Healthy Butcher-YUM
Tried a prime rib from the Healthy Butcher yesterday. All I can say is WOW. The meat was beautiful-a nice layer of fat, with a gorgeous deep colour. I was pretty certain based on its smell that it was going to be delicious, and I was right. It was the first time I've tried the HB, and I have to say, I'll be going back to try more of their meats. Has anyone else had good experiences?
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I finally made it to the Healthy Butcher for the first time today. The smell of smoked meats is soooo intoxicating as you walk in the door.
I bought some gorgeous organic chicken parts to cook for dinner tonight. They were quite large, but virtually fat-free, with the finest, thinnest skin I've ever seen on poultry.
And for tomorrow night's dinner, I could not resist the beef cheeks. I've never seen them in a butchershop before, but I've eaten them, most memorably in a beef cheeks ravioli dish at Babbo in New York a couple of years ago. Divine! I'm planning to braise them with wine (probably Chianti) and tomatoes, along with a number of aromatics and my usual, natural thickener - red lentils.
The beef cheeks seemed very reasonable, by the way - $6.99/lb.
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re: FlavoursGal
I braised the beef cheeks, along with some oxtail (I never braise without some bones) last night, and they were excellent. Probably not for everyone, as they are quite gelatinous, but they were flavourful and very, very tender. I served it on top of egg papardelle, with sauteed rapini.
My 15-year-old daughter, however, is still angry with me. After she ate a nice portion of what I'd said was stew meat and short ribs, I told her what she'd really eaten. She was not amused.
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re: FlavoursGal
spigot
Feb 3, 2007 05:29 PM
I'm on your daughter's side, FlavoursGal. Kids can be ridiculously narrow-minded (I sure was), but that doesn't justify tricking them IMO. Boo, hiss!
Back to topic.... I think HB's hamburgers are overrated and too big, but I've really enjoyed their savoury pies, and have also bought good steaks and fabulous sausages there. (I have to confess though I once took a sausage home only to find it smelly and spoiled - I couldn't figure out how that slipped past them.) Vegetables are IMO overpriced and there obviously isn't much selection. Good range of dairy and some nice soft cheeses in particular.
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I got a huuuuuge turkey from the Healthy Butcher and cooked it on Sunday. It was excellent. And while I was there, it was all I could do to resist the gorgeous, purple, dry steaks that they had. Next time...
I believe that they might also be carrying Stoney Kepple bison, from one of the Riverdale Farmers Market vendors. If so, I highly recommend trying it. The bison ribeye is a thing of beauty and a joy, well, not forever, but certainly 'till after dinner... -
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Love the HB - their meat is fabulous, the flat iron steak is sublime, the burgers yummie and the lamb steaks TD4!
I would also extol the values of their prepared food - the braised cross rib is quite lovely and the lasagna is a perfect antidote to the foul cold weather. Their stock is an excellent base for soup and braises.
I'm just hoping they'll open a branch in The Beach...
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it's worth knowing also that they don't put out all their meat out front, so even if you don't see what you're looking for, it's worth asking about. that's how we got their delicious brisket on the last visit. my only complaint is that i wish the shop was west of bathurst and closer to me:)
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garlicscapes
Jan 29, 2007 07:12 PM
I have been ordering from them regularly since they opened. It has always been excellent. I especially like their burgers. For organic, the prices are very good and well worth it.
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It's a great place with good service and they really want to please. The ingredients and recipes are super. The owner is a great source of information and seems open to special requests.
Although I love shopping there, there is a negative issue (at least to me) that is inherent in their name. Healthy certainly implies low fat, so it's hardly surprising that their premium cuts of beef have much less marbling than you'll find at comparable stores (e.g., Cumbrae's). The sausages and burgers can be quite dry. I jumped at their house made pastrami, which lacked the telltale needle marks of an industrial cure. It smelled great. But it had so little fat that is was too dry to eat.
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re: embee
pescatarian
Jan 30, 2007 10:00 AM
I know it's not the norm, but I actually prefer my pastrami dry (lean, extra spice). I'll have to try it out.
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re: TwinklyTerrapin
pescatarian
Feb 2, 2007 04:12 AM
Yes, I agree that's what the name refers to - the way the animal is raised, etc.
The owner of the establishment confirmed this the other day in his post, however, his post was removed. -
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Not as exciting as in-house sausages and burgers, but I've had both chicken and ground lamb from there and it's absolutely excellent. Plus, less attitude than I've seen in some other small butchers.
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Full tummy
Jan 29, 2007 12:19 PM
I highly recommend their burgers and sausages, all made in-house. Great flavour combos, including such thing as hemp seed and goat cheese, if memory serves, and less expensive than prime rib.
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AmandaEd
Jan 29, 2007 11:45 AM
I have gone in to ogle their wares, but I have not yet felt sufficiently solvent to indulge! :)
Was it that good?
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re: AmandaEd
Splendid Wine Snob
Jan 29, 2007 11:51 AM
Yes. I've had prime rib quite a bit in my lifetime (from various quality butchers across Canada, the States and Europe) and it ranks as one of the best I've ever had. This was the first time (to my knowledge) that I've had one as certified organic. The "placebo effect" aside, it was absolutely a very high quality piece of meat.
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