di testa, which is rolled with carrots and herbs, poached and sliced thin. They purchase their pigs from local farms such as Richardson Farms, Reliable Farms and Burgundy Pasture. Butler describes himself and Runkle as “pig junkies”; they get particularly excited whenever they get a chance to work with a new breed, always choosing prosciutto as the first item to make for comparison to previous pigs.

Runkle and Butler are also exploring ways to expand Salt & Time into new territories. The pair is looking to open a retail location sometime in the not too distant future, a butcher shop which will offer their existing dry cured meats, fresh sausages and condiments, as well as fresh cuts of meat and various sandwiches. In addition to this venture, the duo will be offering a “Meat CSA” option on their website. Subscribers will be able to pick up a box of select fresh and dry cured offerings once a month at local farmers’ markets.

It seems that the future is only getting broader and brighter for Salt & Time, so get in while the gettin’s good. A very limited number of slots for the company’s first Meat CSA run will be available next week. A six month membership costs $500–a significant discount, as each box will carry a value of $100 in items. Potential subscribers may sign up at orders@saltandtime.com.

If you’d like to see the team in action, Salt & Time will be contributing to Slow Food Austin’s Quiz Bowl at the Highball on August 14th, where Butler will demonstrate butchering a whole pig, auctioning off the cuts as he works. With regards to this event, Runkle proudly adds that “I get to see it every week, but watching Bryan break down a pig… it’s a sight to be seen.” In the meantime, the duo’s wares can be found at Barton Creek and HOPE Farmers’ markets.