Recap: Drift’s Swine & Dine at the Shamrock Curling Club 2019

 

Last week, Drift Food Truck’s Kara and Nevin Fenske held their second (what we hope becomes annual) Swine and Dine at the Shamrock Curling Club. A lucky 33 guests secured seats overlooking the Shamrock’s eight sheets of ice, just in time to watch the Thursday night ladies curling league. Tickets were just $45 for four courses and guests also walked away with a special Alberta Pork recipe book.

Now into their third winter season at the Shamrock, it is no longer a secret that Drift Food Truck fans can get their sandwich fix indoors at one of the longest serving and busier curling clubs in Western Canada. Thanks to the combo of great Drift food and great prices at the bar upstairs, the Shamrock is a great place to catch a game or practice your dart and shuffleboard skills.

While Alberta Pork is available on Nevin & Kara’s menu all year long, we are especially grateful that this busy dynamic duo made time for another Swine and Dine dinner. The Swine and Dine challenge – to incorporate Alberta pork from appetizer to dessert – is an opportunity Nevin is eager to take on. Here is what he served:

1st course: RICOTTA RAVIOLI
Squash puree, pork meatballs

Inspired by pasta-making sessions with his daughter over the past few weeks, Nevin kicked things off with house made ricotta ravioli served alongside squash puree and pork meatballs.

2nd course: BARLEY RISOTTO
mushroom & lemon, pork belly, choke cherry syrup

Next up, Nevin topped the earthly flavours of his barley mushroom risotto with pork belly topped with choke cherry syrup.

3rd course: ROLLED PORK SHOULDER
herb pesto & pears, mashed yellow potato & pork jus
BEET SALAD
goat cheese, arugula, & mustard dressing

While the first two dishes were plated, Nevin and Kara served up family-style platters made up of thick-cut rolled pork shoulder and mounds of mashed yellow potatoes topped with pork jus and sautéed pears. Our hearty portion of meat and potatoes were served alongside a beet, goat cheese and arugula salad.

4th course: APPLE CRISP
prosciutto, aged cheddar & balsamic

Inspired by the Shamrock’s old-school curling club vibe, Nevin shared an apple crisp accented by prosciutto, aged cheddar and balsamic for dessert. As someone who enjoys cheese for dessert, it was a satisfying bite to finish the comfort-classic fueled meal.

A huge thanks to the entire Drift crew and the Shamrock for hosting a tasty and entertaining night. Your passion for pork warms both our hearts and our bellies.

Sad you missed another Drift Swine and Dine at the Shamrock? Stay tuned to their social media accounts for hours at the club, updates on special events, and special features (that often include Alberta Pork) at the Drift Concession at the Shamrock.

Drift Food Truck & Eatery at the SHAMROCK CURLING CLUB
9330 – 80 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta T6C 0T9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pork At Its Best: Victor Churchill Butcher Shop

Warning: Looking at these photos might make you slightly depressed the next time you approach the meat counter in your local grocery store. Victor Churchill is located in Paddington area of Sydney. After seeing Anthony Bourdain touring the place on a recent episode of No Reservations, I knew I had to go check it out for myself.

Owned by Vic’s Meats, an Australian meat supplier known for it’s high quality products. Vic’s provides premium cuts to most of the country’s top restaurants. The decor of the butcher shop is breathtaking. Easily the most beautiful butcher shop I’ve ever seen and, most likely, the nicest in the world. The brown and gold interior with large glass coolers filled with as many cuts of meats and charcuterie that one could crave.

Take a peak!

Cuts of pork from Kurajuta, a farm a couple of hours or so outside of Brisbane.

Butchers are put on full display here, visible through floor-to-ceiling glass panels while they cut away on vintage chopping blocks. Very cool to watch!

Housemade Spanish Chorizo is just one of the many charcuterie options you can find here.

A beautiful looking Ham and Parsley Terrine!

One of Churchill’s butcher, Benjamin Sisto, cutting some of Victor Churchill’s award winning ham on a reclaimed vintage meat slicer. Popular during the holidays, no doubt!

