[Cincinnatus]

I know we've got a fair number of Canadian RVFers, and, according to American stereotypes, poutine is Canada's national dish (even though it's mostly associated with Quebec).

That said, it sounds pretty damned good, so I was wondering if any Canadian RVFers make poutine at home. If so, how do you like to make it?

For those not in the know, poutine = fries topped with brown gravy and curded cheese. I know it sounds simple but I'm sure making good poutine requires the right potatoes cooked in the right oil, high quality cheese curds, and a well-made gravy.

Behold:

[attachment=9320]

[Teddykgb]

Never tried that cheese but if it tastes anything like gorgonzola or blue cheese I think I might fall in love.

[Poutine]

Fries are easy, then find fresh cheese curds (there really isn't any alternative), then the hard part is making the gravy. You can find several recipes online, try to go for one of the fancier ones like 3 pepper sauce.
This should give your an overview:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/23...01832.html


Around here everyone sells there own version, from the cheapest fast good (even McDonalds) to the very high end.

Here's the famous foie gras poutine featured on Anthony Bourdain's show:

http://www.nationalpost.com/life/story.html?id=941416

Cheers

[WesternCancer]

Poutine. Did you sign up for the RVF just to post on this thread. ARE YOU FROM THE FUTURE?!

[Cincinnatus]

(12-30-2012 03:39 AM)WesternCancer Wrote:  

Poutine. Did you sign up for the RVF just to post on this thread. ARE YOU FROM THE FUTURE?!

Is this really happening?

Aptly-named RVFer that registered on April Fools' Day makes his first post almost nine months after registering, in a thread concerning the very topic of his username?

[Poutine]

I was waiting for this thread all my life.

Now I am free!

(12-30-2012 03:50 AM)MSW2007 Wrote:  

(12-30-2012 03:39 AM)WesternCancer Wrote:  

Poutine. Did you sign up for the RVF just to post on this thread. ARE YOU FROM THE FUTURE?!

Is this really happening?

Aptly-named RVFer that registered on April Fools' Day makes his first post almost nine months after registering, in a thread concerning the very topic of his username?

[kosko]

The deal breaker is the Cheese Curds which you would have to probably order in some from a website, or could maybe track down at a high-end grocer store or a Whole Foods. I am always surprised that Americans aren't all over this. This combo of flavors is shit Americans love - greasy, salty, cheeezy shit. If anybody wanted to start a Foodtruck that was not in NYC they would make a killing of selling this shit.

The low-end shit: is really just Mozzarella Cheese, Fries, and a Beef powder gravy. This is the gutter stuff and though it tastes good it is just a tasty greasy treat and not 'Poutine'.

Mid-Range: You can knock of a mid-range with the fall off being one of the three ingredients. Try to source the best of what you can. Like get some boss good quality fries to fry up, or if you skilled make your own homefries to use. Next the gravy, make a good homemade gravy or shortcut it by using real pan drippings and a good quality deli/market gravy to boost it up. Last the Cheese, if you can't track down the curds just use some good Mozza that is well salted.

High-end: Try to make either the fries or gravy (or both) yourself then order some cheese curds. Then for the authentic Quebec experience pair it with some Menthol Smokes and a La Fin du Monde Beer.

For me:

- I make the fries myself or I get some McCain fries to fry up (classic Canadian).
- I like a lighter gravy but not pork so I get a Veal Gravy from the store and use drippings I freeze from a Beef or Chicken roast.
- I can scoop cheese curds at the stores here so I just toss those on. But honestly I'll fuck with Mozza if its what they have on hand.
- I like mine spiced up so I throw a shit ton of black-pepper and Vinegar on mine.

[thegmanifesto]

(12-30-2012 02:55 AM)MSW2007 Wrote:  

For those not in the know, poutine = fries topped with brown gravy and curded cheese.

They make a million versions of this in Montreal with all kinds of toppings.

