Gold Medal Rich and Zesty Pot Roast on the Smoker

Tom loves his snow sculptures and the Olympics!

The Winter Olympics sure were front and centre of everyone's mind over the last 2 weeks! They presented a lot of opportunities for fun and pulling together to cheer for our Canadian athletes. The picture above was taken of a neighbours front lawn. He is extremely talented.  But there were a few other things going on! One of them was the birthday of Andrea's brother, Jeff!  We couldn't let it slip away without mention!

Happy Birthday, Jeff!

Meal time can play second fiddle when you find yourself sucked into the vortex of the Olympic Games coverage on television. It becomes especially complicated when dealing with time zones on the other side of the world. Have no fear, we always manage to come up with the perfect menu for sharing meals when gathering with families and friends.  Low and slow is the name of the game for this  Gold Medal Rich and Zesty Chuck Roast that we cooked all day on the smoker! We served it up with some cole slaw, Mango Salad and Guacamole, all prepared ahead of time and pulled out of the refrigerator when everyone was ready to eat!

  

This recipe was the perfect solution to a problem that involved a day that was book-ended by the Olympics.  Watching the Canada-Sweden hockey game meant that we would have to be up early Sunday morning.  Of course, after winning gold, we knew that we would have no interest in spending a beautiful Sunday afternoon indoors watching the closing ceremonies of the Olympics. By now, we had become used to the all day/all night obsessive television coverage, so we knew that we could settle down in the evening to watch the closing spectacle. 

So here is our perfect solution to satisfying our hunger on this perfect winter day!

Prepare the rub and the roast the night before, get up early and light the charcoal in the smoker, watch a hockey game, put the roast on to cook slowly all day, then go out for a ski!!. By 6 pm, we had this Gold Medal Rich and Zesty Pot Roast.

Gold Medal Pot Roast on the Smoker

3-4 lb beef chuck roast

2 tbsp yellow mustard

½ cup dry red wine

Rub:

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

½ cup celery salt

½ cup paprika

2 tbsp onion salt

2 tbsp garlic salt

2 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp black pepper

2 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp herbes de provence

1 tsp ginger

½ tsp cayenne

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Stir and toss to combine. Store in a large glass jar.

The night before:

Coat the outside of the roast with yellow mustard. Massage ½ cup of the rub into the chuck roast and place it in a resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate overnight.

In the morning:

Remove the roast from the refrigerator and allow the meat come to room temperature. Meanwhile, set up the Broil King Keg to cook for 8 hours at 220°F *(SEE BELOW). Fill the diffuser pan and place a handful of soaked hickory wood chips on the coals. Place the roast on the grids and close the lid. Monitor the level of the water and the temperature and adjust accordingly. You do not want the temperature to rise above 250°F.  After 6 hours, remove the roast from the smoker.

2 hours before eating:

 Lay 2 sheets of heavy duty foil on the counter and place the roast on top. Pour ½ cup dry red wine over the roast and wrap in the foil sheets, crimping the edges so that the liquid does not escape. Place back on the smoker and continue cooking for 2 hours, at 220°F.  Remove from smoker and place on a large cutting board.  Slice thinly against the grain and serve with sauce. We made this basic spicy/sweet sauce and it was delicious.

Zesty barbecue sauce:

2 tbsp canola oil

½ yellow onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tbsp brown sugar

¼ cup cider vinegar

¼ cup bourbon

2 tbsp molasses

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 tbsp yellow mustard

1 tbsp orange Angostura bitters

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic salt

½ tcp allspice

1 clove

2 cups ketchup

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and add the onion and garlic.  Sauté until they are onion and garlic are soft and translucent.  Add the rest of the ingredients, except the ketchup and bring to a gentle boil and reduce heat. Add the ketchup. Simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat and set aside. Drizzle over sliced beef. Any leftover sauce can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed jar for several weeks.

 NOTE: In a effort to use up the copious amount of Angostura bitters that we bought for Manhattans at Christmas, we are trying to include them in our recipes whenever possible. So far, they have been delicious in the sauce for Bananas Flambe. This week, they are featured in the Zesty Barbecue Sauce recipe! It adds an undertone of orange to the sauce and helps cut through some of the sweetness. Really good with the rich smoked beef!

