President's Choice Montreal Smoked Meat

[MargieEv]

Had this last night and thought it was really good. Plenty of meat (for me) in one serving. Had it on St John's Bakery Sourdough bread.

Anyone else tried this?

[Arcadiaseeker]

I love PC MSM - we get it at the Dupont and Christie location and St. Clair and Bathurst. It's delicious but you really need to heat it properly according to the instructions and let it sit for at least 3-5 minutes after you pull it out of the microwave so it gets nice and steamy right in the middle. If you don't, it can be a little dry.

[Kellz]

Thank you Arcadiaseeker! I shall be making a stop at the D & C location!

[Kellz]

Can someone please tell me where they have been able to purchase PC MSM. I use to buy it at my local No Frills but an employee told me that it had been discontinued! It would be great if it was available in Etobicoke!

[MargieEv]

I got it at Maple Leaf Gardens. Yes, I know it has all these dreadful additives but I am not about to drive to Thornhill when I feel the urge for a smoked meat sandwich. 4 packs of what I thought was a good serving for $10. However, I do not have a large appetite.

[justsayn]

With regard to additives, whether sliced from a hunk of meat at the average deli, or pulled from a quality pouch, the contents are pretty much the same.

[biggreenmatt]

Feh.

[porker]

Wat, u no likey?

[jayt90]

The problem with pouches is you have no selection of lean, medium or fatty MSM until the pouch is cooked and opened.

[biggreenmatt]

With all due respect (and apologies for indulging in a bit of food snobbery), not knowing what kind of cut is in the pouch is the least of the problems.

PS: oh you, Porker. :)

[porker]

Yeah, I was razzing bgm {;-/) As a kid, I loved those pouches. We had Hygrade in the 70s http://www.mapleleaf.ca/include/image... Mostly because we couldn't afford hi-brow cold cuts (well actually we probably could have, but were just too cheap, but I digress) and pretty much ate bologna or salami. The pouch was a treat. Today, we'll pick up Dunn's pouches sometimes when heading up north and into the bush - its still a treat then. At home, sometimes I'd take non-pouch, full deckle MSM, sliced thin and put into a folded aluminum foil "cup" with a coupla tablespoons of water then "float" on boiling water for a few minutes. This emulates the pouch dream (including the liquid) of childhood with real smoked meat. I prefer on steamed kimmel rye - even drizzle a bit of the pouch "juice" on the bread before slathering with moutard.

[Luvtooeat]

Nothing beats freshly sliced smoked meat from
Pickel Barrel
Where you can specify Lean or Medium
Mmmmmmm

[porker]

I'm sure Pickel Barrel is good. Not so sure about the "Nothing beats..." statement, but its not a debate, as the OP was asking about pouches...

[Luvtooeat]

" I " think nothing in T.O. beats freshly sliced smoked meat from Pickel Barrel
Just my opinion though , as we all have our favorites
Chowhound is just that , " our " own Fav
That's why we have " IMHO "
Although i find it quite humorous that you felt compelled to take the time to point out
" Not so sure about the Nothing beats " comment

[porker]

I wasn't being as heavy as you think...I realize theres no light-hearted font on Chow, but at least you found it humourous!

[lamaranthe]

Depends which Pickle Barrel... The one at Yorkdale is horrendous. The one at Yonge & Eg not any better. I favor Centre Deli on Centre St. in Thornhill. The meat is cut by hand, choice of Old-Fashioned or Montreal style, lean or medium. The fries are not that great but the sandwich is generous and delicious.

[justsayn]

"Depends on which Pickle Barrel"...and then you cite the two locations you feel are both horrendous. So which is/are the good one(s)?

[Herne]

Any views on Dunn's pouches?? Does Costco sell them.

[millygirl]

Yes they do.

We've had both, PC and Dunn's and I would not be able to tell them apart.

[elvisahmed]

I luv Dunn's Smoked Meat pouches and it is sold at most Costco's I have been to (I haven't tried the whole slab of meat myself but have seen it at some Costco) Costco even has them at their food station if you want to get a taste. Though I recommend you buy the 6 pack box they sell and use it with your own favorite type of bread and mustard. I just top it off with some creamy Havarti slices also sold at Costco.
While I am not a connoisseur of smoked meat by any means a friend who spent most of his childhood in Montreal always requests I bring a couple of boxes from Costco as he lives in a remote area.

[Herne]

Sounds like Costco/Dunn's is the way to go. How does Costco/Dunn's compare with the PC version price wise?

[elvisahmed]

Hmmm I don't recall the price for PC smoked meat but a 6 pouch pack with around 1 KG of meat is 15.80$.

[biggreenmatt]

Well, here's the product: http://www.presidentschoice.ca/LCLOnl....

Ingredients: Beef, water, corn syrup solids, salt, spices, sodium citrate, sodium phosphate, dehydrated garlic, brown sugar, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate, sugar, sodium nitrite, canola oil, smoke.

Corn syrup solids? What're corn syrup solids? And what's the difference between sodium citrate, phosphate, erythorbate and nitrate? And isn't Montreal smoke meat supposed to have a coating of, inter alia, pepper and coriander?

That's why I feh pouches. Feh, I say. Better to make your own at home.

[flying101]

Corn syrup solids are exactly what it sounds like. Corn Syrup that has had the moisture removed from it to be turned into a powder. That simple.

Sodium Nitrite is a very common meat cure it helps cure the meat along with giving it that bright pink colour everyone loves. You would be hard to come by any major MSM manufacture/restaurant that doesn't use it. If you have smoked meat/pastrami that is pink you they most likely use sodium nitrite/phosphate (YES even Schwartz'). Sodium citrate and erythorbate are both antioxidants that helps the reaction time of the sodium nitrite (allowing a curing process to quicken from a few days, to hours). This is very common for large scale manufacturing.

Sodium phosphate is another curing agent (not an antioxidant).

Pepper & Coriander fall under the 'spices' in the ingredient list.

[biggreenmatt]

Being a little facetious in that post to make the point (and believe you me, I know a little somethin somethin about nitrates), but it's always good to learn a bit about what we stuff into our mouths. :)

[justsayn]

Pouch or no pouch, that's what most smoked/processed/cured meats contain - especially commercially produced..

[porker]

Saltem, beef is 1st on the list {;-/)

[Herne]

Bought Dunn's pouches at Costco Ellesmere and Warden this am and had it for lunch. I've had the "real thing" on Kingstreet (I believe) and the packaged tasted the same. Not fatty and lots of flavour.

[Herne]

I plan to buy the PC version. Anyone know where they keep it at the Loblaws on Redway near Laird?