Tag: christmas

Recipe: YESS Holiday Pork Loin in Mushroom Bechamel Sauce

Posted on by Kassandra Harvey

 

We are getting in the holiday spirit with our friends at Edmonton’s Youth Empowerment Support Services (YESS)!

We spent some time with Tiffany Sorensen, YESS‘ red seal chef and acting kitchen supervisor this week to bring you one of her favourite holiday recipes featuring our very own Alberta Pork.

YESS offers support to youth who don’t fit into other Edmonton services. By offering age-appropriate programs, housing, and opportunities for education, YESS serves youth who fall into a gap age not otherwise visible. The team work tirelessly to give Edmonton’s vulnerable youth the best opportunity, and that often includes a healthy meal.

Tiffany and her team do not have a budget for the meals that they provide youth at YESS, so they rely solely on donations from the community to sustain their cupboards and kitchen. We all know the struggle of creating a meal with what’s leftover in the fridge, but this challenge is taken to a whole new level for these chefs who’s creativity knows no bounds.

Although we’ve made a few trips with Alberta Pork to drop off product for YESS, this time we had the pleasure to get the inside look at their kitchen, and feature a dish that Tiffany created with some Alberta pork loins.

We hope that you show YESS some love this holiday season, to find out more or to donate visit https://yess.org/ways-to-give/donate/

 

YESS! Holiday Pork Loin in Mushroom Bechamel Sauce

Serves 4, (we had to alter a bit as the YESS recipe involves 2 full pork loins and feeds about 25-30!!)

Ingredients

  • 1, 1 pound Pork Loin
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 3 Tbsp Parsley
  • 3 Tbsp Thyme
  • 4 Garlic Cloves sliced thinly
  • 1/2 Lemons (sliced)
  • 1 8 ounce package of mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 Tbsp Butter

Mushroom Bechamel Sauce:

  • 2 tsp salt
  • 5 Tbsp butter
  • 4 Tbsp flour
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 4 cups milk

 

Preparation

Prepare your pork loin by patting it dry, and seasoning it with salt and pepper to taste. Place the loins on a bed of herbs (we chose parley and thyme). Make small cuts into the meat and insert your slivers of garlic. Sprinkle the loin with any leftover spices, salt and pepper, garlic and lemon slices.

Place in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour (we recommend checking the temperature of your pork at 45 mins so it doesn’t dry out), let your loin rest. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of your loin and refer to our cooking tips for more information on cooking pork.

While your pork loin is in the oven you’re going to make your bechamel sauce. Saute your quartered mushrooms in butter and season with salt and pepper. Remove the mushrooms from the pan, and add more butter into your pan to make a roux with flour. Stir your butter and flour together on medium heat until the mixture turns a light, golden sandy colour (about 6-7 mins). Be careful not to burn the flour. Once your roux is done slowly whisk in milk or heavy cream. Cook until thick and smooth and season with salt, pepper, herbs and nutmeg. Once your sauce is done (taste to test) add your mushrooms back in and stir it all together.

After your loin has rested cut it into slices and top with the mushroom bechamel sauce. Garnish and serve to your hungry guests!

Serves: 4

Prep time: 20-30 mins
Cook time: 60 mins
Total time: 1 hour 30 mins

Recipe: Chef Chuck Hughes Tourtière

Posted on by Sharman

Chef Chuck Hughes shared a number of holiday dishes as the headliner for this year’s Christmas in November at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. As chef Hughes is born and raised in Montreal, it was no surprise he would be teaching us how to serve up a traditional Christmas Eve Tourtière (or meat pie).

While this meat pie does take some time to prepare, Tourtière is a great dish to make ahead of time so you can just pop it in the oven on Christmas Eve.

Chef Chuck Hughes Traditional Christmas Eve Tourtière

Pastry

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter or lard
6-7 Tbsp cold water

Filling

1 lb ground Alberta pork
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic finely minced
2 large potatoes
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
to taste – salt and pepper
1 egg, scrambled for glazing

Prepare the pastry:

In a large bowl, combine the flour with the salt. Cut in the butter or lard until mixture is roughly even crumbly texture. Add water and blend just until dough comes together.
Shape into a rough disc, wrap and chill in the refrigerator. While pastry is chilling, prepare the filling.

Prepare the filling:

Cook potatoes in a pot of water until tender, about 12 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of potato water and drain the rest. Mash potatoes and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook the onion, garlic, beef and pork over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain off the excess fat. Add seasonings and reserved potato water.

