Spanish Chorizo - Jonathan's, Collingwood

Spanish Chorizo - Jonathan's, Collingwood 

 

The third review from my visit to Jonathan’s butchers of Collingwood. Refer to the previous posts.

These were a solid chunky sausages. One was larger than the others and could almost be a meal by itself, if one was a smaller eater. However I do not fit into this category.

 

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I am a fan of chorizo style sausage, and this is a good example of chorizo. On the continuum of chorizo reviewed, this is a moderately flavoured chorizo that gets the balance between meat and flavour right. The paprika and chilli enhance and complement the flavour of the meat, but they do not overpower it. This sausage is a medium to coarse grind.

By the time this sausage was served we were onto the third snarler. My wife thought it was very tasty and would work really well in a paella, risotto or soup. I would have to agree.

 

 

As the third and final review from Jonathan’s the conclusion I reached was that this is a butcher who knows how to make superior sausages. My view is good cuts of meat, fresh herbs and spices, along with love go into making these sausages.

The restaurants of Melbourne also vote with their menus. Over 100 restaurants have Jonathan’s sausages on the menu. If you are on the hunt for quality snarlers in Melbourne, I would highly recommend going to Smith St, Collingwood and trying a few snags from Jonathan’s. Well worth the visit. 

Cost per kilo: AUD $22.99

 

And as an addenda here is a shot of all the snarlers prior to cooking.

 

 

Tuscan Sausages - Jonathan's, Collingwood

Tuscan Sausages - Jonathan's, Collingwood

This was one the sausages purchased at Jonathan’s. It was the second sausage served. Refer to my previous and following posts. I had considered the strength of the flavour of the three varieties of sausages I had purchased. I then served the most delicate flavour first, and worked up the strongest flavoured sausage.

The butcher told me the Tuscan sausage was made with veal, sage and pine nuts. The sausage was not pure veal, some pork is also present. This sausage is a medium grind. It was a chunky and large sausage that looked appealing to the eye.

 

 

The flavour of the sausage is dominated by the sage. This completely overshadows the taste of the pine nuts. The pine nuts provide texture without being strong enough to be tasted on the palate. The pine nuts are roughly cut and can be clearly seen in the sausage. This is a quality sausage that will appeal to those who like a sausage that has stronger flavours to complement the meat.

 

 

The whanau ate these and appreciated the sausage but did not rave over them.

The next morning I ate one of these cold and found it more appealing on second sampling. The level of sage flavour was more subdued when eaten cold.

Cost per kilo: AUD $22.99

Chicken and Tarragon - Jonathan’s, Collingwood

Jonathan’s of Collingwood

 

Chicken and tarragon.

Vegetables are interesting but lack a sense of purpose when unaccompanied by a good cut of meat.

Fran Lebowitz

I went on a journey to Smith St, Collingwood - a short tram ride and then a walk in search of a butcher, Jonathan’s. I had found a web site that gave the Top Five Butchers in Melbourne. The sausages at both the Victoria Market and Jonathon’s of Collingwood were mentioned.

 

 

Jonathan’s butcher was established by Jonathan Gianfreda (1950-2004). This shop is a small butcher’s shop with an attractive street frontage. The meat and sausages are appealingly displayed. I asked the butcher what was their best sausage. He told me that the Italian sausages were the most popular. Of course this did not necessarily answer the question I was asking. In the end I purchased three varieties of sausages. The butcher who served me said they supply their sausages to over 100 restaurants in Melbourne.

I purchased some chicken and tarragon; Tuscan; and Spanish chorizo. All sausages will be reviewed. These were cooked in a pan in the apartment we are staying in and was the second evening that I had cooked sausages – my family indulged me but the stove still left a lot to be desired. I would have loved to have had a sharp knife and a pair of tongs. However I got by using a pair of forks and the blunt knife. The light in the apartment was also not great for photography. But the key point is what did the snarlers taste like?

 

 

The first sausage I served was the chicken and tarragon. This was a fine to medium ground sausage. This sausage met the test for a quality chicken sausage. Does it taste like chicken meat? It did. The tarragon is subdued. This meant that a very pleasant balance of flavours is achieved. Chicken is dominant, with the tarragon playing second fiddle. My daughter described the sausage as excellent. The rest of family concurred. A very nice chicken sausage that this up there with the best.

 

 

The butcher gave me a card. I love the quote from the photographer Fran Lebowitz which I used this to open this post.

Cost per kilo: AUD $22.99