L'Authentique Filet Mignon Garlic product reviews

I admit to not wanting to open this product. The packaging was so pretty that I just wanted to admire it. The meat was sealed inside a clear plastic wrap and nestled inside a cardboard container which was decorated with various items relating to food and food products. In one corner of the back was the legend "Hand made in NZ by adopted Frenchmen" and in the opposite corner the logo "100% natural". Just in case I had not got the message, "NO nitrates or chemicals. Just meat and spices" decorated one side. There was also a removable sleeve featuring the French and New Zealand flags and more detailed product information; the sleeve could be slid up or down to reveal the contents.

Apart from my reluctance to open the pack, I imagined I was looking at a piece of meat something akin to beef jerky - dry and tough, and quite hard to chew. Was I ever wrong! When I finally took the plunge and removed the filet, I found it was easy to cut and, although chewy, was still amazingly tender. The flavour was superb: I could taste the garlic, but the pork flavour was also quite strong. My verdict? Just delicious, and with an amazing taste burst considering that the only additives were garlic, salt and pepper.

I had to be quick to get a photo because we were hungry and dinner looked far too tasty to postpone. As suggested on the pack, I had served up plates of cheese (Emmental and Feta), butter, parfait (with pork liver as was appropriate) and a baguette. I also added some cherry tomatoes so nobody could say we were skimping on the vegetables. We tore off hunks of bread and slathered on what was certainly an unhealthy portion of butter, all with a view to eating the product as the manufacturers had intended. Within minutes the whole experience had gone from one I did not want to visit to one that we will be repeating at the earliest opportunity.

While the price may seem steep for what appeared to be a small amount of meat (50g for each of us), we found the helpings were adequate. As with other products like this, the preserving process has ensured that a small amount goes a long way, and both of us certainly felt that we were getting a good deal. The expiry date was a good two months away, so it would be possible to get some in before the holiday period and keep it in the fridge to share with visitors. Once opened, the pack has a 48 hour life - but I cannot imagine any leftovers surviving in our fridge for that long.

To say we were impressed would be a total understatement. After my initial reservations, I am now sold on this product as is my partner. And to cap it all, the cardboard packaging is still intact; the only part I needed to broach to access the content was the plastic inner wrapper. I just might keep the cardboard outer sections so I can continue to admire them.