Recap: Swine and Dine at Salz – a second time around

On a very chilly Tuesday, February 12, 2019, Salz Bratwurst Co. co-owners chef Allan Suddaby and Mike Forgie played host to a pre-Valentine’s day Swine and Dine dinner filled with love for Alberta pork. And since Mike was involved, it also included a lineup of passionately paired craft Alberta beer pairings.

1. Brettljause – ‘Board Snacks’

To kick things off, chef Suddaby started with a Brettljause, or traditional Austrian farmer’s plate. Our assortment of board snacks featured prebwurst (a pressed sausage also known as head cheese), house made pepperoni, liptauer (a cheese spread made with spicy paprika), rye bread, Salz pickles, and Sylvan Star Gouda.

I grew up with my parents making headcheese, so the walk down memory lane made with pig’s head was easily my favourite bite on the plate. Chef Suddaby was eager to pair his house-made meats and accompaniments with Sylvan Star Gouda – which he described as one of the best products coming out of Alberta.

For theBrettljause, Mike paired one of Allan’s favourite beers, a German style Kolsch, from Siding 14 Brewing Company from Ponoka. He felt the 5% unfiltered Kolsch was the perfect way to start the meal, with the touch of citrus providing a light and refreshing taste next to the salty array of board snacks.

I love an introduction to any meal with a charcuterie plate, so I adored our personalized boards to start the evening. The only complaint at my end of their shared table was that people wished for more bread to ensure using up every last ounce of the spicy cheese spread, which I view as a compliment to the chef as no one wanted to leave a morsel left untouched on their plate.

2. Wurstsemmel – ‘the sandwich(es) course’

Chef Suddaby served not one, but two classic Austrian sausage sandwiches on Kaiser buns with all the fixins for our main course. The Nürnberger is a bratwurst style sausage, that just happens to appear on Salz’s regular menu. Our three sausage sandwich was served classic with mustard and sauerkraut, a nod to traditional Austrian/German taste. For anyone caught saying – one sausage is never enough – this is the sandwich for you. 

The Leberkäse presented as a meatloaf sandwich, served with chili mayo, pickled red onion and arugula. I was a huge fan of the texture and bite of this sandwich. I learned that occasionally you may find the Leberkäse featured on the menu at Salz – stay tuned to their Instagram page for updates and features.

To sip while we savoured, Mike served up a brew from one of Edmonton’s newest breweries – S.Y.C. Brewing. The light and easy drinking white ale is brewed with coriander and orange peel, which Mike felt would compliment the aromatics present in both our Nürnberger and Leberkäse sausages. I’m sure the beer will make a regular appearance at Salz, as Mike described it as the most crushable beer those in the room were likely to encounter all year.

3. Palatschinken ‘Austrian pancakes’

Our dessert has to be one of my favourite Swine and Dine desserts over the past six years. Inspired (or challenged) by this Celiac, chef Suddaby served up a gluten free, Buckwheat crepe with fresh cheese and honey, served on a Saskatoon rhubarb compote with fresh basil. I would take creamy/fruity desserts any day over a chocolate dessert, and when I realized the crepes were still warm, chef Suddaby secured a special place in my heart with my first ever Palatschinken.

If you are wondering where the pork component was – chef Suddaby explained that he used the pork lard that they render at the restaurant both in the crepe batter, as well as used to fry them with. The lard was perfectly rendered and without any bacon or pork taste; I loved the dish, and even more so after hearing of Salz’s example of food recycling and reducing food waste in a commercial kitchen.

To finish things off, Mike paired our crepes with a Fahr North Dunkelweizen. We learned that Fahr beers brewed out of Turner Valley, Alberta, are made according to Bavarian purity law for beer – made with just grain, hops, water and yeast – and are completely additive free. Mike told Swine and Diners not to be intimidated by the dark profile, the chocolate notes would pair beautifully with the sweet and savoury buckwheat crepe. As a Celiac I can’t comment on the beer pairings for the night, but the crew at my side of the table had rave reviews for Mike’s choices. Considering it was $40 for the meal and an extra $10 for the beer – our meal was an incredible value for such a unique and intimate Salz experience. 

Chef Allan Suddaby and Mike Forgie are eager to share their love of pork and locally crafted Alberta brews every day, and not just for Swine and Dines. Be sure to stop by Salz to sip and savour some of the fares they have available in the unique Oliver/Queen Mary Park sausage and beer hall.

Salz Bratwurst Co.
eatsalz.ca
10556 115 St., Edmonton, AB
587-599-7259

Swine and Dine at Salz Bratwurst Co. Feb 12, 2019

When Salz Bratwurst Co. hosted an Oktoberfest inspired Swine and Dine last fall, we were told it wouldn’t be their last… and the boys of Black Box Hospitality deliver on their promises. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, executive chef and Salz partner Allan Suddaby will be sharing another Austrian/Bavarian inspired, three-course menu featuring Alberta Pork from appetizer to dessert for $40 on Tuesday, February 12, 2019.

