The Other Red Meat « Sharp – Canada's Magazine for Men

Sign up for the sharp insider, our email newsletter, and get a FREE DOWNLOAD of a past issue of Sharp The Book For Men.

May 2013

Gold-Award

Prev Next

Prev

Next

The Other Red Meat

<b>Who:</b> <a href="http://theblackhoof.com/">The Black Hoof</a>
<br></br>
<b>Where:</b> Toronto, Ontario
<br></br>
<b>The Gist:</b> Like La Palette, The Black Hoof believes horse is best served raw. Their spicy horse tartare blasts the ubiquitous salmon version of the dish out of the water, combining crunchy matchstick potatoes and creamy, sea-brined caper aioli to cut through the richness of the meat.
<br></br>
<br></br>
<i>Photography</i>: L. Richarz

<b>Who:</b> <a href="http://lechienfumant.com/fr/">Le Chien Fumant</a>
<br></br>
<b>Where:</b> Montreal, Quebec
<br></br>
<b>The Gist:</b> Marinated onions, cornichons, and French mustard season the horse tartare at this über-French, über-cool Montreal restaurant. For dinner and a show, order a 75 made with brandy, sparkling wine, sugar and lemon and watch the bartender muddle your cocktail with a baseball bat suspended from the bar.

<b>Who:</b> <a href="http://lapalette.ca/">La Palette</a>
<br></br>
<b>Where:</b> Toronto, Ontario
<br></br>
<b>The Gist:</b> The horse <i>escabèche nicoise</i> appetizer at this hip, Provence-inspired restaurant is not for the faint of heart. Executive chef Brooke Kavanagh tosses marinated horse heart and tongue with oven-dried cherry tomatoes, olives, green beans, potatoes, quail egg and a red wine vinaigrette. Kavanagh isn’t horsing around with his “Quack ‘n’ Track” combo of a confit duck leg and 4 oz horse tenderloin. Horse purists, however, can skip the duck in favour of the solo seared horse tenderloin with foraged mushroom oat risotto, seasonal vegetables and textbook sage and port demi glace. Order the tender meat rare—horse is easily overcooked.

<b>Who:</b> <a href="http://batifole.ca/">Batifole</a>
<br></br>
<b>Where:</b> Toronto, Ontario
<br></br>
<b>The Gist:</b> Horse steaks and sausages are standard fare in France. And although it first appeared in Montreal at places such as “Le Chien Fumant” (The Smoking Dog), the Euro-chic meat is now available on the traditional French menu at Toronto’s Batifole. Their tartare de cheval bien relevé is a hand-chopped, mustard-seasoned horse sirloin. A single bite with toast, sliced carrots, caramelized onions and a French cornichon pickle is enough to not only take away your inhibitions, but make you fall in love.

<b>Who:</b> <a href="http://www.joebeef.ca/">Joe Beef</a>
<br></br>
<b>Where:</b> Montreal, Quebec
<br></br>
<b>The Gist:</b> In true nose-to-tail eating style, chef David McMillan uses horse tenderloin, rump, sirloin and rib for stews, tartars, and steaks. “It's not a big deal here [in Montreal] but I can see how Anglophones are shocked. I believe it’s a francophone thing and part of Montreal culture. It should just be left to us and Europe.”

The Art of Horse according to <i>The Art of Living According to Joe Beef</i>
<br></br>
<b>Filet de Cheval à Cheval</b>
<br></br>
<i>Serves 4</i>
<br></br>
2 tablespoons canola oil
<br></br>
4 slices bacon
<br></br>
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for frying
<br></br>
1 bay leaf or 1 sprig thyme (optional)
<br></br>
4 horse steaks, 8 to 10 ounces (225 to 280 g) each
<br></br>
1 cup (250 ml) Sauce Vin Rouge
<br></br>
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
<br></br>
4 eggs
<br></br>
4 slices brioche (optional)
<br></br>
1. Place a large sauté pan over high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the bacon and fry for about 5 minutes, or until nicely browned but not crisp (you are going to want to wrap it around the steak). Set aside.
<br></br>
2. Pour out the fat and wipe the pan clean. Add the 2 tablespoons butter to the same pan over medium heat. When the butter is bubbly, add the bay leaf. Now add the horse steaks to the pan and cook for five minutes on the first side. Turn and cook for four minutes on the second side. Transfer the steaks to a plate and let rest for four minutes, keeping them warm. Wipe the pan clean and set aside.
<br></br>
3. Meanwhile, in a small pot, warm the wine sauce over medium heat and whisk in the mustard. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
<br></br>
4. Add a little butter to the sauté pan and fry the eggs, then toast the brioche, if using. Wrap a slice of bacon around each steak, if you can, and then top the steak with an egg. Or, just place a bacon slice and an egg on top of each steak. If you have toasted brioche, slip a slice of toast under each steak. Pour a couple of spoonfuls of wine sauce over each portion, and you have the classic filet de cheval à cheval—“fillet of horse on horseback.”
<br></br>
<i>Reprinted with permission from</i> The Art of Living According to Joe Beef: A Cookbook of Sorts<i> by Frédéric Morin, David McMillan, and Meredith Erickson, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. Photo credit: Jennifer May.</i>

Comments

Pingback: My Article in Sharp for Men Magazine | Multiculturiosity