Meat Archives - West Coast Food

Cheese & Meat April 13, 2022

Where to Fill Your Charcuterie Board in Metro Vancouver

Meat. The hero of the charcuterie board. By Catherine Dunwoody Create your own spectacular board at home to really wow your guests at home or just load up on deli meats to elevate your weekday sandwiches. Either way, these local spots are where to find the most delicious house-made and imported charcuterie meats. Arc Iberico Imports carries Iberico ham, known as Jamón, which is a type of cured ham produced in Spain. Try the Serrano ham as well, dry-cured for months, sliced thin by the master artisans behind the counter of the tasting room and wine bar. Stock up on chorizos and other Spanish delicacies while visiting Richmond. Puccini’s, located on Vancouver’s North Shore is owned and operated by a brother and sister team. This bustling Italian and Mediterranean deli offer cured meats both imported and locally sourced, as well as cheeses, pastas and other imported pantry staples. Bosa Foods…

Chef Stories January 27, 2020

Two Rivers Butcher Katarina Edwards: From Farm to Block

By Gail Johnson Katarina Edwards grew up on a farm in 100 Mile House and was plucking chickens by the time she was a teen. These days, she’s a butcher at Two Rivers Specialty Meats. The North Vancouver-based eatery and butcher shop works with small farms across B.C. and Alberta–like Brant Lake Wagyu, Peace Country Lamb, and Pemberton Meadows Natural Beef–that produce sustainable, ethically raised meat. Here, Edwards shares a glimpse into a day in the life behind the chopping block. What was it like growing up on a farm? My mom comes from a family of 11 children from Germany. They had a farm, restaurant, and butcher shop in New Brunswick. She passed all that knowledge along to me and my two younger sisters. We had a variety of animals: pigs, goats, chickens… We always had our own meat in the freezer. We would milk the goats and we…

Where to Eat May 15, 2018

Fill Up with These Rich Meaty Poutines in Metro Vancouver

By Kristi Alexandra Meaty, cheesy, messy, mouthwatering. Depending on who you ask, the most savoury junk food treat to come out of French Canada–maudite poutine–roughly translates to “a damn mess” or “a fine mess.” The hodge-podge of ingredients–meat, gravy and fresh cheese curds atop fries–has been around since the 50s. In its younger days, poutine’s appeal was questionable, but twists on this classic comfort dish have been picking up steam on this side of Canada of late. It’s a damn fine mess that we don’t mind translating to our tastebuds, and here’s a few places you can find it. Big Red’s Poutine Traveling food truck Go meat or go home! That’s the way Big Red likes it. This roaming poutine-only food truck serves up 14 meat-based poutines, from “the original” all the way to the spring roll poutine, packed with vegetable spring rolls cut into pieces in a homemade beef…

Shops & Markets March 23, 2018

Grab a Bite of Ethically and Sustainably Raised Meat at Two Rivers in North Vancouver

By Catherine Dunwoody The award-winning supplier of ethical and sustainable meats sold at some of BC’s best restaurants has opened up shop. It’s a traditional working butchery, complete with a glass-walled dry-age room; a European-style deli and take-away counter; plus a 32-seat, eat-in restaurant. There’s a stylish terrazzo-floor, 2,500 square-foot industrial space and come sunny weather, an additional 16-seat patio where you can get a hearty lunch or share a charcuterie board. Two Rivers Meats selects, prepares and sells only ethically and sustainably raised products from like-minded farms, including Cache Creek Natural Beef, Peace Country lamb, Cheam View Pork, Farm Crest Chickens, Canadian Rangeland bison, Yarrow Meadows Farm duck, and others. Chef Tony Starratt’s kitchen and family-style eatery serves what the Two Rivers brand does so well. Bonus? Guests can dine in and then take home recipe ideas. Try the 60-day dry-aged burger or the rotisserie chicken with hand-cut fried…

Recipes March 15, 2018

Recipe: Chicken Liver Pate

By Chef Dhruv Jhanjee, Tour De Feast INGREDIENTS Chicken livers (1lb) Duck livers (1lb) Heavy cream (1/2 cup) Milk (to soak) Butter, unsalted (250gms) Brandy (1 1/2 cups) Nutmeg (1oz) Shallots, diced (1/2 cup) Rosemary, fresh (1 stem) Thyme, fresh (4 stems) Bay leaf (1) Orange (1, for the peel) DIRECTIONS Soak livers in milk overnight Dry both livers thoroughly with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. In a large pan, brown the livers on one side in half of the butter. Flip the livers and add shallots, rosemary & thyme sprigs, along with bay leaf. Deglaze with brandy off heat. Return to heat and cook the liquid out until almost dry. Remove thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Puree the livers, in a blender, with remaining melted butter and heavy cream. Use a sieve to strain the liquid. Adjust the seasoning with nutmeg, salt and pepper and grate fresh orange zest.…