Last, but not least, some gorgeous Jamon Iberico. Similar to prosciutto, this cured ham is richer and even more melt-in-your-mouth. At about $500 per KG, it’s the most expensive slice in the shop!

Now, have we got you craving pork? Why not check out our great recipe section for a tasty meal tonight!

4 Kinds Of Pork Charcuterie You Can Make At Home

Who doesn’t love good quality charcuterie as a dinner-precursor when you’re out at restaurant? Well, next time you’re having some friends over for dinner, why not try whipping up a homemade charcuterie board. Pickles and preserves are easy enough, so try venturing a little further and curing some pork to make some of these aged meat classics.

You don’t have to be a full-blown chef at home to successfully pull off this cooking venture for the first time. All you need is a splash of ambition and the virtue of patience! Patience is key to curing meats and we all have enough of that, right? 😉

Here are 4 different ways you can utilize cuts of pork to make charcuterie in your own home!

1. Pancetta

This cured pork belly is like a sweeter (and unsmoked) bacon. It’s perfect in carbonara, great with sautéed greens or with scrambled eggs in the morning. Out of all of the types of cured meats here, it’s probably the easiest. So, why not start your foray into the world of charcuterie with this recipe for pancetta.

2. Prosciutto

Ah, prosciutto! This melt-in-your-mouth cut of pork, coming from the leg, has long been a sought-after slice of heaven. Amazing when wrapped around grilled asparagus, with fresh figs, or in a simple sandwich with some pesto and soft mozzarella. Yes, it’s hard to go wrong with prosciutto. Here’s a how-to for whipping up some prosciutto at home, make this your next do-it-yourself edible project!

3. Mortadella

Arguably a ‘fancy’ bologna, mortadella is a tender meat cooked in a similar style to sausage, then sliced. Calgary’s CHARCUT dishes out some beautiful pig’s head mortadella, studded with pistachios. Serve at home with some crackers and grainy mustard and you’ll definitely have some happy guests! Here’s how you can make some of your own mortadella.

4. Coppa

Utilizing some pork shoulder and some simple curing will leave you with coppa, a salty slice of pork that’s similar in taste to prosciutto, but with a bit more bite to it. Out of all of the types of pork charcuterie mentioned here, it’s almost as easy to cure as the pancetta, so why not give it a shot with these simple instructions?

Recipe: Cranberry Walnut Pesto and Prosciutto Crostini

Well, yet again New Year’s Eve has snuck up on us. If you’ve had a past twelve months like I’ve had, I’m sure you can agree that this past year sped by so quickly. Don’t they always though?

If you’re having some friends and family over to your house tomorrow to ring in 2013, here’s a nice and easy appetizer you can put together in no time featuring prosciutto, an Italian-style ham that is cured and dried, with a rich flavour and melt-in-your-mouth texture.

What you’ll need…

Pesto:

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

1/2 cup walnuts

1 cup fresh basil (firmly packed)

3 cloves garlic

1 TBSP red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

olive oil (2/3 cup approx.)

Crostini:

1 white baguette (1/4″ sliced)

250g package prosciutto

1 cup goat cheese

Directions:

First, let your oven preheat to 400 degrees. Starting with the pesto, place the first five ingredients in a food processor. Add a pinch of salt, and a good helping of ground black pepper. Slowly pour the olive oil into the food processor while pureeing. Stop once the mixture turns to a paste. Have a taste, add a bit more salt and pepper if needed. Then process a final time. Remove from processor and store in the refrigerator in a covered container until ready to assemble the crostini.

Now that your oven is preheated, spread out the baguette slices onto two baking sheets. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and let cook in the oven until the bread begins to turn golden and is nice and crispy, about 10-12 minutes. Remove and let cool.

To assemble the appetizer, place a small spoonful of goat cheese on top of each crostini, top with a ribbon of prosciutto (the packaged slices will tear apart easily into smaller pieces) and, finally, a dollop of the cranberry walnut pesto.

Can be served cold or slightly warmed up. Happy New Year!

Yields 72 pieces

Total prep time…25 min