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The pungent, coarse kielbasa, for instance, could have come from either side of that elastic border. Or the more delicate ham sausage. Or the scarlet, semi-dry beef salami. Or the two kinds of headcheese, one sold in chunks, the other in slices, both in glistening, garlicky aspics. Or, for that matter, the fine, firm-textured ham that (according to the owner) is cured without additives -- simply brined, smoked and then boiled.
However, I did find several items that may, possibly, have been sold in the past, but were new to me on my most recent visit. I liked everything I tried, but I loved two in particular -- both of them, as it happens, sold by the piece, not the slice -- one, a pale pink, moist and marvellously flavourful meat loaf of cured pork; the other, a fine, fatty pork and liver pâté -- sliceable when cold, spreadable at room temperature (similar to the texture of French rillettes).
Skinny pork tenderloins and thicker slabs of the back were both smoked, with a fascinating depth of flavour. I also liked a pork roll with the distinct flavour of paprika, and there were more Polish sausages than I can begin to count, much less name. For a change from cured meats, one can also buy slices of a fresh pork roast.
None of the above need cooking, but for those who don't mind a few minutes over the stove (or the barbecue), there are also wieners (both skinny and fat) and smokies. Also, although not everyone is searching for tripe soup, those who are will find it here.
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For another holiday from the kitchen, Hoa Ky offers ready-to-eat Chinese-style meats. They are similar to others you may have bought at either of the Kim Tuong barbecue outlets (on King Street or on McPhillips Avenue), with good reason, since the owner is a member of the family that owns both, and has worked at the King Street store for 20 years.
Tops among my personal favourites would be the glorious barbecued lean pork tenderloin with a salty-sweet, soy-glazed surface and meat that seems to me more flavourful and juicier than the sometimes dryish versions I have had elsewhere -- so good it seems almost sacrilege to dip the slices into mustard, or anything else, for that matter. Not far behind is barbecued duck, the succulent meat perfumed with five-spice under its glossy scarlet skin -- not crisp, but hard to resist. Also, for a change, duck that has been simply steamed that might pair well with mashed potatoes, rice or noodles.
There are also savoury braised meats, some of which could be every bit as versatile in their pairings as the steamed duck. The juicy brown beef shank, for instance, or the more gelatinous pork shank, or even the pig's feet, for that matter, would also go well with steamed new potatoes. And I know it's probably a minority taste, but I'm fond of the chewy little strips of pork tendon, which come with a tiny container of the house ultra-hot sauce.
The showcase for the prepared meats occupies only a tiny corner of the store.
There are, as well, freezers that stock many different Asian foods, among them a group of dim sum that are sold frozen, but were made in Hoa Ky's kitchen.
None I tried were a match for the best, fresh-made restaurant dim sum, but they were superior to most of the commercially prepared, frozen ones I've found.
The thickish dough wrappings were far from delicate, but they were thickly packed with fillings -- not just the pork mixtures, but also the juicy little shrimp in the har gow. I got a little excited when I first saw the soup dumplings, but they weren't the kind that are filled with soup. Instead, they were filled with pork, and intended to be served in soup and are one of the better offerings. But, as it happened, the best item by far wasn't a dumpling at all but the lotus leaf packet of sticky rice, filled with a generous amount of ground pork, wee bits of Chinese sausage and slivers of dark Chinese mushroom.
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And now, after all that meat, something for the vegans. Organic Planet Worker Co-op is basically a little corner grocery, offering much of what little groceries have always offered, although in this case, all the products are organic, fairly traded and, whenever possible, local. They even carry organic beef.
They also have a little deli that stocks a few prepared foods, all vegan, all peanut-free. Best among them, for my taste, were the delicious hummus, tabouli salad and sunflower seed pâté. There's also the Nelly Frittata, a tofu and veggie pie on an onion and potato crust -- a tad too vegan for my taste, but my vegan-friendly friend loved it. We both, however, liked the lemon, banana and date muffin and the chewy, semi-sweet little macaroons of coconut-coated chopped cranberries.
marion.warhaft@freepress.mb.ca
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