Recipe: Oka Crusted Pork Tenderloin

Alberta Pork is a proud sponsor of Christmas in November at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. For this year’s holiday dinner, Fairmont JPL executive chef Christopher Chafe and his culinary team featured Alberta Pork and Alberta Milk & Dairy Farmers of Canada by serving up an Oka crusted pork tenderloin.

What you’ll need…

1 small pork tenderloin
1 tbsp salted butter
4 slices of Oka cheese (approximately 20 grams each)
a few sprigs of fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme and/or sage
canola oil, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Slice tenderloin into four medallions; pat dry with a paper towel and season with oil, salt and pepper. Set aside for 20 minutes.
  2. Preheat a cast iron skillet on medium high heat. Sear pork medallions on one side until dark golden crust is formed. Flip and sear on the other side. Add butter and fresh herbs and baste the pork with the melted butter in the pan as the medallion is cooking.
  3. Once pork is seared on both sides transfer to a baking sheet and top with sliced cheese. Place pork medallion s in the oven and cook until an internal temperature of 155F is reached and the cheese is melted, approximately 10 – 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for a few minutes until ready to serve.

Chef Michael Olson’s launches new cookbook ‘Living High Off the Hog’

For the past five years, Alberta Pork has proudly sponsored chefs Anna and Michael Olson’s culinary sessions at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge’s annual Christmas in November event. When Chef Michael Olson shared that he would be creating an all pork cookbook, Alberta Pork was proud to support his new cookbook venture ‘Living High Off the Hog.’

A CARNIVORE’S LOVE LETTER TO ONE OF THE MOST VERSATILE, AFFORDABLE AND TASTY TYPES OF MEAT: PORK.

Over the years, Michael has shared delicious pork recipes at Christmas In November designed to make home cooks, including those with limited experience in the kitchen, feel like they can produce a successful meal. From bite-sized appetizers – like his Super Mario Meatballs – to showstopper main courses – like his Cheddar and Apple Stuffed Pork Loin with Cider Glaze– Michael has used his 30 years of experience as a professional chef to create pork recipes that you’ll want to eat over and over again.

With a rundown on everything you need to know about pork including how to buy, store, butcher and prep various cuts, as well as special sections on deli meats, charcuterie and BBQ, Living High Off the Hog is a great gift to inspire new and veteran home cooks alike.

CHEF MICHAEL OLSON SAT DOWN TO TALK ABOUT WHAT INSPIRED HIM WHEN IT CAME TO RECIPE DEVELOPMENT FOR THIS NEW COOKBOOK.

What made you want to create an all pork cookbook?

Originally I pitched it as a meat book. I wanted to give people the confidence to cook with cuts they may not be familiar with. If you have never cooked a pork butt, it can seem daunting. The publisher liked the idea but suggested I focus on just one meat. I was happy to focus on pork as I feel it is the most versatile and affordable meat available for consumers. It is consistent coast to coast and ubiquitous to Canadian cooking.

 

How did your upbringing influence your passion for pork?

I was raised in Foam Lake, Saskatchewan where my father had the local hardware store. I am the youngest of seven, and food was always centre to the home. We rarely ate out, I probably ate in restaurants a handful of times before I was 15. Growing up in a big farming community in Saskatchewan meant that anytime there was a public function or a wedding, there was always loads of Ukrainian food; kubusa (pork sausage) was everywhere.

My Mom didn’t cook pork all the time, but I grew up with classics like pork chops made in cream of mushroom soup. We always had ham on Christmas Eve dinner – and even today, my go to for the holidays is ham and scalloped potatoes.

 

What was your inspiration for developing recipes for Living High Off The Hog?

I’ve spent a lifetime as a professional cook, but once I moved to teaching I transitioned to being a home cook and cooking with basic domestic appliances. Coming to Christmas in November for the past 15 years helps me learn what people want to eat in their home, what their skill level in the kitchen is, and what are their challenges. Of course my wife Anna and I always bounce idea off each other, but thinking about the skill level of the average home cook is the main direction for recipe development.

 

What is your best tip for not overcooking pork?

“Don’t overcook it,” chuckles Olson.

I use a meat thermometer, and I know that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency wants us to cook to upwards of 160°F, but for lean cuts of pork loin roasts I cook to 145°F and give the meat five minutes to rest. The USDA suggests that the National Pork Board recommends cooking Pork to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, and I go with that.

