It was necessity that led man to cure, salt,
confit and smoke meat and fish to preserve it. Yet out of that necessity arose a luxury: The charcuterie.
Like good bread with olive oil, it is one of life’s delights. What dinner party isn’t enlivened by the early
arrival of a plate including jamón crudo, pork rillettes, liver pâté, salami, terrines, saucisson sec,
pancetta, prosciutto or trout pâté. Toronto restaurants have long recognized this, but now some are making
their own.
It is, as ever, the west
that leads the way. Along Queen Street West are the city’s greatest proponents of the homemade charcuterie
platter: The Black Hoof, Cowbell, Local Kitchen and Delux. Each cures, confits and smokes its own meat, but
each has its own distinct creative swipe. The pork terrine at Delux is coarsely blended with rosemary, The
Black Hoof has horse mortadella, Local Kitchen serves wild boar and elk sauscisson and in Cowbell the venison
terrine is an unctuous pleasure.
Leah Hannon, sous chef and
charcuterie expert at Delux, explains: “Charcuterie has been in the Old World forever, but now it’s becoming
big in the New World.
“We’re always
experimenting with new flavours and ingredients. Charcuterie is perfect for someone who is creative and
passionate.”
Toronto’s Best
Charcuterie Plates
THE BLACK
HOOF
Alongside a
highly inventive menu of offal and underused meats is an amazing charcuterie
platter.
» theblackhoof.com
COWBELL
The meaty menu at
Cowbell focuses on high-quality cuts of meat and interesting accompaniments on a daily
menu.
» cowbellrestaurant.ca
DELUX
One of the first restaurants on Queen Street to
cure their own meats, Delux offers a charcuterie plate that includes its own fiery
pickles.
» deluxrestaurant.ca
LOCAL KITCHEN
Only using local farmers, the owners are obsessed
with artisanal salumi-making as well as no-nonsense Italian food.
» localkitchen.ca •
