MeatBlog

Following on from a busy 2009, 2010 held many surprises and treats. A indubitable feast of flesh

January
A month off

February
The Hope & Sir Loin, Smithfield (Breakfast)

March
Hawksmoor, Spitalfields

April
Boisdale, Bishopsgate

May
Ninety9, Way out east

June
Roast, Borough Market (Breakfast)

July
Rivington Arms, Shoreditch (Fleshmob)

August
The Harwood Arms, Fulham

September
Paternoster Chop House, St Pauls (Gorival)

October
A La Cruz, Farringdon

November
Boisdale, Bishopsgate (Breakfast)

December
Bistroteque, Hackney

So much for German efficiency.

You see Herr Flade, a relatively new comer to Meat Club was tasked with writing this review. Even though he threatened to write it in German following the abuse he received for not finishing his meat. He has still not managed to complete it (Feb 2011), so you’ll have to make do with this short resume from me.

Meat Club takes time, and that’s something I’ve not always had lots of. So it can be a bit of a concern when you do things via phone and email rather than face-to-face when pulling the plans together. So when 18 carnivores turn up brandishing their meat notes it’s a bit of stress when the restaurant hasn’t seen them despite sending them through days before on email.

Despite an initial panic on both sides, the food was quickly served and enjoyed. I have to say their sausages and black pudding are something else. Very very tasty.

Once our meat urges had been sated with the quality fare we went for a tour of the Asador (the big open wooden stove) with some cooking advice from Chef included.

To finish and as a mark of respect to our Gor Gor, we had sorbet. It seemed the right thing to do. Ooh and we text bombed him to which he was most pleased, addressing my good self in his reply as El Presicunte. Tony D was less poetic, simply replying a few days later from his sick bed.

Further proof that we continue to eat quality meat in between Meat Club’s can be evidenced by this little feast at the excellent Maze Grill. We’ve been here before thanks to the connections of Remy TV and sampled a selection of their fine steaks. So this visit was to stock up on tasty flavours and remind ourselves just how good their beef is.

Prior to eating you are shown the meat. Awesome. A quick test of which cut is which, resulted in a 3 out of 5 score for this meat club member, which isn’t really good enough. Must try harder next time.

To begin there was a cheeky little starter – a meaty taste to wet the main appetite. A Terrine of confit duck, ham hock and foie gras which was the the perfect way to commence.

Then came the steak.

If you have never been to Maze Grill you must try the Wagyu ‘9th grade’ Gold style – it has such a distinct taste. The fat is just something else, and something to truly behold. It’s not cheap but this is 9th Grade (the Japanese only export 5th grade and below) so it’s very good gear. Super tasty.

Our other steak was the Creekstone prime U.S.D.A. corn fed, aged 35 days – which isn’t quite as distinct as the Wagyu but is very good. In fact I’m licking my lips just thinking about how good it was.

And of course it ended with a clean block. Loving washed down with an amazing Red, hand picked by our Sommelier.

You might think that when we’re not attending Meat Club, we’re out eating meet. Well you’d be right.

For reasons too secret or dull to mention here, I with a few other meat lovers went to the Hix for a bit of Tuesday feasting. Although some sea food and vegetable was consumed – we did heartily indulge in some tasty marrow, a pocket sized suckling pig and several chops & steaks.

The pig was tasty and not wanting to waste anything a good chunk of the brain & the whole tongue went too. At the end there was a pile of clean bones – a sure sign of a successful meaty evening.

Thank you Tommy.

Our normal plan of attack is to book weeks in advance, request a special menu and be entertained by the finest food known to man. Occasionally (usually when the organisation is going a bit off) we like to turn up unannounced and flesh mob.

Now when 12 white jacketed men walk into a crowded restaurant we often turn a few heads – usually ones of bemusement and anger. But we’re a social bunch, presenting a welcoming and friendly face of carnivourism, to allay fears that we might in fact be cannibal club.

Turning up unannounced and ordering all the meat on the menu does have its down sides. Especially if the required dish is in limited supply. And yes you guessed it – this happened at the Rivington. Meaning jealous looks all around to those lucky enough to get the Salt Beef until we realised we should just order a main course as a starter. Roll on sweetbreads, liver, kidney, lamp chop and the odd burger (yes there was a bit too much green on the sweetbread).

Thankfully the main main course requirement was in plentiful supply – not surprisingly – steak cooked rare. Speyside flat-iron, Aberdeenshire T-Bone and Bannockburn rib – all excellent.

Even the first distinguished JACKET made an appearance – a sign of any great Meat Club evening.

So as the evening faded to a close the flesh mob had been a clear success and a few of our fellow dinners had some added meaty spice to their own evening entertainment – dinner party anecdotes for sure.

A few months ago the good proprietor of Roast (Borough market) offered a special breakfast his chef had cooked up. We are no strangers to Roast , who had given us a superlative 4th Birthday a few years ago, complete with a rendition of that meaty musical classic “I’m a sausage man“. So we knew this would be special. Not one to duck a challenge, we accepted. Our youthful zeal on what was an excellent sunny morning, held no foretelling of what was to come.