Check out the recap of the last Salz Swine and Dine for an idea of what to expect. 

Like last time, Salz partner Mike Forgie will be offering an optional pairing of craft Alberta beer with each course.

If you love Alberta pork packed sausages as much as we do, you’ll want to join the meat fest. Salz has two seatings available and tickets are sure to sell out.

Swine and Dine at Salz Bratwurst Co.
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
10556 115 Street, Edmonton AB
$40 for three courses

Tickets for 5 p.m. seating

Tickets for 8 p.m. seating

Swine and Dine at Otto Food & Drink January 31, 2019

Have you been in Swine and Dine withdrawal? Well get ready to kick-start the new year with a healthy dose of Alberta pork. We are excited to announce that Alberta Pork is kicking off our 2019 season of Swine and Dine with chef Steven Furgiuele of Otto Food and Drink in Edmonton.

On Thursday, January 31, 2019, chef Furgiuele (who has transitioned his incredible Fuge Meats sausage skills exclusively to Otto) will be sharing his passion for pork with this four-course meal, featuring Stonepost Farms’ Alberta Pork from appetizer to dessert:

Smoked ‘Apple Butter’ Pork Crostini
pink lady apple, pomegranate, arugula, potato sourdough

Cotechino Salsiccia
farro, soffritto, preserved lemon, franciacorta

Cena Della Domenica
rapini & crotonese salsiccia, smoked tomato-pork sugo, roasted parsnip, hazelnut picada, fresh bread

Zeppole
gluten-free fritters, sanguinaccio dolce

 

Don’t let the Italian terms on the menu confuse you (chef Furgiuele will explain all at dinner). Chef Furgiuele tells us he wanted to share a no-fuss, comfort food menu that will feature a big main-course family-style affair of delicious foods. Tickets are $55 which includes the meal, gratuities and tax. This one is sure to sell out; seating is limited.


Swine and Dine at Otto Food & Drink
Thursday, January 31, 2019, at 6 pm
11405 95 St, Edmonton, AB T5G 1L3
$55 (including tax and gratuities)
Tickets available on eventbrite

 

Recipe: Steve Furgiuele’s Porchetta

In addition to being a chef and meat artisan, Steve Furgiuele is also an excellent photographer, which helps make his Fuge Fine Meats instagram absolutely drool-worthy.

I recently liked a photo Steve shared of porchetta, which is a savoury, fatty, and moist boneless pork roast of Italian culinary tradition. Since it is not something that Steve is selling at the markets this summer, I asked if he would share the recipe and his photo, which he graciously agreed to do.

It is no secret that Steve has a passion for Alberta pork farmers, which you can taste with every bite of sausage and salumi he creates. Fuge Fine Meats will be available at the 124 Street Grand Market and occasionally at the City Market this summer. To learn more about where you can buy Fuge Fine Meats visit www.fuge.ca. And if you happen to be a pork-belly addict like I am, you’re going to love his porchetta recipe:

What you’ll need…

1 whole pork belly, skin on

1 coppa, shoulder cut

Handfuls of your favourite herbs (I used thyme & rosemary), fresh garlic and sea salt

Extra virgin olive oil

Baking sheet with rack

Butcher twine

Directions:

Lay down the belly with the meat side down. With a sharp knife, add a series of cuts the length of the belly, just enough to pierce the skin. This will be critical for getting that crispy skin. Flip the belly over and season liberally. Spread minced garlic and fresh herbs all over the belly. Set aside.

Take the coppa cut and proceed to cut it open as you would prepare a roulade. Take your time and carefully cut lengthwise, while allowing the meat to roll open. Generously season the meat on both sides and apply more herbs, garlic and pepper, if you desire. (I marinated mine in hot Calabrese pepperonceno paste, wine and herbs). Roll the meat back up and place in the center of the belly.

Roll the belly over to wrap the coppa cut. Using a butchers’ knot, secure the porchetta firmly. About 6 across the belly and two lengthwise (to create an X) should do the trick. If you need help with this knot, view this YouTube video. 

Once tied up, rub the porchetta with the extra virgin olive oil and apply more salt to the skin. Place on the racked baking sheet seam side down. Allow to rest overnight, uncovered. This step will allow the skin to dry out.

* I cooked mine using a wood pellet smoker, the Louisiana Grills LG900 with Tennessee Whiskey Barrel pellets. With the internal temperature probe set to 140F, this is how I proceeded to cook the porchetta.

550F for 20 minutes

315F until the internal temperature was reached, approximately 3 hours

180F for an additional 2 hours for smoke flavour development

After proper resting, the porchetta probe read about 166F. The skin crackled just right and it made some damn good sandwiches!