Best Butchers in Vancouver (Merged)

[Ling]

I ran a search for hangar steak, and this is how I cooked mine last time:

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I just finished cutting the gristle off the the steak as best I could. Then I cut the steak into largish pieces (about 2 inches by 4 inches) because the steak was pretty ragged looking by the time I was through. It's marinating in the fridge right now with a generous amount of chopped garlic, slices of shallots, red wine (about 1/2 cup), worcestershire sauce, cracked black pepper, and a bit of sea salt.

Tomorrow I plan on serving it blue rare (same way I do all my steaks) with some crumbled blue cheese on the top. (Or maybe I will saute some mushrooms, add some more red wine to deglaze the pan, and mount with butter. Maybe a bit of dijon in the sauce?) Diced avocado with fresh squeezed lemon juice and sea salt on the side. Starch will be polenta with cheese, or tater tots.

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And the 2nd time, I did it without an overnight marinade, but made a sauce of anchovy, olive oil, parsley, and garlic to pour over the steak.

Edited July 15, 2005 by Ling (log)

[Chef Metcalf]

Here's how the French serve it Neil.

This was served it to us (cut tableside) in Pont de Moussons in France two weeks ago at a little outdoor cafe.

It didn't appear to have been marinated in anything except maybe red wine and evoo.

I wasn't that hungry and just ordered a goat's cheese salad that turned out to be an enormous portion, as was the hanger that H couldn't even finish (eating copious amounts of bread might have had something to do with that too).

It was bloody hot out too (35C) so we were forced to order a bottle of chilled rose!

After the steak arrived and we realized it was hanger, (wasn't posted on the menu) we toasted all the egulleteers in Vancouver!

[peppyre]

WOW!!!! That looks gorgeous!

Welcome home.

[BCinBC]

...there was a butcher shop there that was staffed by a man and what appeared to be his meat cutter daughters...5 buxom, bodacious blondes in bloody aprons.  We used to refer to them as "the meat choppin' babes".

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This is awesome, life imitating art but in this case the "art" is a Rob Zombie flick.

Frances, your photo is giving me serious pangs. We are planning to go to France in Sept, not to this area but to Lyon and south. Two more months, too long to wait...

[mtigges]

Beefiest steak I've ever had. Yum. More chew, more flavour, no complaints. I need to trim it a bit more next time though. Live, eat and learn.

Westlyn, 604-988-7644, got a double pack so there are 4 (I think) available.

[~cayenne~]

Anyone know where I can get game meat in Richmond? (Heringer's, perhaps?)

Looking for buffalo, venison...anything...

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I've bought buffalo at the Marketplace I.G.A. in Garden City Mall (corner of Blundell and Garden City), in the past. Perhaps phone them first to check?

[Daddy-A]

Anyone know where I can get game meat in Richmond? (Heringer's, perhaps?)

Looking for buffalo, venison...anything...

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I've bought buffalo at the Marketplace I.G.A. in Garden City Mall (corner of Blundell and Garden City), in the past. Perhaps phone them first to check?

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Thanks for the tip cayenne. Welcome to eGullet!

A.

[~cayenne~]

Anyone know where I can get game meat in Richmond? (Heringer's, perhaps?)

Looking for buffalo, venison...anything...

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I've bought buffalo at the Marketplace I.G.A. in Garden City Mall (corner of Blundell and Garden City), in the past. Perhaps phone them first to check?

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Thanks for the tip cayenne. Welcome to eGullet!

A.

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Thanks Daddy-A!

[jayhay]

We found ourselves in Burnaby on Saturday, so decided to check out Cioffi's.

I was looking for a beef roast for a dinner I was having that night, so talked the man behind the counter for his best choice. He suggested a Baron of Beef , & just happened to have one already cut, & in the case. I mentioned that it seemed to be a very bright shade of rosy red, & not the deep shade of burgundy that I usually look for. He assured me that it was just because they'd cut it down from a larger roast, & tender it would be! Not so! We could barely cut the roast with our steak knives, even though I'd taken it out of the oven at 110F, so it certainly wasn't overcooked.