*   Setting up the Broil King Keg

1.       Pour 3-4” deep layer of  lump hardwood charcoal on the bottom of the smoker.

2.       Use 2 True’Cue match-light charcoal starters or a chimey starter to ignite the charcoal.

3.       Open the top and bottom vents to the widest position (#5).

4.       Let the coals burn for 10 minutes until the smoker reaches 200°F

5.       Dial down the top and bottom vents to the #2 position

6.       This should maintain a smoker temperature of 225°F for about 6 hours.

Note:  4” of charcoal will burn for 6-8 hours. 

Valentine's Sweets

 

Valentine’s Sweets

Valentine’s Day can be seen as a hokey, materialistic occasion, but we like to think of it as a chance to let people know they are special to us through some small gesture, generally springing from our kitchens.  This year Marilyn led the way by giving a cookie-decorating tutorial.  She is fully equipped with all the gear and has lots of expertise.  She also came up with this excellent gluten free recipe that does not sacrifice any flavor and is easy to handle. 

Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

2 cups brown rice flour, plus more for rolling out dough

1 ½ cup sweet rice flour

1 cup potato starch

1 tablespoon xanthan gum

1 ½ tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup vegetable shortening

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (or Earth Balance substitute for a dairy free alternative)

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Combine the rice flours, potato starch, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the sugars, shortening and butter (or Earth Balance) until fluffy on medium speed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and then vanilla.

Gradually add the flour mixture until combined.

Divide dough into 2 balls, wrap in plastic and chill for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll dough out to ¼ inch thickness on a work surface dusted with brown rice flour. Cut out with cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheets, 1 inch apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until just golden. Transfer cookies to cooling rack and let cool completely.

Decorate with royal icing.

It's not only about the sweets though. A quiet dinner for 2 is the the next best gift that you can give your sweetie on Valentines Day.  Even novice cooks can do a good job on a simple Valentines Day menu. This is  the perfect time to grill filet mignon - they take little time to prepare and are a delicious treat when done properly. Follow our instructions for grilling and try dressing them up with this rich Balsamic Red Wine Glaze.  To complete the menu, choose your favorite vegetables to grill, including one that can be cut into the shape of a heart!  Red peppers are the obvious choice here!

Filet Mignon with Balsamic Red Wine Glaze

2 pieces Filet Mignon (at least 1¼” inch thick)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

kosher salt
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns, crushed

2 tablespoons butter

1 shallot, finely minced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup beef broth

Brush the steaks with oil and sprinkle them with some salt and the crushed peppercorns.  Let stand at room temperature for ½ hour before grilling. 

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the butter over MEDIUM LOW heat.  Add the shallots, and cook until very fragrant and translucent, about 2 minutes.  Add the balsamic vinegar and cook for about 3 minutes until reduced by half.  Add the red wine and beef broth and cook for about another 10 minutes or until thickened and syrupy. 

Preheat the barbecue on MEDIUM HIGH.  Clean grids well with a steel grill brush.  Place the filets on the grill, and cook for a total of 8 minutes for medium rare, turning every 2 minutes for Perfect Grill Marks. 

Serve on heated plates, spooning the hot balsamic wine glaze over top.

Pork Ribs in Sticky Chinese Barbecue Sauce

What a week for skiing this has been! All of the snow in Ontario has made for some of the best cross-country skiing ever!!

There is also some pretty awesome skiing on the West Coast - we have been enjoying some wonderful time in Revelstoke, B.C. But skiing isn't the only way to enjoy the snow and the mountains. We had such a super afternoon in the back-country on snow-shoes today, the views were fabulous! Thanks so much to Peter Dixon at the Revelstoke Snowshoe Company.

Despite the fact that we have been sampling a lot of great B.C. food, wines and beers, the best meals are always those that we prepare for ourselves with friends. Tim spent some time in the condo this afternoon turning some leftover Rib-eye steaks into this fabulous chili. The secret ingredient?? Beer - he braised the beef in beer for hours(literally).

It truly is a secret recipe, but for this week, we will provide another great recipe that we developed for grilled pork ribs that have been braised in beer.

