Back in 2006, like so many food geeks with a few nice pots, pans and truly sharp knives, I picked up a copy of chef-writer Anthony Bourdain’s Nasty Bits cookbook on the first day it hit the shelves.
The book, written with the sardonic and irreverent tone for which its celebrated author is best known, was an ode to the lesser used cuts of meat that require special care and attention to realize their best expression, but that nevertheless represent some of the boldest and most satisfying flavours achievable by animal protein. The subtext of the book was that the use of the whole butchered animal is the only responsible approach in this age of meat consumption marked by “choice cuts” and the over-marketed, mass production of premium products developed to satisfy an unsustainable and irrational need, largely in the West, to put meat on the plate for three meals a day.
I remember delving into the book and selecting terrine de campagne (a coarse country pate) as the first recipe to tackle. The recipe called for caul fat, the thin, white, lacy membrane that lines the organs of certain livestock animals, like pigs, sheep and cows. The caul fat is used to wrap the terrine before baking and both binds the meat into shape and melts its fatty goodness into the mix, helping to create a moist, flavour-rich end product.
As the local grocery store does not typically carry this kind of thing, I headed into Windsor Meats in search of the ingredient and was told they would put aside a portion of it for me and would have it ready in a few days. The terrine, made with caul fat and select offal also bought from Windsor Meats, was fantastic. Over the years, Windsor has been my go-to butcher for a number of those lesser known cuts of meat, from pork trotters to unctuous, rich onglet (hanger steak, which is ideal for the grill following a couple days of marinating).
The butcher has opened a new location on Lower Lonsdale and, like its Edgemont Village sister property, runs something called The Meatery from within the space. In the case of the new Windsor location, The Meatery, which serves thoughtfully prepared, meat-centric fare, occupies more space than the butcher proper. I popped in recently to check the place out and was surprised to find that the vibe was much more one of funky, deli-style dining than one of meat retail.
There was a certain heavy-heartedness in the air on the afternoon of my visit as legendary French chef Paul Bocuse had died that morning. Chefs and foodies of all traditions revered the master chef, who held three Michelin stars since the mid 1960s and influenced countless aspiring cooks and restaurateurs. I felt like the meal that was served to me at Windsor, a luscious braised beef Banh Mi sandwich with a pint of craft lager, would have appealed to the illustrious chef, whose Lyonnais cuisine, no matter how evolved or sophisticated, also retained the authenticity and commitment to bold flavour that marks so much of his country’s culinary traditions.
The Meatery’s lunch menu consists of a handful of expertly conceived sandwiches, as well as side salads and daily specials. My Banh Mi (which really only bore resemblance to the famed Vietnamese sub in its inclusion of marinated shredded carrot and daikon radish, as well as cilantro) was piled high with ultra tender, moist braised beef and a spicy mayo to tie it all together.
The Meatery has a small but notably smart beer and wine list, with craft brew taps featuring Townsite Brewery and Granville Island Brewery, a couple of wines on tap, as well as a bottle list that includes Aglianico del Vulture (a criminally underrated, complex red from the Basilicata region of Italy), Morellino di Scansano (great value Tuscan red made with a minimum of 85 per cent sangiovese), and rich, ripe, good value Ardeche chardonnay from Louis Latour.
Windsor Meats celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2016 and has, over those decades, cultivated important relationships with local farms that result in the consistently high quality of meats available from the butcher, many of which uphold some of the highest standards in sustainable and ethical rearing. Some of these relationships are exclusive, meaning that if the meat from a select pork purveyor is not adequately marbled, for instance, Windsor Meats can work with the farmer directly to modify the diet of the livestock to achieve the desired quality. As a result, eating a meal within the walls of the newest Meatery feels positively visceral and as close to farm-to-table as one can get without transgressing some uncomfortable boundaries.
I brought a surprisingly good vegetarian sandwich home for my wife DJ. It included an excellent, melt-in-your-mouth creamy mozzarella, whipped ricotta, pesto-tossed greens and roasted tomatoes.
All sandwiches are served on fresh and chewy ciabatta buns.
I learned over the course of my lunch that The Meatery has just undertaken dinner service, offering Roman style pizza, pasta, meat specialties (roast chicken and ribs), salads and sides from 5 to 9 p.m.
My selection of two sandwiches and a pint of beer was $25.
The Meatery is located at 135 Lonsdale Ave. in North Vancouver. Windsormeats.com/themeatery. 604–770–1922.