Should have stuck with my usual choice, which is Stong's.

[mywhitedevil]

It seems reading this thread has already answered my questions, but I'll ask anyway.

Is there an oversaturation of meat markets and butcher shops in Vancouver/BC? My wife and I are planning on emmigrating to Canada, and our future plans for include opening my own charcuterie/artisanal butcher shop. We love BC, but this could be a deal breaker. Of course, on the upside, it seems like there are many places where I could possibly find work as a master butcher.

[Daddy-A]

It seems reading this thread has already answered my questions, but I'll ask anyway.

Is there an oversaturation of meat markets and butcher shops in Vancouver/BC?  My wife and I are planning on emmigrating to Canada, and our future plans for include opening my own charcuterie/artisanal butcher shop.  We love BC, but this could be a deal breaker.  Of course, on the upside, it seems like there are many places where I could possibly find work as a master butcher.

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Let's see how many offers you get to drive you up here!

I believe are desparately in need of good butchers ... and even more so in terms of charcuterie. Oyama can't handle ALL of us!

A.

[Tete Carre]

I'd like to put my 2 cents in as well. I believe Vancouver is in need of more better butchers. The primary issue in my mind is quality of meat and dry aging vs. cryovacing.

First, quality of meat. There are not many butchers who deal with non-medicated and/or free range beef. This is a very young market segment and may or may not expand. Personally I'll go out of my way ( and do so almost every week to N. Van) to get the above.

Cryovacing portions of a carcass allows some butchers to present a carefully selected anf fully margined product to their clients. The fact that the taste tends towards mediocrity isn't a factor in this market. The very few butchers that can and do dry age their meat are to be sought out and patronized.

So if you are considering specializing in non-medidcated/free range beef that is dry aged and cut to order please do and contact me, I'll put in a standing order for a number of cuts.

If your charcouterie is good and based on the above, oh so simple concepts, I'll patronize your shop on that basis as well.

If you base your shop on either Cambie or Main somewhere around 21st Avenue even better. Commmercial drive would do as well.

Cheers and good luck.

PS unfortunately many Vancouverites are very cheap seeing as the lifestye isn't cheap.

[peppyre]

Is there an oversaturation of good butchers in the Vancouver market?.....Dear God NO!!! I have one butcher that still can't deliver what I would like them too. For 20 years I have been pining for a traditional butcher that dry ages meat (at a cost that the average person can afford), a butcher that makes their own sausages, salamis, cures, something like what I grew up with. I was spoiled, as learned as I got older and started to buy meat on my own.

If you decide to come to Vancouver and open up shop, let me know. I would certainly be interested. Especially if you are going to be dry aging, or at least purchasing top quality meat.

Can I just say that I would love to go into a butcher shop and not have a side of meat pulled out from the walk-in in a cryovac bag. The last time I saw a shop actually hanging their meat was Ye Auld Scottish Larder which is long gone and that was 4 years ago, a few months before they closed.

[~cayenne~]

It seems reading this thread has already answered my questions, but I'll ask anyway.

Is there an oversaturation of meat markets and butcher shops in Vancouver/BC?  My wife and I are planning on emmigrating to Canada, and our future plans for include opening my own charcuterie/artisanal butcher shop.  We love BC, but this could be a deal breaker.  Of course, on the upside, it seems like there are many places where I could possibly find work as a master butcher.

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Please be sure to let us know where you set up your shop, we are definitely looking forward to it! The suggestions of Cambie, Main, Commercial or anywhere in the near perimeter would be awesome! I would be thrilled at the opportunity to purchase meat of good quality; although I rarely purchase it now, it's because I detest spending money on inferior, mass produced product, produced by national corporations, that couldn't care less what I really thought of their product. Good grief, the huge chain store that I have no choice but to frequent, I have serious doubts as to their effectiveness of their chilling system holding the meats, but surely I'm not the only one to doubt it. I'd love the opportunity to buy awesome quality meat products, in the family income neighbourhood, east of City Hall. I remember as a young'n seeing the "master butcher", or close to it, in the area behind the meat department, don't ever see that anymore! Heck, I remember seeing the half cows hanging in the window at the store on Renfrew, I believe plus other places. Don't see any of that anymore.

