Get Your Chops Off
Summer is (Almost) Here and the Grillin' is Easy with Farm & Field Butchers
woRds by daniel murphy / iMages by faRm + field
Barbecue is a universal language, one that’s rich with unique inflections. In it’s purest form, “fire-plus-meat-equals-awesome.” But the word ‘barbecue’ means very different things to different people, from the Southern US to Japan or Patagonia.
Grilling can be viewed as the great culinary equalizer, stripping cuisine of pretense and self-indulgence–yet there’s room within its restrictions for every culture to creatively spin this primitive cooking technique into a highly-individualized badge of honor.
Though it’s been a cooking go-to for a few millennia, barbecue seems inherently built for now. It satiates not only our appetites, but our social tendencies too, in a way that holds a healthy amount of distance, fresh air, and the disinfectant properties of smoke and fermented beverages (unverified, but still worth testing further).
Barbecuing has survived pestilence and plague thus far in humanity’s history, and in uncertain times the best strategy might be to lean into the proven. Go primeval. Luckily, our local butchers have our backs.
Wandering into Farm + Field’s sleek, modern downtown storefront counterintuitively invokes a sense of nostalgia. There’s something “old-timey” about a traditional butcher, with their rows of neatly stacked cuts, condiments, and accoutrements; a throwback to an era before the omnipotent Supermarket became our one-stop-shopping solution.
Owner Rebecca Teskey suggests a range of options for approaching this barbecue season, that cater to anyone’s skillset and budget. Let’s start with the most approachable: sausages. But good ones: not your dad’s “smokies.” And why not choose a variety of flavors? Farm +Field have concocted exotic tubed-meat delicacies like Korean BBQ, chicken with prosciutto and dill, mint and lemon lamb, and chicken with basil and peach. Teskey suggests that you “buy some fresh, locally-baked buns, make a quick potato salad, and feed a crowd, easily.”
Simple variety can turn a one-dimensional meal into an inspired spread, and it isn’t just limited to sausages: consider the chop-house classic “mixed grill.” For steak, Teskey recommends a hanger steak, as “they maintain this elastic quality, and don’t get tough—just stay under medium rare—and the flavor is super beefy.” Pre-marinated cuts can do wonders not only for flavour, but texture: “Sitting the meat in something that has a little vinegar and salt will keep it extra tender.”
Why not add some chicken? “Half a chicken, bones in, for 35-45 minutes at medium heat. If you have a two-burner (or more) barbecue, you can keep one side hot and the other cooler, it keeps the hot air moving and won’t char too much. Keep the bone-side down, no need to flip it—by the time it’s done the skin will crisp up.”
Pork might not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about backyard barbecue, but thin cut, deliciously marinated “coppa” pork steaks are a great left-field addition to your platter. Mildly spicy, with a slight zing of vinegar—and an easy couple-of-minutes-per-side cook-time. As with any pre-marinated meat, season with salt to taste after cooking: adding salt into the marinade affects the texture of the meat, so knowledgeable butchers like Teskey will purposely minimize their salt additions.
Season with salt to taste after cooking: adding salt into the marinade affects the texture of the meat. Knowledgeable butchers like Teskey purposely minimize their salt additions.
If you’re a grilling purist, or simply looking to part with a sizeable chunk of your dining budget, look no further than the withering, wonderful chunks of meat hanging in Farm + Field’s dry-ageing locker. “If you want to go special, it’s dry-aged ribeye,” says Teskey. But novices beware: “The ageing process dries out the water from the meat, so it cooks faster than usual. So: super hot grill. Drizzle with oil, and a little salt. Add pepper later. Just be careful—you’ll hate yourself for overcooking it.”
Victoria is becoming spoiled for choice with its plethora of quality butchers. It seems that most of our satellite communities now boast a “purveyor of fine meats,” with an extensive, carefully curated and artfully prepared selection of carnivorous delicacies. If you’re anywhere near downtown, swing by for a chat with Farm + Field’s experienced butchers. They’ll set you up for grilling success.
Farm + Field Butchers
1003 Blanshard St, Victoria
the bastion’s ‘local spotlight’ articles are cReated in paid paRtnership
