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Recipe: Charred Cabbage with Chinese Sausage

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Dan Clapson

There are many vegetables that aren’t used too readily at home, but one of the most commonly overlooked veggies on the market would have to be green cabbage. If you’re not into making your own sauerkraut or big batches of borscht, chances are that you haven’t picked up a cabbage in awhile. Well, I’m here to tell you that there is a lot of wondrous things you can do with this extremely inexpensive, widely available piece of produce.

Charring the cabbage at a high temperature in the oven gives it an amazing flavour boast (much like well-roasted broccoli or Brussels sprouts) and the serves crispy Chinese sausage along with it makes this dish extra awesome.

What you’ll need…

1/2 medium green cabbage (approximately 1/2″ sliced)

2 tablespoons canola oil

salt and pepper (to season)

3 Chinese pork sausages (thinly sliced)

1/4 cup sambal oelek

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place cabbage on a large baking sheet and drizzle with canola oil. Season liberally with salt and pepper and let roast in oven for 30 minutes.

Remove sheet from oven, add sliced Chinese sausage and let roast for another 15 minutes.

Turn to high broil and cook until portions of cabbage began to blacken, about 10 minutes or so.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Place sambal oelek, syrup and vinegar into a medium bowl and stir to combine.

Transfer cabbage and sausage to a serving platter, drizzle chili maple mixture over-top and serve.

Serves 3-4

Total prep and cook time…1 hour

Recipe: Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Sauce

Posted on July 6, 2016July 6, 2016 by Admin

Pork month may have ended but my passion for pork certainly has not. This past weekend we entertained around twenty guests at our home in celebration of Canada Day and, well… BBQ SEASON! It’s always good day when I have an opportunity to get creative in the kitchen. But catching up with good friends and sharing laughs with amazing food is what summer is all about, right?

When I was choosing what to serve, my inspiration for this dish actually came from one of our Calgary chef’s pork month specials which included apricots. Pork tenderloin is always a great choice because it cooks up easy, is very nutritious and super tender. This spice combination has a delicate balance of flavour. The bacon contributes more flavour and saltiness while finishing with a warm apricot reduction, I think completes this dish with a perfect zesty sweetness. So… here is my recipe, please eat responsibly! (if you can)

WHAT YOU NEED

This recipe is for two pork tenderloins, approximately one pound each.
*Note: I am dressing a whole tenderloin in the photo above.

THE RUB:

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/4 tsp ground allspice

pinch himalayan sea salt
TIP *Because the bacon adds salt, I used very little additional salt.

MORE PROTEIN:

1/2 package sliced bacon of choice
*I used side bacon.

APRICOT SAUCE:

8- 10 fresh apricots

1-2 tbsp honey or granulated sugar

1 tbsp olive oil

HERE’S WHAT TO DO

Mix all the spices for the rub in a small bowl. Set aside.

Preheat barbecue grill to low-medium – medium heat.

Clean and trim off excess connective tissue from tenderloin(s) if needed.

Using your hand, rub the spice mixture evenly across the meat until all of the meat is covered on one side. Roll the tenderloin(s) and continue to rub the spice mixture until it is completely covered.

Next, take individual bacon slices and wrap them around tenderloin(s) slightly overlapping each section. Leave approximately 1 inch on both ends of the loin uncovered.

Wrap the loins in tinfoil and barbecue on medium heat, turning once until internal temperature is just under 71 degrees. (68 or so degrees) Remove and let stand for 3-5 mins.

While the meat is cooking, prepare the apricots by pitting and slicing them into even pieces. Add them to a medium skillet with the olive oil.

Sauté apricots on medium heat until tender. Add the sweetener and simmer on low for several minutes. The sauce should be slightly thickened and chunky.

Slice the tenderloin and serve immediately with warm apricot sauce.

Recipe: Jamaican Jerk Braised Pork Shoulder

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Dan Clapson

I really think a good quality pork shoulder is one of the best ways to cook for a big group of people. Braising a big cut like this one yields a lot of meat that you can use in a variety of ways. This Jamaican jerk braised pork is great as dinner for the family, just top it with some freshly chopped tomatoes for a more summery feel. With the leftovers, take a page out of my book and use the leftovers in a sandwich for a quick, easy lunch or even whip up a potato hash for breakfast. Top with a healthy portion of braised pork and a fried egg and you wind up with a pretty impressive breakfast dish!

The sky’s the limit with this delicious recipe!

What you’ll need…

1 2kg bone-in pork shoulder

4 cloves garlic

1 red onion (halved and thinly sliced)

6 cups diced tomatoes

3 red potatoes (1/2″ cubed)

5 cups water

1 cup good quality Jamaican rum

3 tablespoons Wings ‘n’ Tings Jamaican jerk paste (available in Calgary at the Crossroads Farmers’ Market)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari to stay gluten-free)

salt and pepper (to taste)

freshly sliced tomatoes (for garnish, optional)

Directions:

Place first 5 ingredients into a slow cooker and set to high.

Place remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Pour mixture overtop of ingredients in slow cooker, cover and let cook for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, reduce to low heat and let cook until meat is tender and can be easily separated with a fork, approximately 3-4 hours.

Carefully remove meat from slow cooker, let cool slightly and remove bone. Season lightly with salt and give a rough chop, place in pan or baking dish, cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

To serve, spoon out braised vegetables from slow cooker onto plates and top with pork shoulder. Finish each plate with a few slices of tomato and serve!

Serves 8

Total prep and cook time…5 hours, 30 minutes

Recipe: Caramelized Radishes and Onions with Lardons

Posted on May 20, 2015May 20, 2015 by Dan Clapson

I’ve never understood why more people don’t cook radishes. Once they’ve been roasted or sautéed, they have such a beautiful texture and sweetness to them. Basically, the complete opposite of what most people know of radishes; being crunchy and sometimes a little spicy.

This simple recipe uses lardons (essentially thick cut bacon) as it’s base to help caramelize onions, radishes and and that salty goodness we all know and love about bacon. Happily eaten on a plate by itself, or cooled slightly and served on top some slices of toast that have been slathered with greek yogurt. Mmmm….

What you’ll need…

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/3 cup lardons or 4 slices of thick-cut bacon, 1/4″ sliced

1 yellow onion (halved and thinly sliced)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 bunch radishes (washed, greens removed, but reserved)

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons lemon juice

salt and pepper (to season)

Directions:

Heat oil in a medium pan on medium-high heat. Once hot, add bacon and let cook until brown and crispy on all sides, approximately 5 minutes. Transfer from pan to paper towel to absorb any excess grease.

Add sliced onion and butter to pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Reduce to medium heat and continue to cook until onions turn golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Add a splash or two of water to the pan if the onions begin browning too quickly.

Add radishes to the pan and let cook until they become tender and start to brown just slightly. Return crispy bacon to pan, as well as reserved radish greens and remaining ingredients into the pan and toss several times until everything is combined. Continue to cook for a few minutes to wilt greens, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Serves 2-3

Total cook time…25 minutes

I decided to use this radish recipe and combine it with a simple white wine/chicken stock-based risotto I was making. The result was phenomenal, so feel free to try it out too!