 

The phrase living high off the hog refers to the rich being able to afford the choicest, lean cuts of meat from a pig. Your cookbook focuses on the affordability of pork, why was that so important to you?

Pork is the biggest bang for the buck for a meat protein. I love beef, seafood and chicken, but pork is the best value. This cookbook features recipes that use a variety of cuts available in any butcher shop or grocery store that will have you feeling like you’re living high off the hog. Many people know my love of BBQ, but this book features recipes that are completely versatile for year-round cooking. From Tuesday night tacos to fancy holiday feasts, this book uses every cut available in the counter. This is a book for home cooks and I wanted to keep it simple.

 

 

Statistics suggest that less Canadians are cooking, but the popularity of cooking shows indicate the interest in cooking is there. Why is Living High Off the Hog a good gift for someone who may be new to or interested in cooking?

Throughout the book I’ve tried to make very clear directions and make each recipe achievable with great results; there is a picture for every recipe to help visualize the end result. I don’t think anyone starts cooking with the intention of failing, so I made things very clear to help new home cooks achieve success in the kitchen.

Every time there is a detailed technique in the recipe description I have a processed photo. If you read through the recipe first, gather the ingredients, and look at your timing, I truly believe anyone can cook anything in this book.

 

 

 

Bündok’s Bacon Fat Popcorn with Apple Salt

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.

Recipe: Fairmont JPL’s Bacon, Lentil and Tomato Bisque

The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge‘s Executive Chef Christopher Chafe and his culinary team served an incredible number of meals to three waves of guests at this year’s Christmas in November. As part of the 30th anniversary menu, chef Chafe shared a Bacon, Lentil and Tomato Bisque that warmed my soul, and my belly.

The tasty twist in this BLT soup is the popped lentils, which give the smoky bacon soup a wonderful crunch. * You’ll need to pop the lentils overnight before making this savoury soup, but it’s worth it!

What you’ll need…

Popped lentils
¼ cup green lentils
¾ cup vegetable stock or water
¼ cup canola oil

Bacon lardons
20 strips thick cut bacon

Tomato Bisque
1 thyme spring
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
½ tsp peppercorns
2 onion; chopped
1 fresh red peppers; chopped
1 celery stalk; chopped
4 cloves garlic; minced
4-500mL can of tomatoes
2 L (8 Cups) vegetable stock or water
½ bunch basil; thinly sliced
200 mL whipping cream
to taste kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper and sour cream

Directions:

Popped lentils
One day prior to making the soup, Cook over low heat for 40 to 45 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain.

Set on an oiled baking sheet one layer thick, in a preheated oven at the lowest temperature setting (160 F) overnight.

The next day, heat a frying pan with ¼ cup of canola oil until oil is about to smoke.

Fry the dehydrated lentils in the shallow frying pan in the hot canola oil until crispy. Drain and reserve.

Bacon lardons
Lay out bacon on a sheet tray one slice at a time and ensure that they do not touch each other.

Bake in preheated oven, 14 minutes or until done, in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F. Drain fat and reserve aside to cool.

Chop bacon into coarse bacon bits.

Tomato Bisque
Strain the canned tomatoes, reserving the juice.

Lightly coat the tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast the tomatoes at 450˚F for 30 minutes and set aside.

Make a spice bag (sachet). Use a piece of cheesecloth and place the thyme sprig, bay leaves, fennel seeds and peppercorns. You can tie the sachet with a piece of string to keep it together.

In a large pot, sauté the onion, garlic and celery in 2tbsp olive oil over medium heat until the onions are translucent.

Add the roasted tomatoes and juice. Add your sachet, a pinch of salt and reduce for 10 min bringing remaining moisture from the tomatoes. Add the stock and simmer for another half hour.

Remove the sachet; add in half the basil and purée the soup in your blender until the smooth.

Using a fine sieve strain the soup back into your pot. Add the whipping cream and bring to a simmer. Set aside and keep warm.

To assemble, add half a teaspoon of crispy lentils and half a teaspoon of bacon bits to the bottom of the bowl, ladle in a serving of the soup, and spoon in a dollop of sour cream you may add some fresh ground pepper and basil as additional garnish. Enjoy!