They sell the cheese curds in the grocery stores there are well.

For the record, I am not a big fan of the stuff. Which is kind of strange, because I can appreciate late night grinds.

Everytime I ate poutine, I felt grim afterwards.

And it doesn't keep well, ie the next day it is disgusting.

I prefer San Diego Mexican food or Sydney Kebabs as the kings of late night grinds.

In Montreal, I would rather get a late night Smoked Meat Sandwich.

[Armenian]

A great biz opportunity would be to set up a poutine chains and sell to fat ass Americans in the South by the Wal Marts and Nascar racetracks. Just call it something else because if it ain't American they won't eat it.

[Poutine]

When I lived in SF I could find cheese curds at Whole Foods at $5 for a tiny vacu-packed bag, nothing like the fresh stuff but still a lot better than mozzarella.

For an easy upgrade, sauté some thinly sliced beef (or ground beef if you're lazy) onions and green belle peppers and throw all that goodness on top of your basic poutine.

[kosko]

(12-30-2012 01:09 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(12-30-2012 02:55 AM)MSW2007 Wrote:  

For those not in the know, poutine = fries topped with brown gravy and curded cheese.

They make a million versions of this in Montreal with all kinds of toppings.

They sell the cheese curds in the grocery stores there are well.

For the record, I am not a big fan of the stuff. Which is kind of strange, because I can appreciate late night grinds.

Everytime I ate poutine, I felt grim afterwards.

And it doesn't keep well, ie the next day it is disgusting.

I prefer San Diego Mexican food or Sydney Kebabs as the kings of late night grinds.

In Montreal, I would rather get a late night Smoked Meat Sandwich.

Be weary of those spots. Those are knock-offs. The French only fuck with Poutine the classic way with beer and smokes to accompany it. Just like the Classic Montreal Roast beef its just simple and quality.

Another underrated Canadian late night grease bomb after the bar is the DONAIR.

Again with business opportunities your right @Armenian about the name. In NYC they call it something else because Americans won't eat French shit. Switch the name and use Yellow Cheddar Curds and your golden.

[Soma]

(12-30-2012 01:27 PM)Armenian Wrote:  

A great biz opportunity would be to set up a poutine chains and sell to fat ass Americans in the South by the Wal Marts and Nascar racetracks. Just call it something else because if it ain't American they won't eat it.

Sloppy Spuds n' Curds

[thegmanifesto]

(12-30-2012 02:06 PM)kosko Wrote:  

(12-30-2012 01:09 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(12-30-2012 02:55 AM)MSW2007 Wrote:  

For those not in the know, poutine = fries topped with brown gravy and curded cheese.

They make a million versions of this in Montreal with all kinds of toppings.

They sell the cheese curds in the grocery stores there are well.

For the record, I am not a big fan of the stuff. Which is kind of strange, because I can appreciate late night grinds.

Everytime I ate poutine, I felt grim afterwards.

And it doesn't keep well, ie the next day it is disgusting.

I prefer San Diego Mexican food or Sydney Kebabs as the kings of late night grinds.

In Montreal, I would rather get a late night Smoked Meat Sandwich.

Be weary of those spots. Those are knock-offs. The French only fuck with Poutine the classic way with beer and smokes to accompany it. Just like the Classic Montreal Roast beef its just simple and quality.

Another underrated Canadian late night grease bomb after the bar is the DONAIR.

Again with business opportunities your right @Armenian about the name. In NYC they call it something else because Americans won't eat French shit. Switch the name and use Yellow Cheddar Curds and your golden.

I will defer to you, however many people consider La Banquise to be the best Poutine in Montreal and they have 20+ varieties of the stuff.

Au Pied de Cochon serves it with Foie Gras, and if that is not French I don't know what is.

I look at Poutine sort of like Paella. Sure it has a "traditional" form, but is left up to the imagination of the chef.

But I am no Montreal Poutine expert. This is just coming from my observations of being there for 4 months.

