Warm and Hearty for Winter

For those of you that don't get Food & Drink here are a couple of the recipes that I developed for the Winter 2013 issue. Flavourful and perfect to make for this time of year! Enjoy!

Tri-Tip Beef Steak with Crisp Wonton Carrot Slaw

Asian inspired flavours are a perfect match with this carrot mango slaw.  You can have the fresh flavours and colours of summer any time of the year with this delicious oven roast. Look for this cut in smaller grocers and butcher shops or ask where you purchase your meat to bring some in.

3 tbsp (45 mL) kecap/ketjap manis

2 tbsp (30 mL) sesame oil

2 tbsp (30 mL) lime juice

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp (15 mL) minced ginger

1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper

1 tri-tip beef steak or sirloin tip roast (about 2 lb/1 kg)

10 wonton wrappers

1 tbsp (15 mL) canola oil

Carrot and Mango Slaw:

2 carrots, julienned

1 mango, julienned

¼ cup (60 mL) chopped fresh mint

2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh coriander

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp (30 mL) rice vinegar

1 tbsp (15 mL) canola oil

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

1. Stir together ketchup manis, oil, lime juice, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. Place steak in marinade and turn to coat. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 24 hours. 

2. Slice wonton wrappers into thin strips and toss with oil. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet and toast in 400 F (200 C) oven for about 8 minutes or until golden brown and crisp; set aside.

3. Place roast on rack in roasting pan and place in 450 F (230 C) oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 275 F (140 C) and cook for about 1 1/2 hours or until meat thermometer reaches 145 F (63 C) for medium-rare. Remove from oven; cover loosely and let stand 10 minutes before slicing thinly.

4. Carrot Slaw: In a large bowl, combine carrots, mango, mint, coriander and garlic. Drizzle with vinegar and oil. Add salt and pepper and toss to combine well. Sprinkle with crisp wontons.

Serve with sliced steak.

Serves 6 to 8.

My Nonna’s Pasta Sauce

The only trick to my nonna’s sauce is that she uses ingredients she loves and makes enough to feed a crowd. This is a hearty stick to ribs dish that brings back childhood memories every time I make it. Letting the pork riblets cook in the sauce helps produce such a robust flavour. 

2 1/2 lb (1.25 g) pork riblets

2 tbsp (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp (15 mL) dried oregano

1/2 tsp (2 mL) hot pepper flakes

½ cup (125 mL) dry white wine

2 cans (28 oz/796 mL each) plum tomatoes, pureed

4 sprigs fresh parsley

1 sprig fresh basil

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

Polenta:

8 cups (1 L) water

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) cornmeal

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

1/2 cup (125 mL) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh basil

1. Heat oil in large shallow saucepan over medium high heat and brown riblets well; remove to plate. Return saucepan to medium heat and cook onion, garlic, oregano and hot pepper flakes for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add wine and cook, stirring to scrape up brown bits. Add tomatoes, parsley, basil and salt; stir to combine. Return pork to saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 4 minutes or until meat is falling off the bone.

2. Polenta: Bring water to boil in deep pot and whisk in cornmeal and salt. Using wooden spoon, cook, stirring for about 15 minutes or until thickened and mounds on a spoon. Stir in cheese and basil.

3. Remove bones from sauce and break up meat into smaller pieces, if desired. Spoon sauce over polenta to serve.

Serves 8 to 10.

Shredded Pork Shoulder Roast and Green Bean Salad

Combining this tender pork roast with green beans makes for a unique and different salad. With the fat throughout the roast this pork dish is tender and very flavourful, hot or cold.

1 boneless pork shoulder roast, about 2 lb/1 kg

1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper

1 tbsp (15 mL) canola oil

1/3 cup (80 mL) apricot jam

1 tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp (5 mL) chopped fresh tarragon

1 cup (250 mL) chicken broth or stock

1 lb (500 g) green beans, trimmed

2 cups (500 mL) chopped radicchio

White Wine Dressing:

3 tbsp (45 mL) white wine vinegar

2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil

1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard

1 small clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper

1. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium high heat and brown roast on all sides. 

2. Combine jam, mustard, garlic and tarragon in small bowl and spread all over roast. Place roast on rack in roasting pan and pour broth in pan. Cover and place in 325 F (160 C) oven for about 2 hours or until very tender and meat pulls apart easily with 2 forks. Let cool slightly and using two forks shred meat. Stir in pan juices.

3. Boil beans in salted water for about 5 minutes or until tender crisp. Drain well and rinse with cold water. Combine with radicchio and toss with shredded pork.

4. White wine dressing: Whisk together vinegar, oil, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper and pour over salad and toss to combine.

Serves 6.