Carnivore Club Review February 2017

Carnivore Club, is a subscription based company delivering meat lovers premium quality hard to find charcuterie. Members receive a curated box each month filled with the worlds finest charcuterie. They kindly sent us this box for review.

This is my first time reviewing a food box and I had no idea what to expect!  Based on the box alone I already feel impressed.  Each month’s box is themed around one producer specializing in a particular style of cured meats: French Charcuterie, Italian Salumi, Spanish Chorizo, South African Biltong and Artisanal Jerky are but a few. Carnivore Club loves artisans that purchase ethically treated animals, employ humane slaughtering practices, use locally sourced ingredients and have a passion for making exceptional products. Carnivore Club is about “satisfying your inner carnivore” through the discovery of amazing cured meats and the story of their creators.

Lomo

Luxuriously soft on the inside, this slowly and carefully cured cut of premium pork loin is so tender you might be forgiven for thinking we’ve sent you something nearly raw.  Fear not – it’s ready to eat!  Sit back and enjoy the silky mouthfeel of the cuts from the centre of the lomo, which are especially tender. 

This will definitely be a new experience for me!  I come from a family of hunters and it’s not unusual for us to be enjoying bear sausage, deer meat or some other harvested animal on a Christmas charcuterie plate, but Carnivore Club has provided a few new experiences in the meat department.

Saucisson Sec

Making a second stop on our tour of Europe in France, the saucisson sec is, quite literally, French for “dried sausage”.  You’ll get told off by a true meat enthusiast for calling saucisson sec “salami” – that word is Italian, after all, and this is not an Italian style.  Simple and tasty, this item uses little more than salt and pepper to really highlight the premium quality, locally sourced pork.

This was indeed delicious!  Simple and spiced nicely.  I took it with me on a snowshoe adventure this past weekend and I could smell it the moment I opened my backpack for lunch!  It pares nicely with your basic cheeses and is a great addition to any basic lunch or lavish charcuterie board.

Lap Cheong

Did you think dry cured meats only exited in Europe?  Think again – This item is a recipe from China that uses a combination of premium pork, soy sauce, and brown sugar.  It’s a sweet and salty treat that stands out among the other more expected offerings in this box and, according to the artisan themselves, is absolutely delicious in some fried rice.  

This one stretches me a bit in my pallet, as it is quite a fatty meat.  I found it to be very greasy when cutting up and in the end wasn’t something I could bring myself to try.  I do enjoy cured meats, but this one was just too far on the fatty side for my taste.

Calabrese

A classic and delicious salami brought to life with a recipe and seasoning from Calabria, Italy.  The warm southern regions of Italy where this style of salami calls home are where some lovely Calabrian wines are from as well.  Why not reunite them with a nice Calabrian red to go with your tasty authentic salami

This is much more up my alley!  I often hold a pizza night with friends where we craft our own creations and this would be a perfect selection for the night.

Beef Bresaola

The earthy, savoury flavours of beef are a clean, simple pleasure in this world of froo-froo hors d’oeuvres and triple mocha skinny sprinkle cinnamon lattes.  Humble and delicious, this bresaola is made of high quality Ontario beef carefully cured and sliced paper thin for your eating pleasure.  No bells or whistles – just incredible meat. 

This meat caught my eye when I first opened the box and at first thought it was a candied salmon when I saw how thinly it was sliced.  I can’t wait to try this one and will be researching some cheese to have it with it.  I’m thinking something creamy and simple.  My mouth is watering!

Carnivore Club February 2017 – Final Thoughts

I love the idea of being sent new and tasty cured meats each month!  I never know what I’m looking at in the store and it’s so nice to have something on hand for those girls wine nights or a small plate of something to put out for company before dinner.  These meats will make any dinner look and taste cultured!  I love the selection of meat and the number of items provided.  The fact that all the meats are locally sourced is a huge win for me!  Meat can be a sketchy department, but knowing these meats have been specially sourced and check out before being cured is a bonus.  Now I just need to find a monthly cheese box to go with my meats!

-Shonah