Far West Fungi shiitake mushroom jerky - a little salty
but pretty tasty in the teriyaki jerky way, the balance
more towards salt-soy than sweet. Pronounced mushroom
flavor, which did not mimic but was an adequate stand-in
for meat.
What an interesting concept! I'd definitely check it out if I ever
came across it.
It's umami upon umami, a no-lose move. Plus it
fits right in to the Portlan vibe (which is
where I encountered it).
My latest unusual jerky was McSweeney's pork jerky ... which turned
out to be porky but very sweet with a definite molasses hit. Roslind
bought it but didn't like it so I inherited the bag. I found it ... interesting. I finished the bag eventually and would eat it again if
it was in front of me but I would never actually go out and spend
money on buying it. Their regular beef jerky is fine though.
How did it compare to bak kwa, which is often
described as jerky but actually is closer to
pork candy? The Chinese are very fond of that -
when I travel around new year's, the customs
people, who have long since despaired of finding
opiates, gold bars, or explosives on me, do an
especial scan for bak kwa.
McSweeney's is part of the Canadian Premium Brands Holdings Corp.
which has acquired about 30 small formerly family-owned meat and
deli companies, and specialty item distributors, mostly good quality
ones. Some of their other well regarded names are Grimm's (deli
meats) and Freybe (sausages).
Sort of like what LVMH did in the French luxury
goods market.
Some of their merely OK names are Hygaard (pre-assembled sandwiches,
subs and burgers often found at convenience stores) and Fletcher's
(budget bacon, ham and sausages).
As did LVMH with Sephora and Belvedere vodka.
There's a lot of money in merely OK brands,
especially if you convince people they're
fancy names.
I recently bought some Freybe European Wieners. The original Freybe
was a Prussian sausage maker of some local fame. His family kept the
business going generation after generation. Two of his great-
grandsons came to Canada and set up what became Freybe Gourmet Foods
Ltd. Their kids sold out to the PBH Corp. not long ago.
We sneer on selling out, but ofttimes it's the
best thing for the family. Any time someone is
tempted to rename something Gourmet, it's likely
to be past time to get rid of the business.
The wieners are long and skinny, 56 g each vs 45 g, so 8 to the
pound not 10. They are made with finely ground pork (muscle meat
only, no by-products or "variety" meats (I have never encountered
The "bigger than the bun" concept had a heyday
here - as did the 4-oz frank, which became a
100 g one, and I guess all those retroly
innovative ideas have gone the way of all
flesh. They'll be back, and then they'll go
away again. A business degree these days seems
more like an ignoring history degree.
bits of gristle or a bone chip in them ), just 22% fat (vs. 30% for
most brands), with more seasonings and more garlic than the big
names, stuffed into natural lamb gut casings and wood smoked.
The US hot dog industry would be nowhere
without mechanical separation.
They're not cheap at $21.98/kg which is basically steak prices but
sometimes they'll be near their sell-by date and half price which is
when I stock up the freezer.
When you need a dog, you need a dog.
... We all learn by experience but some of us have to go to summer school.
For some of us summer school is year-round.
Deluxe nacho dog
categories: dairy, not my dog, sandwich
yield: 8
8 Nathan's skinless beef franks (400 g)
Hot dog buns
Shredded lettuce
Diced tomato
Diced red onion
Jalapeno peppers
Chives
Coney Island Cheddar Cheese Sauce Hot Dog Topping
Sour cream
Prep your veggies. Wash and dry all.
If using a whole head of lettuce (such as iceberg),
remove core, halve and quarter the head, then slice
one wedge quarter into thin strips. If using
romaine, slice off the bottom of the stalk, then
slice leaves crosswise into strips.
Dice the tomato and red onion. Remove the jalapeno
stems then slice. Chop the chives.
Famous Tip. Looking to really bring the heat? Slice
up a jalapeno and toss all in a skillet on medium
heat with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper.
Cook until slices start to blacken. Cooking them
brings out an even deeper level of spice!
Cook your hot dogs your favorite way. We suggest
pan-fried with butter!
Heat up the cheese sauce in the microwave according
to the package instructions - about 1 min.
Nestle dog into the bun, then go to town on the
toppings (just like you would a pile of nachos).
Start with a generous amount of cheese sauce
spooned over the entire dog, then layer lettuce,
tomatoes, onions and peppers. Add a large dollop
of sour cream. Finish with a sprinkle of chives.
Ol˙!
Source: Nathan's Famous
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