Posted by Renée Suen in ingredients, meat and poultry on November 21, 2007 at 7:55 am
With the buzz surrounding the taste and texture associated with the amount of marbling found in Kobe, Wagyu, USDA Prime, Black Angus, or Alberta AAA beef, and where more is often better, it's no wonder that Torontonians have neglected the leaner red meats. Not trying to draw attention away from the vast array that a diner can choose from, but I am speaking specifically of horse.
Now before this post is bombarded with any nasty comments or readers reeling in disgust, let me justify this choice by stating that equine is commonly consumed in many European countries. Although unfamiliar to many North American palates, our city does host a handful of restaurants bold enough to offer this scrumptious cut in the midst of the Wagyu/Kobe hype. To further support this claim, I've had the fortune of sampling various versions belonging to the family Equidae over the last number of months. I love horses (and apparently in more ways than one), but dare I admit that equine is a delightful treat? I shall and have on numerous occasions as documented below. Read on with an open mind (and stomach), and for readers who still have issues with this concept, I'd like to redirect their attention to the continuing controversy with the readily available foie gras (unless they live in Chicago, that is).
We start this post with a stellar appetizer served at Via Allegro Ristorante (3-1750 Queensway West, Suite 443, Etobicoke) that Rocky might even fight for. The Italian Stallion immaculately displays pistachio gremolata crusted Equine carpaccio, with truffle cipollini jam, honey mushrooms and micro lettuce, Tete de Moine cheese, and pistachio-porcini dust. Chef Lino Collevecchio lovingly drizzles truffle oil over gorgeously thin tenderloin slices, making the lean ruby red sheets seductively silky. He then scatters finely ground pistachio and porcini dust on their surface which provides subtle depth and earthy body to the dish, and a contrasting yet satisfying crunch. The supporting act to this marvelous plate is a lightly dressed bed of frisée, honey mushrooms and sprouts; a welcomed jaunt in the woods for the city weary palate. I love every bite of this course, including the shaved Tete de Moine, which hosts both spicy and fruity flavours, as well as the clump of reduced and pickled sweet cipollini onion jam.
Amuse Bouche (96 Tecumseth Street) offers a generous Tartare de cheval first coursewith wild mushroom fricassee, panko crusted quail egg, raclette lollipop and fingerling crisps. Meaty chunks of raw horse are mixed with chopped cornichons and crowned by a perfectly soft boiled quail egg. The former adds a refreshing crunch, while the latter allows for the deconstructed consumption of the traditional raw (and incorporated) topping. A surprising addition of a raclette lollipop, consisting of two layers of dairy sandwiching fresh herbs, accompanies this tower. Other players on this plate are toothsome bundles of gently sautéed and seasoned wild mushrooms and thin shavings of super crispy fingerling potato chips. I enjoyed each component immensely, but didn't feel they went well together, instead preferring to pair the extra tartar with wheaty wonders left from the bread basket. (Updates: this starter has recently been replaced by the Carpaccio de cheval.)
Chef/Owner Jean-Jacques Texier offers a special entrée sized portion of well seasoned, hand chopped, horse sirloin tartar at his Chinatown outpost Batifole (744 Gerrard Street East). The Tartare de Cheval Bien Relevé is large enough to share with others, not that you would want to. Beside the morsels of lean protein is a mélange of baby sprouts and mustards, as well a delectable pile of caramelized onions and fine slivers of lemon rind. I could only imagine how good this would be with a fine glass of wine. Perhaps this thought warrants a repeat visit.
Queen West is a treasure trove of eclectic food filled hangouts; Coca (783 Queen Street West) is no exception. Executive Chef Nathan Isberg and Chef de Cuisine Kevin Korslick offer an assortment of small plates including a charcuterie platter that features cured horse meat. Choose the 3 or 6 Cured Meat Platter and find juniper and sea salt cured duck breast; Niagra prosciutto; horse cured in chilis, garlic and duoro wine; Chorizo sausage (mild and spicy); and/or Spanish Serrano ham. The meats are paired with three varieties of mustard: grainy, orange and grape. Thick slices of equine are stained dark purple due to a bath in Portuguese wine, but the resulting texture bears a great similarity to fruit leather. The taste is neither sweet nor savoury, and lacks the advertised spice and garlic flavours. Attention is better directed to pork, the other white meat which appears red on this tray.
La Palette (256 Augusta Ave) offers diners nightly specials, including a welcomed collection of game meats. Buried among the selection of caribou, ostrich, wild bore and Ontario lamb, is horse. Besides the single serving of Cheval (a large block of horse tenderloin) served rare to medium-rare with roasted potatoes, market vegetables and a rosemary veal jus, the Grillade, allows diners to sample three to five game meats. Served rare and with herbed mashed potatoes and asparagus, it is surprising to note the moist and tender nature of the tenderloin given the fact that it is a lean cut. However, unlike the above mentioned preparations, the steak itself lacks real flavour. Perhaps due to a light hand in seasoning or the dependence on the pool of the tantalizing cassis port venison reduction below, my suspicion for this absence of taste is due to the fact that this protein source is void of the fat that would normally give it character.
As a final tribute to this horse-centric post, I had to try my hand at a controversial preparation of the beloved tater. Touted to be the perfect french fry by culinary critic Jeffrey Steingarten, Pim of Chez Pim and food scientist Harold McGee, I was lucky enough to come in possession of 7kg of horse fat kindly donated by Rob & Rachel of Hungry in Hogtown to make horse fat fries. Following the two stage fry advice found on their blog, I added chilled par-boiled russet potato sticks to a pot of hot horse fat. The fries had a very thin but fantastically crisp shell; a soft, moist, fluffy interior; and a slight meaty aroma that was very satisfying and not at all overwhelming. Likened to very good chip truck frites, but with a thinner shell, and none of that "heaty" aftertaste/linger at the back of the throat, I brought the whole experience to the next level by sprinkling truffle salt on each hot batch just before service. Yum! It must be tried to be believed, as horse fat fries make it difficult to return to the standard frozen or McD varieties.
Renée Suen is a graduate student at the University of Toronto, specializing in cardiovascular sciences. She has an insatiable appetite for the exotic and can often be found searching for the tastiest and best dishes in the city with her camera… even if they are controversial. Sometimes she recreates those experiences at home; these and many more images are available at her Flickr site.