No, definitely, no over saturation, and if you are good, I'd locate in an area that may not be as expensive for overhead. Folks will come and shop on basis of good recommendation. Looking forward to seeing where you set up shop!

[Kentan]

Looks like it might be time to revive this thread! I've been relying on Jackson's almost exclusively, so I'll have to look farther afield now. Windsor Quality Meats on Main St. and Save-on-Meats on Hastings seem the closest to downtown. I'll bet that there haven't been any new butchers opening up in the last few years.

Edited September 6, 2008 by Kentan (log)

[Paul B]

Another vote for Windsor Meats, but this time for the West Van location at Caulfeild mall. Does anyone else in town carry organic flank steak? Marinated, grilled and thinly sliced, it's like butter under your knife. And they'll cut steaks to your specs, and (parents of small tots take note), they sell large, mildly seasoned chicken fingers cut from whole chicken breasts. And decent, quick-meal steak and onion pies. And farm-raised free-range turkeys at Christmas, yum.

Prices are comparable to Black's butcher shop in Park Royal south, but I've had some disappointingly chewy, tough strip loins from Black's....  java script:emoticon('')

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Second this vote. I go there most Sundays and the head butcher doesn't think twice about putting together special roasts for me. They're always good.

[Nicholas Ellan]

If you're willing to go to the North Shore, go no further than 3P Natural & Exotic Meats. Not only do they have a great selection of extremely reasonably-priced dry-aged meats, but they carry a bunch of neat home-made products like game burgers & sausage, and get all sorts of exotic stuff in like ostrich and kangaroo (!!). I have a feeling their supplier is Hills Foods (an amazing wholesaler). They also happen to have high-end pet foods, if you're into that.

They're on Main St. in the complex with the Wendy's, very close to the base of the 2nd narrows.

[Aaron Lees]

Jackson's Meats will be reopening in their original location at 4th and Yew. Can't wait to go

Christopher Jackson confirmed in this comment.

[eatingoutloud]

Are there any good shops that smoke their own meats? (in particular, smoked duck)

Thanks --

Allen

(new to Vancouver)

[fmed]

JN&Z on Commercial Dr (near 1st) is very good (they supply some of the wine and salumi restaurants around town). I haven't seen duck, but I'm sure they are open to custom work.

Are there any good shops that smoke their own meats?  (in particular, smoked duck)

Thanks --

Allen

(new to Vancouver)

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Edited June 6, 2009 by fmed (log)

[Kentan]

Jackson's Meats will be reopening in their original location at 4th and Yew. Can't wait to go

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In the Georgia Straight this wknd:

"Jackson's meat/deli is back where it all began!

Coming soon to 4th Ave...

2214 West 4th Avenue"

Can't wait!

[mtigges]

I searched the topic for "sebastian" ... no hits found.

My opinion is that the "best meat shop in van" is currently a race between Sebastian in west van and Armando on GI.

http://www.sebastianandco.ca/

[Paul B]

Another vote for Windsor Meats, but this time for the West Van location at Caulfeild mall. Does anyone else in town carry organic flank steak? Marinated, grilled and thinly sliced, it's like butter under your knife. And they'll cut steaks to your specs, and (parents of small tots take note), they sell large, mildly seasoned chicken fingers cut from whole chicken breasts. And decent, quick-meal steak and onion pies. And farm-raised free-range turkeys at Christmas, yum.

Prices are comparable to Black's butcher shop in Park Royal south, but I've had some disappointingly chewy, tough strip loins from Black's....  java script:emoticon('')

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Yes! And the people who run the place will treat you as a regular if you go back a few times.

[Beebs]

Are there any opinions on Shaughnessy Fine Meats in Kerrisdale (W 41st & Yew)? I've walked by a couple times, but haven't bought anything yet.

[run2eat]

Oh happy day!

Jackson's on 4th is now open!!

Not sure when they opened - I think I overheard it was yesterday. As a customer-appreciation gesture, they're offering a 20% discount off all purchases this weekend only, and are open tomorrow.