Tag: Spragg’s Meat Shop

MEUWLY’S – Home to a new breed of Alberta Pork Artisans

Posted on by Sharman

In July, MEUWLY’S, an Edmonton artisan food market selling house-made charcuterie, sausages, and preserves, opened up in the lower level of 10706 124 street.

While the space to the brick and mortar location was under construction, the crew behind MEUWLY’S – Will Kotowicz, Peter Keith and Glendon Tan – introduced their products and built a loyal following of fans through their Secret Meat Club monthly subscription.

I was lucky to get in on the club on more than one occasion – and like those who tasted their product in those boxes, or in local restaurants around Edmonton, I was eager for their doors to open for daily business. (At a MEUWLY’S event hosted at NAIT I probably ate my weight in pate and ham – I couldn’t wait to buy more of their products).

 

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The trio have been preparing for the doors to open for some time – slowly ageing high-quality cuts of Alberta pork for more than a year. When I popped in earlier in September, the guys had just sliced into a country ham that had been ageing for 16 months. The Bear and The Flower Farm ham was a huge hit; the same is to be expected for the Prosciutto that has been hanging for over a year, and are being rationed for special events.

Will, Peter and Glendon were eager to create an opportunity for urban dwellers to access fresh, local goods. For their pork products, that means always working with fresh, local Alberta Pork. In addition to The Bear and The Flower Farm, MEUWLY’S also sources pasture pork from Spragg’s Meat Shop in southern Alberta, as well as Berkshire pig farmers – Irvings Farm Fresh.

A lunch menu featuring a number of sandwiches – like the mortadella, capocollo, and salami topped sandwich – is helping to introduce customers to ingredients and products that are made and sold in house. Among the assortment of cold-cut deli meats, terrines and pates, along with pickled vegetables, chorizo popcorn and house-made condiments, MEUWLY’s a one-stop shop for the ultimate charcuterie board.

 

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Peter told me they are presently bringing in 5-10 pigs per week, putting 1-2 legs away for slow ageing and curing. In addition to walk-in customers, they produce charcuterie for a growing list of Edmonton eateries including District Cafe, Three Boars, Woodwork, and Clementine.

Pop in for a sandwich or a take-away assortment of their artisanal meats -the quality is a Alberta pork-packed flavour that is unique to the MEUWLY’s brand.

MEUWLY’S
10706 124 Street NW
Edmonton, AB T6M 0H1
+1 (587) 786-3560
info@meuwlys.com
 
Monday10:00 — 6:30
TuesdayClosed
WednesdayClosed
Thursday10:00 — 6:30
Friday10:00 — 6:30
Saturday10:00 — 6:30
Sunday10:00 — 5:00
(Closed statutory holidays)

Recipe: Bacon Fennel Jam

Posted on by Sharman

Earlier this month I attended the 7th annual Pig & Pinot –  a fundraiser for Calgary Meals on Wheels held at Hotel Arts. The event featured a number of local chefs and restaurants competing for the coveted Divine Swine trophy sponsored by Alberta Pork. The challenge to chefs: perfectly pair a pinot with a unique and creative dish utilizing free-range pork from Spragg’s Meat Shop.

Since I adore a good surf & turf dish, I made a few repeat visits to the Tango Bistro station where fresh oysters were served on the half shell with bacon fennel jam.

Tango Bistro‘s head chef Trevor Hopper graciously agreed to share his recipe for bacon fennel jam. This recipe makes three cups which can be stored in the fridge for up to a month (although I doubt you could make it last that long). For those who don’t love oysters, bacon jam is great condiment to keep on hand and is great on burgers, with cheese, fresh bread or just on toast.

Bacon Fennel Jam
Recipe courtesy of Chef Trevor Hopper, Tango Bistro

What you’ll need…

1 lb bacon cut into lardons or small diced
1 small yellow onion julienne against the grain
1 large bulb fennel cored and julienned
½ oz minced garlic
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp chili flakes
1 lb peeled apples (fresh or frozen) rough chopped
3 sprigs thyme tied in a bundle
2/3 cup chicken stock
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp grainy mustard
3 tbsp sherry vinegar ( or cider vinegar)
1/3 cup Brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In large heavy bottom pot, brown bacon and remove excess fat. Add onions and fennel and saute until starting to brown, add garlic, fennel seeds and chili flakes cook for three minutes.

2. Add remaining ingredients, turn to low heat and let reduce until all items are tender and broken down approximately two hours.

3. Transfer to jars and keep in fridge up to 4 weeks.

To assemble the oysters with bacon jam, take your favourite oyster and shuck it on the half shell, and detaching the oyster from the shell.  Keep the oysters on a bed of ice or salt so they do not tip over, using about 1 tsp of jam per oyster and garnished with chopped chives. 

