The Meatery, the small, 14-seat sandwich and soup shop attached to Windsor Meat Co. in Edgemont Village, draws on a deep understanding of how to prepare meats in order to offer what are arguably some of the North Shore’s best sandwiches.
I have worked my way through most of their menu now and have been struck every time by how a few simple, expertly cooked ingredients can yield such complex flavours.
On my last visit, however, I encountered something truly unexpected: a new contender for a best-in-show vegetarian sandwich, an unlikely find in a venue so firmly rooted in the art of butchery.
The sandwich reminded me of an experience many years ago at a restaurant on the fringe of Manhattan’s Tribeca district, where I tucked into a plate of spicy and tender satay, that Southeast Asian specialty of marinated, thin strips of meat cooked on skewers over open flame. Flavours of chilies, peanuts and soy enhanced the gorgeously charred, caramelized flesh surrounding the singed bamboo sticks. I would tell you that it was one of the best pork preparations I have ever had, but the truth is, it wasn’t pork at all.
In fact, the succulent and juicy satay contained no meat whatsoever, but rather seitan, or wheat gluten, an ingredient popular in some cuisines of Asia.
It was my first experience with this remarkable substance that mimics the texture of meat with frightening accuracy and lends itself very well to both marinating and grilling. I was tempted to march into the kitchen of that restaurant to unearth the slab of lean pork that must surely have been tucked furtively into a corner by a group of crooked chefs trying to fob it off as a vegetarian dish, but my server assured me that seitan is a very real meat alternative.
Since then, I have noticed in shops and on menus a growing roster of vegetarian foodstuffs designed to emulate the textures and flavours of meat. Much of it is made from soy and some of it, when prepared creatively, can be pretty tasty. Too often, however, I find that these ingredients sell short the potential of vegetarian food by simply swapping out the principal protein of a meat-based recipe with a soy ingredient rather than developing an original vegetarian dish that can stand on its own without the use of a meat substitute.
I found it refreshing, if a touch ironic, to encounter a truly well thought out vegetarian sandwich at The Meatery in the form of a ciabatta bun filled with thick slabs of Cypriot halloumi cheese, vine ripened tomato, pesto, arugula, and garlicky artichoke aioli. The hefty sandwich struck a great balance between essential elements of taste, including salty (the sheep’s milk cheese from Cyprus), tart (the ripe tomato), bitter (the rocket) and sweet (the artichoke aioli and the basil in the pesto).
Now, let’s be clear here: the halloumi sandwich notwithstanding, the star of The Meatery’s menu remains the selection of thoughtfully prepared, in-house roasted meats that comprise the restaurant’s self-described “butchery to bun” philosophy. The Meatery has committed to using only local, ethically raised, non-medicated ingredients in their sandwiches, all drawn from the butcher with whom they share a space.
One of the restaurant’s crowd-pleasing favourites (an assessment based on the consistency with which others in the queue seem to order it) is a Hoisin-braised shortrib sandwich topped with pickled cabbage and guacamole, also served on an imposing wedge of ciabbatta. The mountain of tender shortrib meat featured in this creation, still dripping with its own braising liquid, makes the sandwich almost heavy enough to bench press, though physical exertion of any kind following one of these monsters can prove challenging. For my taste, the guacamole on this otherwise stunning sandwich was superfluous, competing with the melt-in-your-mouth beef rather than enhancing it. Other sandwiches on the menu include roasted chicken, pulled pork, a cold deli option featuring cured meats and cheeses, and a changing daily creation.
In addition to sandwiches, The Meatery features modestly priced salads and soups, the latter made from homemade stock.
On my most recent visit, I tried a bowl of cream of chicken soup with white wine. The soup reminded me, in both its thick, meat-laden texture and concentrated flavor, of the liquid that remains after stewing chicken in a casserole, like coq au vin.
The Meatery also boasts a tasty riff on sausage rolls, light, golden brown pastry stuffed to the seams with homemade sausage. These rolls, with their densely packed filling and caramelized edges, are an excellent accompaniment to the range of craft beers available on tap at the venue.
My recent meal at The Meatery, featuring two sandwiches, two sausage rolls, a bowl of soup and chips, was $35.49 before gratuity. The Meatery is located at 3108 Edgemont Blvd., North Vancouver. themeatery.ca
Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. A self-described wine fanatic, he earned his sommelier diploma in 2001. Contact: [email protected].
