Tag: Berkshire

Biera’s Berkshire Pork Croquettes with Rhubarb Apple Butter & Pickled Rhubarb

Posted on by Sharman

When it comes to the carefully selected ingredients she melds together on the plates at her contemporary restaurant in the Richie neighbourhood of Edmonton, Chef Christine Sanford of Biera is passionate and particular about the Alberta pork she serves. Chef Sanford is eager to introduce her customers to Broek Pork Acres’ pasture-raised Berkrshire, a pure breed known to produce tender, dark, juicy meat with high fat marbling.

Having visited the Broek Pork Acres farm in Lethbridge County, Chef Sanford is confident in the pork dishes at Biera because she has seen firsthand the dedication and care Allan and Joanne Vanden Broek put into raising their beautiful Berkshire pigs. She easily describes it as some of the best pork she has ever had; patrons who’ve tried the Broek Acres Berkshire pork dish from Biera‘s charcoal grill are sure to agree.

Chef Sanford graciously shared a versatile recipe for pork rillette, a spreadable combination of pork and fat reminiscent of pate, that can be served soft on toast (and a great accompaniment to any charcuterie plate), or breaded into crispy croquettes and accented with a beautify rhubarb apple butter & pickled rhubarb.

 

BERKSHIRE PORK CROQUETTES WITH RHUBARB APPLE BUTTER & PICKLED RHUBARB

PORK CROQUETTES
Makes about 20 pieces

60-70% meaty Berkshire pork (Cut meaty pork into medium sized pieces)
30-40% Pork Fat (Cut fat into smaller pieces)
2 large garlic cloves smashed (this is enough for around 2kg meat)
1 bay leaf
1 sprigs thyme
Apx 1/4 bottle Normandy Style Farmers Cider or something similar to Cuvee de Ranke

Directions:

1. Weigh out the pork and pork fat and calculate 2% Kosher Salt and set aside (so for 2kg of meat and fat total, you would add 40g kosher salt.)

2. In a brazier or large pot render the fat on med-low until most of it is liquid.

3. Remove fat from pot and brown the meat. Add the Garlic, add your 2% salt. Cook a few more minutes until golden.

4. Deglaze with the cider/beer and add the rendered fat back in. Add the bay and thyme. Stir and cover on LOW, stirring every 10 minutes.

5. Cook until tender, then remove the lid and continue to cook until the liquid has reduced and coated the meat. Let rest 20 minutes, then strain off the fat, blend the meat gently in a food possessor to make a chunky paste- you can add a bit of the fat back in if it seems dry.

(Note: You can keep any extra pork fat for another dish!)

To prep the croquettes:

1. Flatten rillette onto a tray lined with parchment and let cool over night (this helps to firm it up so it’s easier to bread)

2. The next day cut into rectangle squares and bread (breading directions below)

 

BREADING INGREDIENTS

1 cup all-purpose flour
Egg wash (2 eggs beaten with 1/4 cup of milk)
2 cups panko breadcrumbs

Directions:

1. Set up the breading station. Place the flour in one dish, the egg wash in a shallow bowl, and the panko in a separate dish. Season them all with salt.

2. Dip the rillette portion in the flour, then with your other hand into the egg wash and then using your dry hand back into the panko.

3. Let chill 20 minutes and then you can shallow fry or deep fry the breaded rillettes until golden and heated through.

RHUBARB APPLE BUTTER

5lbs Red Rhubarb
2 Apples
250ml Cherry cider or apple cider

Directions:

1. Chop the rhubarb up and the apples into quarters removing pits.

2. Cook everything in a large pot on low for appx 1-2 hrs or until apples & rhubarb are getting soft and the mixture has thickened up (the liquid will evaporate over time)

3. Blend on high in a blender until very smooth, and season to your taste with salt.

 

PICKLED RHUBARB

1 lb rhubarb stalks
1/2 cups water
2 cups apple cider vinegar or champagne vinegar
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon salt

Directions:

1. Heat the vinegar, sugar and salt until dissolved.

2. Pour over the rhubarb and let sit overnight, or up to a week.

3. To use slice the rhubarb into desired sizes.

To serve, serve the fried pork rillettes with a dollop of the rhubarb apple butter and top with pickled rhubarb.

 

 

BIERA
Ritchie Market
9570 – 76 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB T6C 0K2
(587) 525-8589

HOURS
  • Monday Closed
  • Tuesday 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
  • Wednesday 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
  • Thursday 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
  • Friday 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
  • Saturday 1:00 pm – 11:00 pm
  • Sunday 1:00pm – 5:00 pm

XIX Chef Andrew Fung shares his Indulgence 2013 Irving Farms Pork Belly Recipe

Posted on by Sharman

A couple weeks back I attended my first Indulgence  – A Canadian Epic of Food and wine – at the Delta Edmonton South. I was lucky to score a ticket – this year’s event sold out in 3 days. Certainly one of the hottest food events of the year, this culinary feast pairs restaurants, local producers and Canadian wineries together for an evening of fabulous food and wine.

Chef Andrew Fung of XIX Nineteen

The event allows some of Edmonton hottest chefs to work with new products and producers, challenging them to make an innovative dish that showcases a great local product. This year Chef Andrew Fung of XIX Nineteen was paired with my friends Nicola and Alan Irving of Irving Farm Fresh.

Chef Andrew Fung, who won gold medal plates in 2010 as the chef of Blackhawk Golf Course, has been causing quite the stir in the kitchen at XIX Nineteen in south Edmonton.  With all the rave reviews coming from his fine-dining menu at XIX Nineteen, I was excited to meet Chef Fung and taste what he would come up with some of Irving’s Berkshire Pork.

