Petite in stature and always wearing a heart-warming smile, Calgary’s chef Liana Robberecht has built a reputation as a creative culinary force breaking boundaries, like becoming the Petroleum Club’s first female executive chef, in a male-dominated industry. With her signature pink chef’s uniform and fondness for pigtails, I would argue she is the most fashionable chef in Alberta. While I admire her fashion sense, it is her ability to showcase her admiration and respect for each ingredient, which I witnessed at a farm dinner at Doef’s greenhouse a few years back, that I admire most.
Chef Liana has long been championing products and produce grown and raised by farmers and producers across the province, so of course, she has a serious passion for pork.
Chef Liana Robberecht
We checked in to see what Alberta pork culinary inspiration she has for home cooks spending more time in the kitchen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chef Liana happily shared a simple recipe for Bountiful Pork Baskets, which are tested and approved by her safe-physical distancing neighbours, and are the perfect addition for brunch (or dinner for breakfast). Muffin tins aren’t just for bakery items – they also make the perfect vessel for these Bountiful Pork Baskets.
Bountiful Pork Baskets Yield : 4 portions
What you’ll need…
8 slices of thinly sliced, cooked pork loin
1 cup ground pork
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp parsley
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp oregano
Salt/pepper
¼ tsp smoked Chipolte Tabasco pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/2 roasted red pepper diced
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
Non-stick cooking spray or canola oil (to grease muffin tins)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or grease lightly with canola oil
Line four individual tins with two thinly slices of pork loin. Mix remaining ingredients together and divide equally into the four cups.
Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from each cup and serve with your favourite brunch accompaniments such as your choice of eggs or a salad.
Was your New Year’s resolution to eat more veggies in this year? Are you six months into 2019 and need some recipe inspiration to get back on track? Well chef Jan Hansen, Culinary Instructor at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), has a flavour-packed way to help ensure you get in your daily dose of veggies; fire up the grill for some Alberta pork loin for his Asian pork summer salad rolls and highly addictive peanut satay and nuoc mam cham sauces.
Salad rolls are as fun to make as they are to eat. You can prep the ingredients in advance, and get your friends and family to help make the rolls. It gives the opportunity for each guest to personalize their roll. Chef Hansen‘s Asian pork summer salad rolls are a great addition to any potluck you have this summer – salad never tasted so good.
Asian Pork Summer Salad Rolls Recipe courtesy of chef Jan Hansen
Prepare in advance:
Julienne carrot (1 or 2) Wedges of mini cucumber Rice noodles – prepare according to package Mint, basil and cilantro leaves Red leaf lettuce 500 g Pork loin, cooked and sliced (as described below) Prepare nuoc cham Prepare satay sauce Rice paper wrappers (square or round)
Prepare pork
Ingredients:
2 cm piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced, then chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 small red Asian shallots
50g(1/4 cup) brown sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
3 kaffir lime leaves
Instructions:
Prepare marinade and mix with pork and let sit 1 hour. Barbecue pork over med-high heat until cooked through. Cut into thin slices.Set aside.
Vietnamese dressing (nuoc mam cham)
Ingredients:
60 ml(¼ cup) fish sauce 60 ml(¼ cup) rice vinegar 2 tbsp white sugar 125 ml(½ cup) water 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1red birdseye chilli, finely chopped 2 tbsp lime juice
Makes 1 cup
Instructions:
To make the dressing, place fish sauce, vinegar, sugar and water in a pan over medium heat and stir to combine. Bring mixture to just below boiling point, then set aside to cool. Add garlic, chilli and lime juice, and stir to combine. Set into small bowl for dipping.
Satay Peanut sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil 1 garlic cloves, crushed ½ small shallot, finely chopped 1 small red chillies, thinly sliced 1/2 cup (140g) smooth peanut butter 1/2 cup (250ml) light coconut milk 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup (40g) unsalted roasted peanuts, crushed Juice of 1 lime
Instructions:
Whisk everything together in a bowl until smooth. Add 1-2 Tablespoons of warm water or until you reach desired thinness. Pour into a serving bowl/ramekin and top with garnish. Set aside.
To make the salad rolls:
Prepare the rice paper wrappers:Pour warm water into a large bowl or 9-inch square or round baking pan. Working with one at a time, dip the rice paper wrapper into the warm water for 10-15 seconds (or whatever the package suggests). Immediately remove from the water and place flat onto a work surface.Pat the wrapper slightly dry.
Fill the rolls:Place a few pieces of carrot, cucumber, and lettuce on top of the bottom 1/3 of the rice paper. Add a small amount of noodles, pork, and a bit of cilantro, mint and basil. Do not overstuff the roll. Start small then add more, as needed, as you roll each one.
Roll them:Roll everything up tightly. To do so, gently pull up the bottom of the roll and roll over the filling. Once filling is covered by the rice paper, fold in the sides of the rice paper (like a gift) then, roll and use your hands to tuck the filling in as you go. It’s basically like you’re rolling a burrito! Remember, you want a very tight roll. If your rice paper rips, keep going and roll another one over top (once pliable).
Cut and Serve: After rolling each, cut in half on the bias (to expose the garnish), and place on a serving plate. Serve with sate sauce and nuoc cham.Enjoy!
Last Thursday night, chef Steve Buzak at the Royal Glenora Club in Edmonton’s river valley teamed up with Bench Creek Brewing to deliver our first Swine & Dine of 2018. Two years ago, chef Buzak was the first to deliver a beer-paired Swine & Dine to rave reviews, and last week’s event was another Passion for Pork success.