The first item alone was enough to fuel you for a day, believe.

And then several platters of this turn up, lovingly cooked with British Dripping, you know you have a MEAT FEAST. And it was even 8:30 in the morning.

Put simply it was and I quote:

Out of control

Top kill for your arteries

Artery damage. Thank you for my heart attack

Surely there is no greater salute to Meat Club’s higher purpose than booking an appointment for a cholesterol check après le repas.  Today I made that booking, and I make that salute!

That bacon steak was frankly out of control.

In future I will be approaching bacon steak meat challenges with the trepidation they deserve.  Five pints of water later, I’m still thirsty.

Phenomenal carnage this morning! The saddle back bacon was a feast in itself. I & my ruined gastrointestinal tract salute you Roast!

The whole event had been filmed by a Canadian TV Channel wanting to know what a real English Breakfast was – they certainly found out.

From the keyboard of the Beard

It was an unusual wedding invite. In both format (small and covered in pink glitter) as well as function. It asked for not only acceptance, but also a restaurant review. Given that the bride is a fully committed ‘please don’t use my side of the barbie’ vegetarian I felt I should relay tales of amazing butternut squash and pinenut soufflé. Or the latest attempts of the local curry house to turn spinach and potatoes into a meal worthy of praise.

Location and an attractive front window. Two golden rules of running a successful restaurant. So a place way our east with no visible signage would almost appear bound to fail. Except this is place is doing a roaring trade. The owners have transformed the ground floor into an exceptional private dining experience.

When this critic ate there his quest was meat they providers more than rose to it.

A warm shot of chorizo juice was followed by a giant size venison scotch egg. The yolk of the egg still magically liquid. These entrees had lured their devourers into a false sense of security.

We paused momentarily while an astronaut entered the room. One song and several gyrations later our red wine vision latched onto the fact we were witnessing a rather eccentric burlesque show.

And then the kitchen opened fire. Meat cannons aimed squarely down our gullets. Lambs heart stuffed with lambs liver a delectable surprise. Succulent, flavoursome, complex and challenging. What could man not achieve after such a feast?

The ensuing 28 day blackened steak seemed positively normal in comparison. On other occasions this would have been worthy of worship in it’s own right. On this occasion it took the role of sorbet to the previous, richer courses.

Light relief was then delivered in the form of a Charlie Chaplin lookalike. Once cane and hat were removed and the music kicked those of us with our wits still intact into a moment of glorious realisation. Burlesque and a plate of full bodied English cheese.

Only one way to top that and make sure that most of the next day was spent in the gout clinic. More red wine, chocolate covered bacon. And a go in an astronaut’s suit.

(more…)

The April Edition of Meat Club 2010 was convened at the Boisdale of Bishopsgate.

The staff had been given a heads-up by our esteemed President that our last feast had been held at the Hawksmoor with Ginger Pig fare and that the bar of expectation had therefore been set rather high. They responded as any good restaurant should by raising the bar still higher.

Our meat notes prepared us for a Scottish Experiment but this was translated by the Boisdale team to become the Scottish Experience – and indeed it was. Our palettes were teased with a cheeky little appetiser of wild rabbit terrine complemented beautifully by a tangy smoked raisin pickle.

Barely had we washed this down with a full-bodied red, before our starter of sauteed duck hearts and liver arrived on a bed of toasted crumpet topped off with a flourish of fried duck egg. The rich flavours of Donald and Daffy’s innards set the tone for the sturdy Haggis which followed with a whimsical distraction of Mash & Bash.

New blood then regaled seasoned members with meaty childhood tales of braining game and ironic revulsion at black pudding revelations, along with a pledge of commitment to setting up a New York chapter (watch this space).

The chef appeared to enthusiastic applause to explain that our main course of Hebridean heather grazed fillet of mutton had been soaking in a temperature controlled bath at around 70 degrees until succulent before a flash frying on its way to our plates.

Chef stumbled however when questioned re the definition of when lamb becomes mutton. Clearly rattled by the breadth and depth of our President’s knowledge of the subject, he rather sheepishly admitted being a bit woolly on the subject.

A cheesy ending rounded off a splendid evening. The Boisdale succeeded in filling our bellies with good food whilst not completely emptying our wallets.

At Meat Club we take our meat seriously, so when I spied this beast roaming free I did my best to convince this it would look great on our plates. A fine example of grass fed free range cow, lovingly raised in the fine Cornish air. Lips of lips.

In a rare non-meat promotion, the suit is from Social Suicide – you’ll wear it much better than I do.

In an age where roasting has taken on new meaning, its good to know that Borough Market’s Roast can still be guaranteed to lay on a meaty dish.

So it was the other week I decided to save myself from Steak overload and sample some tongue. Now as a butcher we’d handle the beast tongue in a rough and ready manner – for it has a robust texture and particular flavour. However in the kitchen of Roast they have worked a culinary miracle for the Ox Tongue that presented to me was divine. Small chunks of this beautifully cooked licking instrument were incredibly meaty, tender and gone all too quickly.