4 Grilled Pork Recipes To Try Before Autumn Sets In!

Posted on by Dan Clapson

It’s that time of year where the kids have gone back to school and work is gearing up again. Vacations are over for the most part and all you have to look forward to is the weekend. Depressing? Maybe a little bit, but don’t forget that, here in Calgary, we get some of our most beautiful weather of the year in September.

That being said, I’m crossing my fingers for warm, sunny weekends for at least another four weeks. There’s no need to retire those barbecue tongs quite yet. Invite some friends over for a bite to eat and try out one of these 4 great grilled pork recipes as the leaves slowly fade from green to autumn orange.

(Psst…if you’re looking for some of the best cuts of pork the city has to offer, swing by Spragg’s Meat Shop in the Calgary Farmers’ Market between Thursday and Sunday. Aside from big pork chops to back ribs, they have some pretty killer bacon!)

Lime Chipotle Pork Chops
photo courtesy of Food Network Canada

Lime and Chipotle Pork Chops

Add a nice, smoky kick to your grilled dinner this week with this recipe for pork chops from Food Network Canada. Grilled taber corn or zucchini would be a perfect accompaniment to this citrus-accented dish! Get the recipe here!

Bourbon Grilled Pork Tenderloin
photo courtesy of Julie van Rosendaal

Bourbon Molasses Grilled Pork Tenderloin

There are few things easier to cook in this world than a pork tenderloin. It’s always responsibly priced and one tenderloin can easily feed a family. One of Canada’s culinary sweetheart’s, Julie Van Rosendaal recently shared this robust-flavoured recipe on her website, head over to check it out!

Braised and Glazed Pork Ribs
photo courtesy of Food Network Canada

Braised and Glazed Barbecued Pork Ribs

Any self-respecting barbecue lover can’t say goodbye to the warm weather without one last dinner centring around sticky, fall-off-the-bone ribs. This recipe calls for braising the pork ribs before grilling them for that tender texture we all love so much. Check it out here!

Grilled Pork Tenderloin
photo courtesy of Food Network Canada

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Wild Berry Port Sauce

Last, but not least, Food Network Canada to the rescue with this grilled pork tenderloin. Since life is always better with a little bit of booze, this berry and port sauce should hit the spot just fine. If you want to forgo the booziness of this recipe, try whipping up this Raspberry and Black Pepper Sauce we shared a couple weeks ago!

Recipe: Spicy Butter-Basted Pork Chops

Posted on by Dan Clapson

I cannot believe it’s taken me this long to try butter basting something. It is too delicious for words. Clearly not the healthiest thing you can do to a piece of meat, but I’m a firm believer of the ‘everything in moderation’ concept, so treating yourself to this once a month is A-ok.

I adapted this recipe slightly from the January issue of Bon Appetit, using smaller chops and some different spices. Looking for some sexy chops to cook up? If you’re in Calgary, look no further than local pork supplier, Spragg’s, located in the Calgary and Kingsland Farmers’ Markets!

What you’ll need…

1/2 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 TBSP fresh rosemary

1/2 TSP black peppercorns

1 head of garlic, halved crosswise

3 1-inch-thick bone-in pork chops

2 TBSP grapeseed or vegetable oil

3 TBSP unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic

1 ghost chili

1 TBSP dried cranberries

2 TSP lapsang souchong tea

1 TSP chili flakes

Directions:

Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add kosher salt, sugar, juniper berries, peppercorns, halved head of garlic, and 1 thyme sprig; stir to dissolve salt and sugar. Transfer to a medium bowl and add 5 cups ice cubes. Stir until brine is cool. Add pork chop; cover and chill for at least 5 to 6 hours.

Preheat oven to 425°. Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Remove chops from brine; pat dry. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large cast-iron or other oven-proof skillet. Cook chop until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Turn and cook until second side is beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Keep turning chop every 2 minutes until both sides are deep golden brown, 10-12 minutes total.

Transfer skillet to oven and roast chops, turning every 2 minutes to prevent it from browning too quickly, until an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into center of meat registers 135°, about 14 minutes.

Carefully drain fat from skillet and place over medium heat. Add butter, 2 unpeeled garlic cloves, ghost chill, cranberries, tea leaves and chili flakes; cook until butter is foamy. Carefully tip skillet and, using a large spoon, baste chops repeatedly with butter until butter is brown and smells nutty, 2-3 minutes.

Transfer pork chop to prepared rack and let rest, turning often to ensure juices are evenly distributed, for 10 minutes. Serve as-is after resting or sliced with some roasted potatoes and wilted greens.

Serves 3

Total prep and cook time…6 hours, 40 min