Best Butchers in Vancouver (Merged)

[Keith Talent]

"All of his bacon is made in the celtic tradition"

While drunk?

[remi]

Depends on what day you catch him on (for the drink)

The Ayershire bacon is fantastic

[Kayaksoup]

Canadian Prime - a bit more difficult to get ( Top 4 % of no particular breed ) is available only at restaurant suppliers I think.

Neil

We pick up the Canada Prime at Armando's In GI Market.

You have to ask for it, but it is worth it.

Also, he has managed to procure all sorts of things for us including suckling pig

Edited August 12, 2004 by Kayaksoup (log)

[Chef Fowke]

I have an opinon on this so:

For pork, panchetta, chicken (free range and bones for stock), veal chops and ground meats, Chioffi's.

For Italian sausage and veal, Columbus Meat Market.

For Merguez and other sausages The Santa Barbara.

For beef, Save on or the Urban Fare. Make sure you buy the certified Angus from the cases, have it cut for you and do not freeze it.

For Buffalo..........Just say NO!

WoW!

Everyone stand up and salute! This is the first postive (really!) thread I have read from Coop!!!!

Honestly....really...HONESTLY, I am going to go and investigate these places on Saturaday,

[Coop]

That's me The Nattering Nabob of Negativity. I hate Food, Wine and Restaurants! The only reason I post here is to kill some time between trips to MacDonald's, Burger King and the Fat Guy's former favorite Vancouver place.

I suppose that when you get all of your meat deliverd by Sysco you loose touch with the masses.

Edited August 17, 2004 by Coop (log)

[Keith Talent]

Sysco doesn't call it meat, it's protein.

[Coop]

I have been thinking back about my recent posts.....loved Cru, Parkside, Tasting bar at Lumiere, Fiction, West......the only place I was really negative about in 600+ posts was Joe Fortes when the Fat Guy said it was the best place in Vancouver. I just said I didn't think it was very good. I ate there numerous times, spent lot's of money but just never thought it was worth it. I just don't get the connection between this Cioffi's/ butcher thing and me being negative....

Hey wait a minute!

[Chef Fowke]

I have been thinking back about my recent posts.....loved Cru, Parkside, Tasting bar at Lumiere, Fiction, West......the only place I was really negative about in 600+ posts was Joe Fortes when the Fat Guy said it was the best place in Vancouver. I just said I didn't think it was very good. I ate there numerous times, spent lot's of money but just never thought it was worth it. I just don't get the connection between this Cioffi's/ butcher thing and me being negative....

Hey wait a minute!

...and Coop, your posts were well written, articulate and informative. I appreciated your opinion and acted on it, as much as was in my power.

As to the best butchers in town, yes to all your selections...with the exception of the Merguez Sausage. Their is a gentleman in town, named John Eve, who makes/distributes the best. Unfortunately I do not know how to get a hold of him unless you work in a hospitality industry.

This brings up a good point. The best meats are still all purchased by the restaurants/hotels. For all the money in the world it is next to impossible (with a few exceptions) to purchase Prime Canadian at the retail level. But to find Canadian Prime that has been dried aged for 28 days is impossible. Why deal with a piece of meat that is so expensive if it is not aged properly?

Sidebar...went to Granville Island last Sunday. Visited with the butcher three isles up from the main entrance. Real Calabrese Sausage, Chorizo Sausage, etc and many variations made with wild boar, etc.

[Coop]

It's probably just me but I really love the Frieden Merguez. I have never been to Provence and had the real thing so i can't compare it to anything except what's available here and in Seattle (at le Pichet). I like it grilled and served with roasted potatoes, grilled vegetables and a mediocre bottle of Chianti like Le Fonti 2001. While at Santa Barbara i'll usually get a loaf of the Westview Bakery Pao de Casa.

[Chef Fowke]

I put a call in this morning....The Merguez Sausage should be here in a couple of days, it is in the style of Toulouse. Coop, I will PM you when it gets in...

[Keith Talent]

Next we need to have a sausage shootout. Cities best sausage, style unimportant. I'd say that the only criteria is it needs to be suitable for grilling. Any ideas?

[Chef Fowke]

Next we need to have a sausage shootout. Cities best sausage, style unimportant. I'd say that the only criteria is it needs to be suitable for grilling. Any ideas?

Criteria would need to be....

1) Dry Cured

2) Smoked

3) Ready for the grill

Exciting! Sausage is the eye to the soul of a culture.

[nwyles]

Exciting! Sausage is the eye to the soul of a culture.

A little dramatic don't you think !

[Daddy-A]

Exciting! Sausage is the eye to the soul of a culture.

A little dramatic don't you think !

Well, you know these chefs ... next to poets on the dramatic scale

I had a really terrific sausage last weekend at Paprika in Victoria ... chicken with chantrelles & carraway seed. Very tasty, although it lacked a little in the fat department which to me makes for a really great sausage. It was served with a selection of pickles gerkins, cabbage, beets & carrots. Hard to find good pickles these days.

Provence Marinaside does a nice meguez sandwich for lunch ... but I'm partial to lamb. Cioffi's lamb sausage is good too.

DA

[stovetop]

Freybe sausage rules!

steve

[stovetop]

My picks

penquin meats- white rock

Artic meats -commercial

jacksons- 4th and granville

columbus-victoria drve?

Windsor-main and king edward

One thing that has changed is sometimes meat is processed in the us, but now that the border is closed I do not know what gives with that, aussie beef sucks and most wholesalers and stores are pushing this crap, wher is all the Alberta beef, we would sell out our granmother to save a few cents, what gives.

Edited August 18, 2004 by stovetop (log)

[Keith Talent]

Not to be indelicate, but chicken sausage can fuck right off.

[Keith Talent]

, we would sell out our granmother to save a few cents, what gives.

You know where to get good grandmother cheap? Dry aged? Do tell.

[stovetop]

Keith don't hold back

steve

[stovetop]

Pork fat rules!!!!!!!!!!!

[stovetop]

You know where to get good grandmother cheap? Dry aged? Do tell.

Yes, mix her with a little pork and chicken just to piss you off, and put into some casings, charbroil and serve with a roasted crabapple compote. Hey it is a house specialty past down from my Hawaiian family when that old and crabby sailor Cook was visiting back in 17 something. A good way to get ride of that old *&)& especially that in-law.

steve

Edited August 18, 2004 by stovetop (log)

[nwyles]

Australian Beef is graded by the number of teeth in their head. An exact science ??

I do not know if more teeth is better or less ? Does anyone know.

Neil

Seriously , it's true !

Edited August 18, 2004 by nwyles (log)

[Coop]

I believe that it would be better to have more teeth, from the steer's point of view.

[Daddy-A]

Not to be indelicate, but chicken sausage can fuck right off.

You??? Indelicate??

Seriously Keith, what do you REALLY think? I mean, what did poultry ever do to you?

[Chef Metcalf]

Hi

Newbie here at egullet......sorry to change the subject....

3 P Poultry in North Vancouver (Main and Mountain where the Burger King is).

Great quality non-medicated meats (sans valium or anti-depressants ) that are far tastier and worth the extra price over supermarket meat and poultry offerings.

The staff are very helpful with friendly advice.

Best of all, I can be assured of flavourful and high quality beef and poultry...along with buffalo burgers and the like (however, my craving for Koh Samui buffalo burgers at three AM is over.....thank god). Must have been the water.