We’ve been talking a lot lately about the eventual end of conventional meat. It’s about rising food prices, the non-sustainable nature of livestock production, and issues surrounding climate change. (Though I say some will survive…)
So why is a Quebec entrepreneur raising bison with gusto and optimism we haven’t seen for ages?
It’s a passion
Rocco Verelli has loved bison since first saw some during a school field trip to Parc Safari just south of Montreal, in Hemmingford QC. “I remember being amazed at how strong and noble they looked, with their big beards and massive front-heavy frames,” Verelli told Food In Canada magazine recently. “Bison add a special magic to the landscape,“Seeing them roam and graze in a field is like a throwback in time.”
The Montreal restaurateur is not only a tireless advocate of lean, beefy, robustly flavoured bison. He’s also a producer of the meat who’s making a concerted effort to take bison mainstream. That’s been tried before without substantial success. But the native North American meat has never had a champion like Verelli before.
What more could you want?
Bison, Verelli will tell you, is lean, dark red and full of vitamins and minerals, and umami yumminess. But you can order it with any fat content you wish – at least from Verelli. The meat is also nicely textured and ready for luxury presentations in the finest formal eateries.
Verelli’s lovingly nutured bison has actually made it into some of the finest restos in New York City as well the luxury 360 Restaurant at the top of Toronto’s CN Tower. The famous 350-metre-high revolving restaurant is famous for its tradition of showcasing regional Canadian fare and panoramic views.
Verelli says there is serious competition in the U.S, but he and his product consistently lead the market there, based on quality and consistency.
However…
That also means that bison – particularly Verelli’s Northfork brand, is consistently among the most costly of domestically-raised meats you can get.
So, given that most of us will never have the chance to try Northfork Bison, why am Im spotlightinh it here in the Fab Food Blog? A little selfish motivation. A couple of years back, I predicted that traditional, real meat would probably not disappear entirely, in spite of the pressures on conventional meat raising. At that time, the sunset of the ‘real meat’ age was just starting to to get talked about. All sorts of speculation was going around as to how long it would last before real meat became extinct.
I differed with mainstream observers insisting that the best of the best real meats would never go out of style – or production. Because people with more money than good sense would always want to impress their friends associates. A little like some ultra-rich folks who today hold private feasts featuring rare and sometimes even illegally sourced endangered species.
So, I’m particularly pleased that what I predicted all those months ago is finally coming true. A small upside for the unwashed masses is, they’ll still be able to take their kids for sneak peeks at many animals that today are verging on disappearing – at specialty and hobby farms like Verelli’s place north of Montreal.
~ Maggie J.