[Poutine]

(12-30-2012 01:27 PM)Armenian Wrote:  

A great biz opportunity would be to set up a poutine chains and sell to fat ass Americans in the South by the Wal Marts and Nascar racetracks. Just call it something else because if it ain't American they won't eat it.

I like it!
Who wants to buy into my Poutine foodie truck business?

Poutine is the new taco, providing greasy comfort to every poor soul who failed again to score anything after a night out.

[Basil Ransom]

I'm with G on this one. Tacos are the king of street food. Lime, cilantro, onion, handmade soft tacos, freshly made salsa, carne asada. Pickled carrots and radishes on the side. Or ceviche on the hard shell, for $2. I've never felt bloated from tacos, always leaves me feeling nicely satisfied, provided I ate enough.

I had poutine in Montreal, at one of the more popular joints - a hipster one right just north and west of a big park. Tasted good, but pretty heavy a food to eat on the regular.

[Cincinnatus]

Thanks for the breakdown, kosko.

I like to cook from scratch, so I'll be making the fries myself. I usually cook fries in peanut oil (or I'll bake them). I'm going to check the downtown produce/meat/cheese market for curds, then try Whole Foods or Fresh Market. Haven't made a gravy in a while but I think I can make one that's good, bordering on great.

By the way, Poutine, welcome to the forum. Feel free to check out other threads.

I doubt a poutine food truck would do greatly here, though it might because of all the yuppies and hipsters that now live downtown. Cincinnati loves chili, the closest thing to a poutine here is fries + chili + cheddar cheese.

[BalkanCynic]

(12-30-2012 02:18 PM)basilransom Wrote:  

I had poutine in Montreal, at one of the more popular joints - a hipster one right just north and west of a big park. Tasted good, but pretty heavy a food to eat on the regular.

La Banquise?

Definetly the hardest part is finding those fresh curds. Even in Montreal the quality varies drastically. If you're in the US, these guys are decent, with locations in Seattle and NY: http://www.beechershandmadecheese.com/

[Damedius]

(12-30-2012 01:09 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(12-30-2012 02:55 AM)MSW2007 Wrote:  

For those not in the know, poutine = fries topped with brown gravy and curded cheese.

They make a million versions of this in Montreal with all kinds of toppings.

There are restaurants in Ontario that do the same thing. They make fries with anything you want.

Meatsauce, Gravy, Cheese, Mushrooms, Bacon, etc.

Used to love it when I was younger but wouldn't eat it except as rare treat nowadays.

[kenny_powers]

There is a huge Quebec snowbird population in Broward County. I've had some pretty good Poutine in Hollywood Beach and Dania Beach. About 30 minutes up A1A from SOBE. It tastes good but I always regret it the next day.

[kosko]

(12-30-2012 02:16 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(12-30-2012 02:06 PM)kosko Wrote:  

(12-30-2012 01:09 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(12-30-2012 02:55 AM)MSW2007 Wrote:  

For those not in the know, poutine = fries topped with brown gravy and curded cheese.

They make a million versions of this in Montreal with all kinds of toppings.

They sell the cheese curds in the grocery stores there are well.

For the record, I am not a big fan of the stuff. Which is kind of strange, because I can appreciate late night grinds.

Everytime I ate poutine, I felt grim afterwards.

And it doesn't keep well, ie the next day it is disgusting.

I prefer San Diego Mexican food or Sydney Kebabs as the kings of late night grinds.

In Montreal, I would rather get a late night Smoked Meat Sandwich.

Be weary of those spots. Those are knock-offs. The French only fuck with Poutine the classic way with beer and smokes to accompany it. Just like the Classic Montreal Roast beef its just simple and quality.

Another underrated Canadian late night grease bomb after the bar is the DONAIR.

Again with business opportunities your right @Armenian about the name. In NYC they call it something else because Americans won't eat French shit. Switch the name and use Yellow Cheddar Curds and your golden.

