For the majority of people, “grillade” (or grilling) is synonymous with almost anything that can be cooked on the grill. However, if you’re from Saint-Rémi or Valleyfield, this term means something very specific. “Grillade” is a thin slice of pork belly, which is the same part used for bacon, that is seasoned with salty spices and then smoked on a wood charcoal grill. Valérie St-Onge of VIVA-médias explains that this piece of meat used to be salted as a means of preservation. This would allow the pork belly to be kept longer and less of the meat, which was possibly not even available for purchase in the winter months, would be wasted in large quantities.
Today, spices are simply used for culinary enjoyment! This typical meal was the prelude to quite an extraordinary menu for their food truck Les Grillades à Poudrette. Jerico and Patrick Poudrette wanted to stand out and offer a wide range of unconventional dishes. For this reason, the team travels from event to event introducing this local pride to other Quebec regions. To that end, they spent their summer between the Beach Club, the Mexican Fiesta of Saint-Rémi, the Country Festival in Saint-Tite and several other events here and there in the province. “It’s funny to see people’s reactions when we make them taste pork belly for the first time; it’s like they become crazy!” It entices them to try other dishes in which they will find every time that distinctive grillade taste thanks to the way they smoke their meat on a wood charcoal grill.
Among the many offerings on the menu, you can have the gigantic 300 gram AAA Angus burger made with pork and apples or the one made with bison meat or ribs cooked for 120 minutes and covered in a secret caramelized sauce… “I don’t know if you’ve noticed but we’re very good eaters!” That’s probably also the reason why their food is so high in quality.
The food truck brings people together and Jerico and Patrick decided to elevate this idea to another level by offering a festive evening among friends to lovers of delicious food and good times. Les Grillades à Poudrette will organize a dinner and show, serving all-you-can-eat ribs, on October 15th at La Cabane à Midas. The evening will start out with a happy hour between 4 and 6 p.m. during which guests will taste the wines produced by J.O. Montpetit and be serenaded by singer Steve Lemay. The 350 available tickets have sold like hot cakes but for $20 you can watch the group Lendemain de veille perform under a big top from 9 to 11 p.m. Afterwards, a DJ will be on-site until the end of the night. If you wish to partake in this event, you can buy your tickets at Dépanneur Notre-Dame Voisin or directly at the venue on the night of the event. All the information can also be found on their Facebook page.
Although grillade is more of a summer dish, thanks to the team of Les Grillades à Poudrette, you have the chance to taste it and enjoy it even during the winter months! To find out where the food truck will be next, check out the Les Grillades à Poudrette’s calendar. Now, you can understand why the region of Suroit can’t get enough of it!