Mix well and simmer for about 10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Remove the pan from heat, stir in mashed potatoes, and set aside to cool slightly. Preheat oven to 400F/205C.

On a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half and flatten one ball of dough with your hands. Roll dough to about 12 inches in diameter to fit a 9 inch pie pan. Place the pastry into the pie plate and add the meat filling.

Brush around the outer edge of the pastry with the beaten egg. Roll out the top pastry and place on top of the filling. Fold the top crust under the bottom crust and pinch or flute the edges. Brush the egg was and cut vent holes.

Bake in a preheated oven for 30 – 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove the Tourtière from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: makes 1 pie, about eight servings.

 

Recipe: Braised Pork Mashed Potatoes

Posted on by Dan Clapson

Who doesn’t love mashed potatoes? Make them even more delicious by throwing some tender, braised pork into the mix. But wait! Does it get better? Of course it does! You can use the braising liquid to make a delicious pork gravy to go along with this side dish of buttery, potato goodness. I’ll share that recipe next week!

What you’ll need…

Braised Pork:

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 lb bone-in pork shoulder

1 yellow onion (quartered)

2 cloves garlic

5 cups water

Mashed Potatoes:

4 russet potatoes (1/2″ cubed, approx. 8 cups, peeled if preferred)

1 tbsp salt

10 cups water

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 cup half and half

salt and pepper

Directions:

For the braising, start by combining the first 5 spices in a small bowl and rub evenly over pork shoulder. Place the pork in a slow cooker along with remaining ingredients and let cook on low until meat can be pulled apart with a fork, about 5 hours.

When the pork is close to being finished, place the chopped potatoes, salt and water into a large pot and bring to a boil medium-high heat and cook until fork tender, approximately 10-12 minutes.

Strain out water, return to pot, along with the butter and cream and mash to desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper and keep warm on stove.

Place braised pork on a lage cutting board and pull apart meat using two forks, discarding any excess fat. Fold pork meat into mashed potatoes and serve alongside your holiday dinner.

Reserve the pork cooking liquid to make a nice, rich gravy too!

Serves 5-6

Total cook time…5 hours, 10 minutes

Recipe: Pork Meatballs with Mandarin Orange and Fennel Sauce

Posted on by Dan Clapson

I came up with this recipe last Christmas. 100% Santa approved meatballs for the holidays! Turkey doesn’t always have to be the star at a Christmas Dinner, and this meatball side dish almost steals that bird’s spotlight away!

I generally don’t use mandarin oranges for anything other than simply peeling and eating, but thought that adding them to a sweet and sour sauce for these meatballs would make things a bit more merry. Speaking of merry, Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you are able to enjoy a nice holiday break with family and friends!

What you’ll need…

Meatballs:

1 yellow onion (finely chopped)

1 pound lean ground beef

1 pound ground pork

2 eggs

1/2 bulb roasted garlic (minced)

1 cup bread crumbs

1 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)

2 TBSP ketchup

1 TSP chili powder

salt and pepper

olive oil

Sauce:

1 yellow onion (finely chopped)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 bulb fennel (thinly sliced, approximately 1 cup)

2 mandarin oranges (zest and juice)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 cup water

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup orange juice

1 TBSP red wine vinegar

2 TBSP brown sugar

1/4 TSP ground cloves

2 TSP flour

salt and pepper

olive oil

Directions:

Starting off with the meatballs…Place the onions in a medium-sized pan, drizzle with some olive oil and cook on medium-high heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool for a few minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and combine with a spoon or by hand (I say by hand! Come on, it’s comfort food!). Form into 20 2″ diameter balls and set aside for now. These can be made a day in advance, just leave covered in refrigerator.

Now, moving along to the sauce. First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the onion and garlic in a medium-sized pot, drizzle with some olive oil and let cook until the onion begins to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Next, aside from the flour, add all remaining ingredients into the pot. Once mixture comes to a bubble, reduce to low heat and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the sauce is simmering, you can brown the meatballs. Drizzle some olive oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the meatballs (in two separate batches) and brown on all sides, cooking them for about 6-8 minutes per batch. Remove and place into a prepared baking dish.

As a final step for the sauce, sprinkle in the flour to help it thicken a bit, then salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the meatball-filled baking dish and bake in the oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Serve on some white rice with some fresh bread or crostini to soak up the sauce! Happy holidays!

Serves 5-6

Total cook time…1 hour