Category Archives: Entree

Entree, Meat, Recipes

Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder with Five Spice Glaze

This recipe is a real hit whenever I make it at home, and recently field tested by my boss, who was looking for a long cooked, easy recipe to make for some houseguests. You can vary the flavouring by changing what you put in the glaze, I quite often will do it with barbecue flavours, using chili powder and barbecue sauce, a more European profile with garlic, lemon, honey and herbs, or whatever tickles your fancy. The important part is the cooking process, and a balance of sweet and either salty or sour in the marinade.

Day 1:

5-7 lb (2.5-3 kg) boneless pork butt roast

Marinade:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
2 tbsp mustard (french or Dijon)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp chopped or grated ginger
freshly ground pepper
1 tsp five spice powder (or 1 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of cloves)

Whisk all ingredients together and rub into pork well
Place in a large resealable plastic bag and marinate overnight in the refrigerator

Day 2:
Preheat oven to 425 F

Remove pork from bag and place into a roasting pan lined with parchment
Baste with any remaining marinade
Roast for 45 minutes, until nicely coloured on top
Remove from oven and reduce heat to 350 F

Cover TIGHTLY with a double layer of aluminum foil, shiny side down. Make sure there are no holes, as it is important to trap all of the natural juices and steam inside

Place covered pork back in the oven and cook for another 2 1/2 hours
Remove from oven and let rest for 1/2 hour, covered
Slice and serve (it should be fork-tender and almost falling apart)

Entree, Poultry, Recipes, Videos

Hot Smoked Barbecued Turkey

A turkey hot smoked on an old fashioned kettle barbecue is one of our start of summer family rituals. For a fun video of doing this check out the bottom of the post!

Brine

1 gallon (16 cups) water
1 cup sea salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp each whole clove, peppercorn, star anise, coriander
1 cinnamon stick

Bring to a boil and let cool

1 turkey (18-20 lb)

Remove thigh bones for quicker and even cooking
Place in brine overnight in refrigerator (use a large bag for this)
The next day, remove from brine, and pat dry

Rub with:
2 tbsp olive oil

Grind together in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder:

1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cracked pepper
1 tsp mustard seeds

Rub all over turkey

Prepare coals:
10 lb lump charcoal
5 lb charcoal briquettes
Heat for 45 minutes, then disperse around edges of kettle

Soak 4 cups wood chips in water while coals are heating, drain and wrap in a foil parcel. Place in centre of coals

Place turkey in a disposable foil roasting pan and place on rack over coals
Cover and cook for 3 1/5 hours, basting every 1/2 hour, until it registers 165 F on a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast.

Remove and rest for 30 minutes

Carve and enjoy!

Entree, Meat, Recipes

Roasted Nicola Valley Venison Loin

We are fortunate to have great fallow deer from the Nicola Valley readily available. It is tender and sweet, and a great winter meal with gnocchi and roasted vegetables

Marinade

1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp peppercorns
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp juniper berries
1/2 tsp coriander seed
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme
1 clove garlic, sliced

Combine all ingredients and set asideWatch Full Movie Online Streaming Online and Download

2 lb venison loin, boneless
Coarse sea salt

Trim venison loin of all silverskin and sinew and place in a container (a large freezer bag works well). Cover with the marinade and refrigerate for at least 2 days

Remove venison from marinade and allow to come up to room temperature

Season well and sear on all sides in a sauté pan over high heat
Transfer to a wire rack and roast in a hot oven 450 F until medium rare (registers 125 F on a meat thermometer)
Remove from oven an rest for at least 10 minutes before serving
Slice into thin slices across the grain and serve with gnocchi and rosemary sherry reduction

Entree, Meat, Recipes, Sauce

Rosemary sherry reduction

All great dishes include some form of a great sauce, and here is a basic recipe for a nice demi-glace based reduction. I usually make demi glace in a largish batch and then freeze it in 1/2 liter (2 cup) bags for future use.

2 shallots, sliced
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp cup butter
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sherry
1 branch rosemary
2 branches thyme
2 cups demi glace, (beef or veal)

Sauté shallots and garlic in butter until tender
Add red wine vinegar and reduce until syrupy (au sec)
Add sherry and herbs and reduce by half
Add demi glace and simmer for 1 hour, strain, and adjust seasoning

Entree, Recipes, Seafood, Soup

Pan-roasted trout with mussel chowder

Fresh trout is readily found, and most of the time filleted already. Otherwise, this is a great recipe if you find yourself camping by the sea at the mouth of a river. Try this with other fish as well, just adjust the cooking time based on the thickness of the fillets.

4 trout fillets
salt
vegetable oil

Season trout and panfry until golden brown and crisp on skin side, turn and cook for an additional 2 minutes and serve over top of chowder

Mussel chowder

1 lb fresh mussels, cleaned, beards removed
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups water
2 sprigs thyme
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup carrot, diced
1/2 cup red pepper, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 cup potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 Tbsp chopped parsley

Bring water, thyme, garlic, and wine up to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes
Add mussels and cook until they just open
Remove mussels from shell and set aside.
Discard shells
Strain liquid and reserve

Sauté onion, carrot, celery, peppers, and garlic in olive oil until translucent and slightly softened.
Add reserved liquid from cooking mussels and bring up to a simmer.
Add potatoes and cook until vegetables are tender.
Add cream and cook for 10 minutes more
Add cooked mussels, adjust seasoning and keep warm while trout cooks.
Add parsley just before serving