When I arrived at Chef Fung’s station I was excited to learn the dish was gluten free and featuring beets! (I’m Ukrainian so the combination of my favourite part of the pig and beets had me giddy). Chef Andrew Fung’s Irving Farms Berkshire Pork Belly with Roasted Walnut Red Beet Sauce and Pureed Spiced Apples was so good I had more than one portion. I am sure that is against the Indulgence rules but I couldn’t help myself – and I didn’t want Alan to have to eat alone.

Chef Andrew Fung - XIX Nineteen - Indulgence 2013

Chef Fung was kind enough to share his recipe with me (and all of you). While I doubt my reproduction will look anything as delightful as his plated treat at Indulgence, the instructions are easy to follow and this dish is sure to impress your dinner guests.

Alan & Nicola Irving, Chef Andrew Fung

To pick up a piece of pork belly for Chef Fung’s recipe you can visit Irving Farms at the Old Strathcona Farmers Market, City Market Downtown and St. Albert Farmer`s Market each Saturday.

I plan to visit Chef Fung at XIX Nineteen very soon – stay tuned for more fabulous Alberta Pork dishes from this culinary destination in South Edmonton.

Irving Farms Berkshire Pork Belly with Roasted Walnut Red Beet Sauce and Pureed Spiced Apples

Irving Farms Berkshire Pork Belly with Roasted Walnut Red Beet Sauce and Pureed Spiced Apples

Pickle Beet

4-6 large beets (about ½ kilo)
1 c rice wine vinegar
½ t salt
¼ t black peppercorns

Roasted Walnut Beet Puree

½ c roasted walnut
½ t olive oil
3t salt
1 t black Pepper

Peel and slice beets and cook in water with the vinegar, salt and peppercorns until tender. Add walnuts, olive oil, and season to taste.Blend until smooth. Reserve.

Pressed Pork Belly

1 piece pork belly (about 1.3kg)
2 heads garlic
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
handful of thyme sprigs
olive oil, to drizzle
1 c splash of dry white wine
2 c brown chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 375F

Season pork belly with salt , pepper, olive oil, garlic Pour white wine and chicken stock into a baking pan/casserole dish with pork belly. Cover and bake for 2.5 hours

Transfer the pork to a clean chopping board and leave to cool slightly. While still warm, place another tray on top of the pork and weigh down with a few heavy tins to flatten it. Cool completely, then chill for four hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Cut belly into a ½ inch piece.

Pan-sear before serving.

Apple Puree

2 Granny Smith apples
1/3 c dry white wine
¼ t cinnamon

Peel and seed apple and cut into 6 pieces. Put into a small pot with lid along with the wine and cinnamon. Steam over low heat until soft. Puree until smooth.

Serve the pork belly as an appetizer with the apple puree and beet sauce.

Makes about 10 portions. 

Enjoying my second serving with Alan Irving

Nose to Tail Dinner @ Ousia Restaurant – Porchetta Recipe

Posted on by Sharman

Last week I attended a truly magical event. Ousia Restaurant hosted their first Nose to Tail dining event featuring Irving Farms Berkshire Pork. My friend Meryl and I were happily seated with Nicola and Alan Irving for a six-course extravaganza of all things pig at a wonderful Mediterranean fusion restaurant that sources an array of locally grown and produced ingredients.

Ousia Restaurant Nose To Tail Dinner Menu

 

The $75 six-course meal featured dishes comprised of pork Trotters, Head & Jowl, Leg, Shoulder, Loins & Extras, and Belly created by Chef Michael Seiffert and Ousia’s creative kitchen. Chef Seiffert (who clearly has a passion for pork) shared his recipe for porchetta, which was served to me on an extra special gluten free bun. (Scroll down for recipe)

 1st Course – Trotters

Trotters en gelee, tomato-eggplant compote, crisp herbs, pickled pear, taro chips

2nd Course – Head & Jowl

panko crusted torchon, braised watercress, pickles & olives

3rd Course Leg 

merguez sausage, red chermoula, pickled red onion, leek-raisin chutney, flatbread

4th Course – Shoulder

braised shoulder, soft poached egg, root vegetables, pork hock reduction, petit salad

5th Course – Loins & Extras

Porchetta bocadillo, hirino pate, pickled chili, preserved lemon, ras el hanout aioli, patatas brava
Gluten Free porchetta bocadillo for me
flourless chocolate rum cake, candied bacon, spiced cream

 

Nose to Tail dinner @ Ousia with Nicola and Alan Irving

Porchetta
Recipe courtesy of Chef Michael Seiffert, Ousia Restaurant

Ingredients

1 boneless pork loin with belly attached, skin on

Brine

1 cup of salt
1 cup of sugar
10 sprigs of rosemary
2 oranges cut in half
3 lemons cut in half
4 tbsp cracked coriander
4 tbsp cracked pepper corns
2 tbsp cracked juniper berries
75 ml red wine vinegar

Gluten Free Porchetta

1 garlic head cut in half
Top off with water

Glaze for roasting
1/4 cup honey
2 sprigs rosemary, chopped
2 tbsp chili flakes

 

Directions

  1. Tie the pork as for a roast and brine for 2 days (make sure belly is on the outside of the roll)
  2. Remove from brine and dry the outside of the pork and let come up to room temperature.
  3. Pre-heat oven to 300 F. Generously rub the pork with salt and pepper and brush with glaze. Roast at 300 F for 1 1/2 hours – 2 hours basting every half hour, until a thermometer reads 145-155 F.
  4. Reset oven for 400 F to finish cooking and crisp the skin.
  5. Once pork is cooked(160-165F) let rest for at least half hour before cutting.

Enjoy with a side of polenta or roast potatoes.

 

Check out the Nose to Tail dinner at Ousia on the last Monday of each month, or pop into Ousia Restaurant for some of their regular Irving Farms pork dishes.