We weren’t surprised when chef Ryan Hotchkiss’ downtown Edmonton eatery Bündok was recently named one of Canada’s top ten new restaurants by enRoute; we are still smacking our lips at the memory of the incredible five-course Swine & Dine chef Hotchkiss and his culinary team shared back in April.
We were delighted to see chef Hotchkiss at this year’s Christmas in November at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge where he shared tips and tricks from Bündok’s kitchen, including ways his culinary team do their best to reduce food waste – including dehydrating shaved apple peel and saving rendered bacon fat. We can assure you, thanks to chef Hotchkiss’ Bacon Fat Popcorn with Apple Salt, recycling never tasted so good. This recipe yields four cups of popped corn:
What you’ll need…
3 apples worth of apple peel
3 Tbsp sugar
1⁄2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp bacon fat
1 cup popcorn seeds
Directions:
FOR APPLE SALT: Place all apple peels on a sheet pan lined with parchment and dehydrate at 175F until dry, approx. 4-6 hours. Combine with salt and sugar. FOR POPCORN: Warm bacon fat in pot until just about smoking. Add popcorn and continue to shake the pan while keeping the lid on. Cook until all popcorn has been popped. Top with Apple Salt.
Chef Ryan Hotchkiss and his culinary team were the latest to take on the Swine and Dine challenge – sharing a five-course menu featuring Alberta Pork from appetizer to dessert to a packed house at Bündoklast week.
Throughout the event, chef Hotchkiss showcased a variety of Alberta pork producers and artisans. To start things off, chef Hotchkiss featured Secret Meat Club by Meuwly’s Coppa made with Bear and the Flower Farm pasture raised pork.
For our starter, chef Hotchkiss layered the coppa alongside baby artichoke, hazelnut oil, puffed wild rice, and dressed with a currant vinaigrette. The puffed wild rice added a lovely crunch to our welcome dish which featured a beautifully cured cut from Meuwly’s (which should be opening their store front deli on 124th street any day now).
Our next was one of the best bites of pork belly I have ever had, which is saying something, because I have eaten a substantial amount of pork belly since Swine and Dine started almost six years ago.
Our second course featured a glazed Irvings Farm Fresh pork belly served in a bowl alongside beans and fried leeks in pea broth.
Chef Hotchkiss ladling out my favourite dish of the evening – glazed Irvings Farm pork belly, beans, and fried leeks in pea broth.
I heard from two different guests, that while they normally don’t enjoy pork belly, that the dish was amazing. I would choose this dish again and again should it ever make its way onto the regular Bündokmenu.
Chef Hotchkiss’ gnocchi is a favourite among many of their regular patrons, so I was not surprised to see a handmade pasta on his Swine and Dine menu.
For our pasta course, chef Hotchkiss and culinary team plated a chickpea tagliatelle in a Messinger Meats pork shank ragu with fried chickpeas.
Chef Hotchkiss made me a special gluten-free version of the chickpea tagliatelle, which looked identical to the original. It is the second time I’ve had chef Hotchkiss’ gluten free pasta, and I can easily say both batches made for the best I have had since becoming diagnosed as a Celiac.
I mentioned the glazed pork belly in pea broth was my favourite, but it was a challenge to make that decision as the night went on. The hand-made chickpea pasta was a real treat for me, as was the main course of the evening – a Tonkatsu pork cutlet.
Tonkatsu is a Japanese dish which consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet, which is often served with shredded cabbage. Chef Hotchkiss and his team served a Messinger Meats Millefeuille tonkatsu stuffed with gruyere cheese, grainy mustard alongside cabbage in honey reduction and yeast.
When I arrived at Swine & Dine last week I ducked in the back to see what chef Hotchkiss and his team were up to in the kitchen. At the time, he told me he was most excited for the dessert because he didn’t use bacon. Rather than keep it simple with a candied bacon – the Bündok team got creative.
For dessert, chef Hotchkiss and his crew served up a Saskatoon semifreddo made with whipped @bearflowerfarm lardo and topped with chicharron and candied hazelnuts. The cool smooth texture of the semifreddo against the crunchy nuts and puffed pork skin made for an interesting bite, which also made for a light and refreshing end to our swine and dine indulgence.
My friend Simone most often skips dessert. Conveniently for my boyfriend, she often hands her Swine & Dine desserts for the set-menu dinners over for him to enjoy. This time, she came to apologize to him because she did an unusual thing – she ate every last bite!
If you have yet to experience a meal at Bündok I hope this blog inspires to add it to your restaurant-hit list. Every meal I have had at Bündok from brunch to lunch to dinner have all been exquisite. Chef Hotchkiss has the ability to take seasonal, local ingredients and make them shine on the plate.
Thank you to chef Hotchkiss and his culinary team for sharing their passion for Alberta pork. It was so good they’ll have to do it again – can’t wait to see what you come up with next time! Until then – check them out at:
Save the date! Chef Ryan Hotchkiss will be hosting the next Swine and Dine dinner at his restaurant Bündok on Wednesday April 18, 2018. The five-course menu will be $60 and feature Alberta Pork from appetizer to dessert.
Bündok, which was recently named one of the top new restaurants in Edmonton by Avenue Magazine, is a great addition to the downtown Edmonton dining scene. This event is sure to sell out, so if you have a passion for pork, contact the restaurant directly at 780 420 0192 or info@bundokyeg.com to book your space.
Swine and Dine at Bündok
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
7:30 pm
$75, Seating is limited (call 780 420 0192)
Bündok is one many new restaurants changing the face of Edmonton’s downtown dining scene, and there just so happens to be some incredible Alberta Pork dishes on the menu.
Although I had heard last spring that Chef Ryan Hotchkiss was opening a restaurant on 104th street, Bündok didn’t officially open until January 26, 2017. My first and only meal from Chef Hotchkiss was when he was at the helm of the former Jack’s Grill – the dessert was so memorable I was excited to see what he came up with for his new downtown location.
Last weekend a group of us wandered into Bündok around 11 pm where the kitchen is open late. Our server explained that the menu is designed for sharing a number of small plates and that the chefs utilize French cooking techniques to highlight local ingredients. We tried a variety of dishes, but of course, a pork dish was my favourite.
Chef Hotchkiss tells me he is sourcing his Alberta Pork from The Meat Shop at Pine Haven Colony, a product that he makes shine on his beautiful plating at the restaurant. Here are three Alberta Pork dishes to try at Bündok.
1. Parmigiano soup, melted leeks, bacon
The description may be simple yet the dish is anything but. Poured table side, the soup was so full of flavour I could have happily ordered three more bowls; it was hands down my favourite bite of the night.
2. Slow cooked egg, bacon-onion jam, croutons
3. Roasted pork ribs, black vinegar glazed, toasted amaranth
In case these photos aren’t tempting enough, check out Twyla Campbell’s review this week where she gives Bündok a glowing review on CBC Radio. Time to make a reservation; Chef Hotchkiss has a menu at Bündok you won’t want to miss.
We weren’t surprised when chef Ryan Hotchkiss’ downtown Edmonton eatery Bündok was recently named one of Canada’s top ten new restaurants by enRoute; we are still smacking our lips at the memory of the incredible five-course Swine & Dine chef Hotchkiss and his culinary team shared back in April.
