Meat Your Maker

BY KEANE STRAUB

PHOTOS BY DONG KIM

Summer in Alberta is pretty much reserved for grilling, and that usually means steaks, in whatever cut you fancy. But not everyone has access to a grill (or can fight dad for control of it), and

For Daniel Ducharme, owner and executive chef of St. Albert’s Riverbank Bistro, cooking is all about flavour and culture. “I’ve worked with so many talented people from all over the world throughout my career, it’s impossible not to soak in their culture and food, and apply these learnings through my cooking,” he explains.

The menu at Riverbank is classic, with dishes like the Fire Grilled Salmon Filet, but there's a few twists thrown in like Chef’s favourite Korean Fried Chicken. The Short Ribs, however, rank high for both Chef Daniel and guests at Riverbank Bistro.

“I learned good braising practices from Steve Buzak at the Royal Glenora Club,” he says, “and I feel as though I have nailed the technique. I know that when it hits the table, people have already begun to eat with their eyes, and the dish does not disappoint.”

There are no magic tricks when it comes to recreating this dish at home, but it does require time and patience. “Season the broth well, use fresh ingredients, and clean as you go! I’ve been guilty as charged of the latter myself.”

Braised Beef Short Rib topped with Demi Glacé

Serves 4

2¼ kg chuck flats

To taste salt and pepper

Oil for sautéing

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves

6 thyme sprigs

4 rosemary sprigs sometimes it’s just nice to change things up a bit.

So, for this month’s Chef’s Tips, we reached out to Alberta chefs to give us their best when it comes to meat-centric dishes. Like always, they knocked it out of the park sending recipes for chicken, pork, boar, and beef. And in most cases the grill – and dad – gets a rest. Tell them not to worry though, there’s plenty of summer to come and barbecues to be managed.

4 bay leaves

½ cup (125 mL) dry red wine

2 cups (500 mL) beef stock

1. Trim the beef of any undesirable fat or connective tissues. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

2. Sear the beef in a Dutch oven on medium high heat. Remove the beef and set aside.

3. Sauté your mirepoix (celery, carrots, and onions), and add the garlic, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Sauté for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown in colour.

4. Deglaze the pan with red wine.

5. Add the beef chuck back to the pot, add the beef stock and ensure the pieces of meat are submerged in stock. Bake covered in a 350º F oven for approximately 3½ hours.

6. When it is cooked, DO NOT remove the beef from the liquid. Allow it to remain in the liquid just prior to serving. Serve with your favourite vegetable, herbed goat cheese, and mash potatoes.

Fresh, seasonal ingredients are the main driving factor for Chef Dwayne Ennest’s cooking, and when it comes to meat, Alberta offers an abundance of options. “They’re typically of great quality,” he explains, “just use a good rub or your favourite herbs and keep it simple.”

As the executive chef at Calgary’s Vintage Chophouse, it’s dishes like the Duck Tart with wild mushrooms, truffle and friulano cheese, and the grilled Lambtastic rack of lamb with classic peppercorn sauce that are Chef Dwayne’s favourites. But it’s the rustic nature of simple, traditional dishes that often steal the spotlight, and can often be created with little stress.

Chef Dwayne shares with us this recipe for Grilled Wild Boar Sausage with White Bean Cassoulet. “Cassoulet is a great classic French country dish, and you can really make it your own based on how you like to season it and the ingredients you choose,” he adds. Here, he chooses rich and buttery cannellini beans, perfect for an early summer meal.

Grilled Wild Boar Sausage, with White Bean Cassoulet, Roasted Morels, Taber Corn Créme Fraichè, and Salsa Roja

Serves 6 or generous portions for 4

White Bean Cassoulet

5 shallots

225 g butter

150 g wild boar bacon, cubed

2 Tsp chopped rosemary

2 Tsp chopped sage

1 tsp sumac

4 cloves confit garlic, squeezed from husk

1 cup (240 mL) white wine

6 cups (1½ L) chicken stock

1 tsp Aleppo chili flakes

4 cups cooked cannellini beans

2 cups (500 mL) heavy cream

To taste salt

3 wild boar sausages, grilled rare and sliced

1. Sauté shallots with butter until golden brown, add bacon, rosemary, sage, sumac, and garlic. Sauté till bacon is cooked.

2. Deglaze pot with white wine and add chicken stock. Reduce by half.

3. Add Aleppo chili flakes, beans, and cream, and bring to a simmer. Cook till sauce coats a spoon and beans are soft, season with salt.

Sweet Corn Lime Crème Fraîche

2 cups sweet (or Taber) corn

1 tsp garlic shallot purée

3 limes, zest and juice

2 cups (500 mL) crème fraîche

To taste salt and pepper

1. Pan roast corn with garlic shallot purée until corn has a bit of colour.

2. Cool corn mixture completely and then mix with lime juice and zest, crème fraîche, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Salsa Roja

1 red onion

2 sweet peppers, seeded and cut in half

1 poblano pepper, seeded and cut in half

3 vine ripe tomatoes

2 jalapeños

Water

1/3 cup (80 mL) lime juice

1 cup cilantro

I tsp sea salt

1. Put all the ingredients apart from the lime juice and cilantro into a pot with water to cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes.

2. Remove from water and place in a blender with the lime juice and cilantro. Blend until smooth and season with sea salt.

The concept of ‘nose-to-tail' eating is a driving philosophy in Chef Jack Coatzee’s culinary craft. Combined with the desire to create relationships with local farmers and producers, and experience that spans the globe, he brings a unique style to Calgary’s CHARCUT University District, blending Italian and Portuguese cuisine with Alberta’s best ingredients.