We love this recipe for the rich flavours that are infused into the meat during the initial stage of cooking. We feature Mill Street Coffee Porter in this recipe-the rich and robust flavour really shines through....We braise the ribs, immersed in the marinade, in the oven for an hour. This can be done well ahead of your party-  set them aside, reduce the marinade into a glaze and grill the ribs with your vegetables when you and your guests are ready to eat.

Grilled Pork Ribs in Sticky Chinese Barbecue Sauce

Marinade:

1 bottle Mill Street Coffee Porter

½ can cola

½  cup soy sauce

½ cup rice wine vinegar

½ cup honey or maple syrup

½ cup char siu(Chinese barbecue sauce)

1 tbsp sriracha sauce

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3-4 racks pork back ribs

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Prepare ribs by removing the thin membrane from the back of each rack of ribs. Place ribs in a single layer in a large flat baking dish or roasting pan and pour marinade over top.  Cover  with foil and place in the oven, which has been preheated to 350°F for 45 minutes.  Turn the ribs, place them back in the oven for another 20-30 minutes with the lid off. Remove the ribs from the oven and set them aside.

To make the glaze, pour half of the marinade into a large saucepan and boil gently over medium heat until reduced by half.

When ready to grill, preheat the barbecue on MEDIUM for 10 minutes and brush the grids with oil. Reduce to LOW (275-300°F). Set the ribs on the grids and cook carefully for 20 minutes, then brush them with glaze and cook another  15 minutes, turning to prevent the glaze from scorching.

Serve with rice or smashed potatoes, with the remaining glaze in a jug on the side

Grilling Through the Polar Vortex

 

The highlight of our week was an overnight stay in Toronto where we attended one of Bonnie Stern’s Book Clubs.  We had all read Craig Davidson’s gritty and gripping book Cataract City, and were fortunate enough to be sharing a table with him at the Annex’s jewel, Big Crow.  This Canadian barbecue restaurant is meant to conjure the atmosphere of a cabin in Algonquin Park, with cedar walls, picnic tables and blazing fires.  Our frozen toes made the experience really authentic.  The food was fantastic:  Matzo Ball Soup that had been simmered for 2 days, sweet and spicy cornbread, tender brisket, succulent Cornish hens, and decked-out broccoli and rice.  And back to the author, Craig was charming, articulate, humble, fascinating and sweet.  We will all be avid fans of any past and future work.  

 

Sitting with Craig Davidson was an extra super bonus.

Thanks, Mary Ann, for organizing the best "craft" ever!

Lately we’ve been wondering: just when is it too cold to barbecue?  The answer, it seems, is NEVER!  When the mercury dipped below -25°C we started to question what makes it worth it to brave the elements and arrived at the following:  delicious caramelized flavour, leaner meat thanks to the fat dripping off instead of into your dish, and beautiful presentation.  So we proceeded to dissect what was meant to be a one-dish meal and grill each element.  And when I say “we”, it was my husband shivering on the deck grilling everything to perfection.  At these temperatures, it is essential to have a platter heating inside to bring everything off the grill. 

Chicken with Grilled Clementines and Fennel

For the marinade:

Scant ½ cup Metaxa liqueur

4 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

2 whole star anise

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into wedges

2 red peppers, cut into large chunks

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs

4 clementines, unpeeled and sliced horizontally into ¼” slices

chopped fresh parsley

In a medium sized bowl mix all the marinade ingredients.  Arrange the chicken, clementines and vegetables in a large flat glass baking dish and pour the marinade over top.  Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or even overnight. 

Preheat barbecue on MEDIUM HIGH for 10 minutes.  Reduce the temperature to MEDIUM LOW, and brush the grids well with vegetable oil to prevent sticking.  Reserving the marinade, place the chicken thighs on the grill, and cook them for a total of 12 minutes, turning 3 times for Perfect Grill Marks.  Grill the red peppers and fennel for 10 minutes, or until tender, and the clementines for about 5 minutes, just until caramelized and juicy. 

Meanwhile, pour the reserved marinade into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 5 -10 minutes or until slightly thickened. 

Arrange the grilled chicken, clementines, peppers and fennel on a hot platter.  Pour the marinade over top and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.

Check out Big Crow on Dupont in Toronto