I will defer to you, however many people consider La Banquise to be the best Poutine in Montreal and they have 20+ varieties of the stuff.

Au Pied de Cochon serves it with Foie Gras, and if that is not French I don't know what is.

I look at Poutine sort of like Paella. Sure it has a "traditional" form, but is left up to the imagination of the chef.

But I am no Montreal Poutine expert. This is just coming from my observations of being there for 4 months.

La Banquise is quality Poutine packaged in a mass-market exterior, because any place serving "Vegetarian" Poutine is just tryna make a buck and is not interested in being 100% authentic. Vegan Mushroom gravy is flat in its flavor profile, its good but it can't get the rich flavor of a good Veal gravy.

Toronto has Smoke's which is a knock off of La Banquise but uses shitty gravy and curds. They also have 20+ Varieties and is packed each night after the bar. You make a killing of the selection and volume, not many people IMO will crave classic poutine every night after the bar. Just like most people would get bored of Classic Margherita Pizza.

The legit old-school poutine is found at Québécois casse-croute's in bum-fuck towns in Rural Quebec where this is only one variety: Poutine.

Just like any classic ethnic food if you go to the source you only get it one way. It can always be up for interpretation for sure, but if we're talking it in its most pure form its only three ingredients.

I would assume you appreciate SoCal Tacos should only be made a certain way and should taste a certain way? I am sure people got all tons of interpretations of it but there is that 100% classic way to do it that can't be fucked with.

St. Hubert will give you that Ghetto Quebec experience without having to travel to Rouyn-Noranda. You can probably order their "brown sauce" powder online also which is legit gravy to use if you can't cook for shit and want to try poutine.

(12-30-2012 02:21 PM)MSW2007 Wrote:  

Thanks for the breakdown, kosko.

I like to cook from scratch, so I'll be making the fries myself. I usually cook fries in peanut oil (or I'll bake them). I'm going to check the downtown produce/meat/cheese market for curds, then try Whole Foods or Fresh Market. Haven't made a gravy in a while but I think I can make one that's good, bordering on great.

By the way, Poutine, welcome to the forum. Feel free to check out other threads.

I doubt a poutine food truck would do greatly here, though it might because of all the yuppies and hipsters that now live downtown. Cincinnati loves chili, the closest thing to a poutine here is fries + chili + cheddar cheese.

Interesting you brought that up and now I remember your from that area. That's probably the best relation I can think of for a local favorite that is widely eaten but still commercialized heavily. I ate Chili at "Skyline's" when I was in the area. I had it on a hot dog, the "3 ways?" I think it was, and I tried the spaghetti....I honestly did not like it. Shit was way to salty for my Canadian pallet. The Spaghetti was alright but the Cincy Chilli to me was just a spiced up meat sauce.

But just like anybody traveling to MTL will hit up La Banquise, rest assured if your in Cincinnati you will be making at least one trip to Skyline.

With cooking you can control how crispy or not you like your fries. With Gravy its pretty fuking simple. The real Poutine sauce is a Velouté sauce. This is how I used to make Gravy growing up, its just Stock (chicken, Veal), Fat (butter, lard), and Flour. Add Onions to the Roux and then spice it up with pepper. Regular stuff taste flat to me but the "authentic" stuff is really just onions added to the mix. I like more flavor so I add Chicken pan-drippings and i'll sometimes add smashed up roasted garlic to my gravy, and as far as spices go? I wing it. I think I've had so much shitty gravy in my life that its hard to get the right spices down to mimic the good shit I have had - I'll use Marjoram, Thyme, sometimes i'll use a little nutmeg too in there.

