All Roads Lead to Sandwiches

STREET MEAT

From Itinerant Correspondent Nick in Toronto:

Toronto Street Meat is an altogether different animal than the
hallowed smoked meat to be found at Schwartz in Montreal.

Keep in mind that… the further from the centre, the
more drastic the drop-off in quality. No such thing as suburb sausages
for me. As Petula Clark might sing:

“When I’m alone and my stomach is feeling empty and lonely
I can always go…
DOWNTOWN”

That said, there are only a few street sausage vendors in downtown
Toronto where I am willing to spend my time and money. Key factors to
lure me into the Venus Flytrap:

a) type of bun – for me, it’s egg bun or bust. The texture of the bun
is important, I shouldn’t have to fight the bun to enjoy the gristle
of the sausage. I should be biting into the sausage, not the flaky
crust of a cheap bun. The egg bun also has a nice yellow hue that
complements the charred colors of barbequed tubed meat.

b) condiments – I love making a mini-salad that sits on top of my
sausage as well as having a variety of sauces to complement the spices
in the meat. The guy with 150 condiments is loaded with different
spices, sauces, and pickled vegetables so it’s always a new adventure
visiting him.

Basic condiments to ensure my patronage: sauerkraut, onions, mayo,
honey mustard, bacon bits (artifical or real), banana peppers, hot
sauce, and any kind of BBQ sauce. Anything else beyond that is gravy.
Normally cheese is an essential condiment but Toronto by-laws have
removed the availability of cheese on the street. The pricks. The
concerned vendors will have the squeezable cheese, which is passable,
but the vendors of high distinction have a supply of grated cheese
“under the table”.

My favorite Toronto Street Meat vendor offered to fry your onions for
you, as well as offering her own freshly homemade salsa. I’m a cash
cow for her…

Call me a connoisseur of cholesterol clogging.

-Nick

Before too too long Toronto street food may grow beyond m-m-m-meat according Toronto Sticks Fork In Street Meat Rules. Are You Gonna Eat That comments on street meat here and took this atmospheric snap.