The freshness of the Shaved and Salted Zucchini salad, and the rich, buttery herbs of the Mediterranean Branzino vie for top spot in Chef Jack’s heart, but it’s this dish of Portuguese Chicken Livers with Charred Sourdough that wins out.

“Growing up, my dad’s best friend was Portuguese, and he would make this dish. This dish reminds me of home, friends, and family, sharing stories and breaking bread with loved ones.”

While all the ingredients can be found at farmers’ markets, when it comes to the chicken livers, Chef Jack recommends doing a bit of research with the butcher. “Call ahead to make sure they have them fresh and available.” As with all cooking, bring things back to basic. “Taste as you go and cook with love, and you will be sure to create a successful dish.”

Chef Jack's Piri Piri of Chicken Livers on Charred Sourdough Toast

Serves 4

1 Tbs butter

1 Tbs olive oil

½ large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced fine

450 g chicken livers, cleaned and trimmed of excess fat

½ cup red shepherd pepper (or other sweet red bell pepper), diced

To taste salt, about 1 tsp

1 tsp cracked black pepper

2¼ Tbs (34 mL) tomato paste

½ Tbs (7 mL) Worcestershire sauce

1½ tsp cumin

1½ tsp smoked paprika

1 Tbs hot piri piri sauce, or sweet if you don't like it hot

¼ tsp fresh oregano leaves

1 lemon, juiced

½ cup (125 mL) heavy cream

1 oz (2 Tbs) brandy

Fresh parsley, for garnish

Charred sourdough with olive oil, to serve

1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions for 3 minutes or until translucent.

2. Add garlic and chicken livers. Sauté until chicken livers are browned, then add red peppers and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Stir, add tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, seasonings, oregano, and lemon juice.

4. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring until all the flavours meld. It is important so that the lemon juice melds with the other ingredients first, otherwise you may experience curdling.

5. Lower the heat, add heavy cream and simmer for 5-10 minutes being careful not to overcook the chicken livers. Pour brandy into the pan, sprinkle with parsley and serve with charred sourdough bread.

Growing up in Sri Lanka, Chef Amitha Samarakoon of St. Albert’s The Hot Grill dreamt of becoming a chef. After attending an international hospitality school and becoming certified, he worked in several 5-star hotels in both the Middle East and Sri Lanka. For him, it’s the reactions of the guests that drive his desire to create. “I love to see customers enjoying my cooking and presentation of delicious food.”

There’s a little bit of everything on the menu at The Hot Grill, from wings to bolognese to beef liver, but Chef Amitha gravitates towards tradition, and his favourite is the Sri Lankan Curry Hot Pot. Keeping on trend, he shares a recipe for Pan-Seared Chili Pork Tenderloin. “I chose this recipe because of the Sri Lankan spices that our family always cooks with,” he explains. “I wanted to share something unique from my culture and flavour.”

When it comes to the spices, Chef advises: “The best place to buy Sri Lankan herbs is at an Asian grocery store. If you don’t have roasted spices, regular will be fine, or you can gently pan fry them until they’re roasted.”

Pan Seared Chili Pork Tenderloin

Sri Lankan herbs and spices marinated pork tenderloin with cumin fruit salsa, baked fingerling potatoes, and cilantro lime dressing

Serves 2

1 large pork tenderloin

1 tsp roasted curry powder

½ tsp chili powder

To taste salt

½ tsp black pepper

½ cup (120 mL) cooking oil of your choice

80 g fingerling potatoes

1. Mix together roasted curry powder, chili powder, salt and pepper, and oil, and marinate pork tenderloin for a minimum of 2 hours.

2. Season potatoes and bake at 350º F about 35-40 minutes.

3. Over medium heat on a preheated BBQ or grill pan, grill pork tenderloin for 12 – 15 minutes, turning the meat every couple of minutes. Baste it frequently with the excess marinade, until meat reaches an internal temperature of 140º F. Remove meat from the grill.

Fruit Salsa

1 mango, diced (about ½ cup)

½ cup roma tomato

½ cup red onion, diced

½ cup pineapple, diced

½ cup strawberries, diced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup cilantro, chopped

¼ cup (60 mL) fresh lime juice

To taste salt

1. Start by dicing up all your ingredients: mango, tomato, red onion, pineapple, strawberries, jalapeño, and garlic cloves.

Chef likes to dice everything into fairly small pieces so that the fruit salsa resembles pico de gallo. Chef dices the jalapeño a little smaller than everything else so no one gets a big bite of it.

2. In a large bowl, add the chopped mango, tomato, red onion, pineapple, strawberries, jalapeño, and garlic. Next, add a handful of chopped cilantro, lime juice and salt. Mix everything together, have a taste and add more salt if needed.

Cilantro Lime Dressing

½ bunch fresh cilantro

½ cup (125 mL) yogurt

1 garlic clove

2 limes, juiced

1 tsp (5 mL) honey

½ tsp kosher salt

½ jalapeño, seeds and stem removed, optional

¼ cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

Add the cilantro, yogurt, garlic, lime juice, honey, salt, and jalapeño (if using), into a food processor or blender. Put the lid on and blend. With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil and blend until smooth. Stop and taste, adjust with a little more salt or honey, if desired.

Keane Straub has travelled from Tofino to Charlottetown, sampling the different flavours Canada offers. The passion people have for their craft and culture inspires Keane to tell their stories.