[Cincinnatus]

(12-30-2012 03:16 PM)kosko Wrote:  

Interesting you brought that up and now I remember your from that area. That's probably the best relation I can think of for a local favorite that is widely eaten but still commercialized heavily. I ate Chili at "Skyline's" when I was in the area. I had it on a hot dog, the "3 ways?" I think it was, and I tried the spaghetti....I honestly did not like it. Shit was way to salty for my Canadian pallet. The Spaghetti was alright but the Cincy Chilli to me was just a spiced up meat sauce.

But just like anybody traveling to MTL will hit up La Banquise, rest assured if your in Cincinnati you will be making at least one trip to Skyline.

No doubt.

I was just talking to el mechanico yesterday about Skyline, there's a lot of Cincinnati snowbirds living in Clearwater, so somebody set up a few Skyline franchises down in Florida. Personally I enjoy it, but I accept that chili spaghetti is probably never going to get big outside of Cincinnati.

By the way, three way = spaghetti, chili, and cheese. Four way = spaghetti, chili with beans, and cheese. Five way = spaghetti, chili with beans, onions, and cheese.

Cheese coneys usually go like this - hot dog on a bun with chili (no beans), fresh diced onion, mustard, and grated cheddar cheese.

We also have a popular dish here called goetta. Basically it was a staple of the local German population - pin cut oats mixed with ground pork and various spices. Usually eaten at breakfast. 90% of goetta sold in the United States is for the Cincinnati market.

[BurnFirst]

Poutine seems to be getting popular in SF, there are now three different places serving versions within 5 blocks of my house. The only one I've tried so far though was at an Irish pub where someone ordered them as an appetizer and they weren't good. Interested to try the others two though, they look more legit.

[thegmanifesto]

(12-30-2012 04:30 PM)BurnFirst Wrote:  

Poutine seems to be getting popular in SF, there are now three different places serving versions within 5 blocks of my house. The only one I've tried so far though was at an Irish pub where someone ordered them as an appetizer and they weren't good. Interested to try the others two though, they look more legit.

Yeah, poutine is actually making some inroads in Southern California too.

[Basil Ransom]

(12-30-2012 02:47 PM)BalkanCynic Wrote:  

(12-30-2012 02:18 PM)basilransom Wrote:  

I had poutine in Montreal, at one of the more popular joints - a hipster one right just north and west of a big park. Tasted good, but pretty heavy a food to eat on the regular.

La Banquise?

My man! That's it. Good to know I went to a legit poutine spot. I also had a great smoked meat sandwich, at a random restaurant in the gay part of town (had red leather booth seats and lots of wood, lol that didn't sound gay...), great stuff.

I heard someone talking about Skyline's recently, never heard of it before. This dude was Texan, so he knew what decent chili is. He said Skyline is fucking awful, and another guy said the same thing. You can talk about local delicacies, but from what he described, there was no way it could be good, it just sounded like Ohio is a culinary desert where the bar is low.

As for tacos, there's a certain essence on which everyone has their own variation. The main variation is the flavor of the salsa, and the seasoning and quality of the meat.

[Cincinnatus]

(12-30-2012 05:47 PM)basilransom Wrote:  

I heard someone talking about Skyline's recently, never heard of it before. This dude was Texan, so he knew what decent chili is. He said Skyline is fucking awful, and another guy said the same thing. You can talk about local delicacies, but from what he described, there was no way it could be good, it just sounded like Ohio is a culinary desert where the bar is low.

I hardly consider it chili, it's basically a Greek tomato-and-meat sauce. Occasionally with beans. The founders of Skyline and most of the other local 'chili' joints were Greek immigrants.

Ohio mostly is a culinary desert. The best places to get real good food are usually barbecue joints owned by blacks, Italian restaurants owned by Italian immigrants who came here in the 50's, or being friends with immigrants living around town. I personally know Indians, Italians, Greeks, Lebanese, Chinese, and Ethiopians, and some of the dinners I've had at their houses have been amazing.

This is the menu of what many consider to be Cincinnati's best restaurant. I've never ate there so I hold no opinon of the joint:

[attachment=9327]

[attachment=9328]