Irvings Farm back wrapped prunes with blue cheese.
I arrived early so I could sneak a peek in the kitchen. Chef Buzak was happy to show off the sous vide Bear & The Flower pork belly, Memphis Style ribs, and devil on horseback appetizer with a prune and blue cheese twist.
Bear & the Flower Farm ribs.Bear & the Flower Farm Alberta pork belly
Guests were welcomed to the tray passed appetizers of Memphis Style Ribs (a recipe that chef Buzak shared during a previous June is Pork month), and bacon-wrapped prunes were paired with Bench Cree Brewery’s Black Spruce Porter (5.8 %).
After all guests were seated we were greeted by chef Buzak and the Royal Glenora Club (RGC) team, who shared his excitement at hosting another beer-paired Swine & Dine.
After explaining that beer is easier to pair with food than wine – he introduced his first course for the evening – a fennel roasted pork belly served with a sweet potato puree, smoked corn, apricot and orange gastrique.
Our first course was served with Naked Woodsman Pale Ale (5.2%), which was introduced by our Bench Creek Brewery guru Cassandra. The beer is known for notes of fresh bread and light caramel malt flavours mixed with bright floral, grapefruit and orange hop aromatics. There’s a sweetness to it – apricot and peach hop flavours combine with subdued citrus. It finishes with a star of anise spiciness that makes you think this somewhat fruit-forward brew.
We joked with chef Buzak that my boyfriend’s only complaint with the first course was that it was too small – he could have eaten six more! Chef Buzak warned us there were many courses to come – and our second surf & turf course was sure to fill us up. I loved the seafood chowder chef Buzak served with double smoked Irvings Farm bacon croutons. The potato veloute soup was velvety smooth and served with blackened prawn & scallops and topped with a citrus foam.
Our soup was served with Bench Creek’s White Raven IPA (6.5%), a robust beer with huge aromatics of orange, grapefruit, passion fruit and mango with a touch of pine. The signature flavours of Munich and crystal malts contribute a complex toffee-caramel backbone that nicely balances the bitterness from the hops.
As our main course was being plated, I snuck back into the kitchen for a preview of our main course.
Once our plates were ready to be served, chef Buzak came back to the dining room to introduce our next dish – the RGC signature spice-rubbed Bear & the Flower Farm pork loin. The tender Alberta pork was served with a cider jus and accompanied by Brussels sprouts and a Fuge Meats chorizo and northern bean cassoulet.
Our main was paired with Bench Creek’s Northern Grace Red Rye India Pale Ale (6.2%), which boasts flavours of rich toffee, dark caramel, dried plum, and spicy, earthy malt notes mixed with juicy orange, passionfruit, geranium, and stone fruit flavours.
For dessert, chef Buzak turned my memories of building fireside s’mores into a flavourful creme brûlée that had my spoon searching for just one more bite.
Chef Buzak’s s’mores creme brulee & maple candied Irvings Farm bacon was accented with cardamom marshmallows, Peruvian cacao nibs, and an espresso melt away chocolate that chef made with coconut oil.
I’ve confessed it many times while recapping swine & dine dinners – I’m not a fan of chocolate, but I was a huge fan of this dessert. There were so many flavours and textures at play in this playful dessert – I would happily order this dessert again!
Our final Bench Creek pairing of the night was from the brewery’s Villainous Series – with the can showcasing an ode to Drexl Spivey from the movie True Romance. The Drexl Blackstrap Imperial Stout (11%) is barrel-aged, pitch black, dark and I’m told it paired wonderfully with Chef Buzak’s campfire creation.
I’d like to thank the chef Steve Buzak, Derek, and the entire team at the RGC for hosting another incredible Swine & Dine dinner. It was great to learn more about Bench Creek Brewing (I know a few people at my table were more than happy to claim this gluten-free girl’s beers throughout the dinner).
Chef Buzak is a great chef that is consistently hosting unique food events at the RGC that are open to non members. Check out their website or follow their social media feeds to learn more about upcoming events, including their monthly brunch series.
I’m hoping to work with chef Buzak to come up with some way to celebrate June is Pork month at the RGC, so stay tuned! That river valley patio sounds like the perfect place to enjoy some pig & pinot.
Two years ago, Chef Buzak treated swine & beer diners to our first ever beer-paired Swine & Dine. The event was a hit, and we are so excited to be heading back to Edmonton’s river valley RGC for another round.
Swine & Dine at the RGC with Bench Creek Brewing
Thursday, March 15, 2018
6:30 – 9:30 pm
$75, Seating is limited – reserve your space on Eventbrite.
If you love Alberta Pork and beer, you won’t want to miss this event. Check out this menu:
Petite in stature and always wearing a heart-warming smile, Calgary’s chef Liana Robberecht has built a reputation as a creative culinary force breaking boundaries, like becoming the Petroleum Club’s first female executive chef, in a male-dominated industry. With her signature pink chef’s uniform and fondness for pigtails, I would argue she is the most fashionable chef in Alberta. While I admire her fashion sense, it is her ability to showcase her admiration and respect for each ingredient, which I witnessed at a farm dinner at Doef’s greenhouse a few years back, that I admire most.
8 slices of thinly sliced, cooked pork loin
Prepare in advance: 
Satay Peanut sauce