Farms October 11, 2017

A Full Day of Feasting in Langley Part 2: Lunch at JD Farms

Photos by Michele Mateus Words by Alexis Baran Go to Part 1: Breakfast at Milsean After a morning spent checking out Langley along the Circle Farm Tour or perhaps following a round of golf, the stomach starts to call for lunch, and we’ve got the answer. JD Farms raises specialty turkey, and from their farm comes everything from full roast-ready turkeys to sausages, broth, ready-made entrees, salami and pepperoni (even raw pet foods for your furry family) – and of course, there’s a bistro for when you’re hungry right now. The JD Farms Bistro serves up turkey in nearly endless forms. But their most popular item is their smoked turkey legs. These have become so well-known that busses full of people from around the world have been known to make a dedicated stop, just to give the handheld specialty a try. Also popular is their hot and fresh turkey pot pies,…

Shops & Markets October 21, 2016

Vancouver and The Fraser Valley’s MeatMe: For Mindful Carnivores

by Catherine Dunwoody Although the concept isn’t new, it certainly is timely. Founded by Victor Straatman who recently partnered with Chef Trevor Bird (Top Chef Canada Runner-up, Fable Kitchen, Fable Diner) to create a ‘meat sharing’ company called Meatme. Many consumers want to know where their food comes from, especially when it comes to meat, and increasing awareness of the factory farm industry is driving people to want to purchase meat from farmers who raise their beef ethically and humanely. But how can we be sure when we buy it from a supermarket and the grey area of the elusive middle-man makes it challenging? Enter MeatMe. Operating business from Gastown and North Vancouver plus butchering done in Abbotsford, the company supports BC farmers who raise their cattle right – 100% grass fed, free range, no chemicals or antibiotics, locally sourced Angus beef. Here is how it works: Buy your beef…

Latin American April 14, 2016

Rio Brazilian Steak House in Coquitlam

By Sheliza Mitha & The City of Coquitlam When Maurio Ramos and his family emigrated from Brazil to Canada in 2001, it was with the hope of achieving a better quality of life. While the family immersed and settled themselves entirely in their new chosen home of Metro Vancouver, there was one thing they couldn’t and wouldn’t leave behind: the food and flavours of their native country. With extensive restaurant experience in their hometown of Aracaju, which sits in the north-eastern part of Brazil, the decision to venture into the food service industry here was an easy one. “About one year after we arrived in Canada, we were approached by an investor to open a Brazilian Steakhouse, which became Samba,” explains Felipe Ramos, Maurio’s son and a trained chef. “Maurio and I were the only two people involved in the restaurant, and I was one of the first chefs at…

Farms March 28, 2016

Sharing Field-to-Fork Freshness at Lepp Farm Market in the Fraser Valley

By Kathy Mak At the entrance of Lepp Farm Market, you’re greeted with heaps of fresh produce. Initially, you may get the impression that this is a convenient food shop, located at the crossroads of Clayburn Road and the Abbotsford Mission Highway. However, Lepp Farm Market is unexpectedly much more than just a grocery store. The family-owned and operated market is the natural union of Rob Lepp’s farming expertise and Charlotte Lepp’s foodie flare. Together, their focus is on sharing fresh farm direct products and local food experiences. One would be hard-pressed to find a couple that is more passionate about farm-to-table goodness than Rob and Charlotte Lepp. The duo brings together a variety of elements to achieve a quality, locally grown, field-to-fork environment all on its own. Their love for farmed products is rooted in their families, both sides farming in the Fraser Valley since 1948 raising cattle, hogs,…

Canadian/American September 10, 2015

Best in the (New) West Burgers

New Westminster is packed with classic dimly-lit brick pubs, bright patios and friendly diners; all perfect places to chow down on a good ol’ burger and fries. Here are some of New West’s best-known burgers: The Manwich Match Eatery & Public House A 7oz flat-iron steak on a garlic French loaf topped with crispy onion strings, roasted grape tomatoes and garlic aioli – served medium rare or to taste. Cajun Chicken Sandwich The Terminal Pub A Cajun-spiced grilled chicken breast topped with aged cheddar, bacon, crispy onion strings, lettuce, tomato and a chipotle aioli. It is served on a kaiser buns that is freshly baked and delivered to by their neighbour, Pamola Bakery, at the River Market in New Westminster. Breakfast Burger (with an elk patty) Burger Heaven Mozzerella, a fried egg (like the Aussies do it) and bacon – try it with an elk patty for an…

Shops & Markets August 21, 2015

Meaty Deliciousness on the North Shore

By Joanne Sasvari Here on Vancouver’s North Shore, you could say the meat is, well, a cut above. North and West Vancouver are home to a number of butchers, meat shops and sausage makers who’ve carved out a high-quality niche, often specializing in local, organic, antibiotic-free, chemical-free and humanely raised products. Two Rivers Specialty Meats Technically, Two Rivers Specialty Meats is a North Vancouver-based wholesale distributor that sells meat throughout the Lower Mainland. But they’re much more than that. They’re a force for good – after all, they’ve done more than just about anyone to make local, ethically raised meats the popular choice for diners in Vancouver. You’ll find their products – from highly respected producers like Sloping Hills pork, Thiessen Farms chickens and Pemberton Meadows natural beef – on the best restaurant menus in Vancouver as well as in boxes from the SPUD organic food delivery service. Now Two…