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This is one of my favourite recipes to cook short ribs. The bitterness of the dark ale works well with the sweetness from the caramelized vegetables, and the beef is simply succulent. This recipe is abridged from Cooking Meat, available at the shops or wherever fine books are sold.

Short Ribs with Dark Ale

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients:

1 cup                    all-purpose flour

6                          flanken cut beef short ribs

To taste               Salt and pepper

2 Tbsp                  vegetable oil

1 cup                    chopped onions

1 cup                    chopped carrots

½ cup                   chopped celery

½ cup                   chopped leeks

4                            garlic cloves, minced

1                            herb bundle (4 sprigs thyme, 4 sprigs rosemary, 4 bay leaves) tied together

2 Tbsp                  tomato paste

2 L                         Beef Stock

1 L                         dark ale

¼ cup                   fancy molasses

¼ cup                   malt vinegar

¼ cup                   cornstarch

¼ cup                   cold water 

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Fill a bowl with the flour. Liberally season the ribs with salt and pepper. 

2. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Dredge the ribs in the flour, rolling them around to coat them and shaking off any excess, before placing them in the pot. Brown the ribs, one or two at a time, then transfer them to a plate. 

3. Turn down the heat to medium-low and return the pot to the heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, leeks, and garlic and stir, scraping the dark brown bits of cooked meat from the bottom of the pot. Cook until softened, about 15 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper. 

4. Add the herb bundle to the pot, along with the tomato paste. Stir well and cook for a few more minutes. Add the stock, ale, molasses, and vinegar, and bring to a simmer. 

5. Return the ribs to the pot, making sure they are completely submerged. If not, add more stock or a little water. Cover with a lid, place the pot in the oven, and braise until the beef is soft and just coming away from the bone, 2 to 2.5 hours. Remove the pot from the oven and allow the ribs to cool, covered, in the liquid at room temperature for a few hours. 

6. Remove the ribs from the braising liquid and reserve, keeping warm. Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan, discarding the solids. Bring the braising liquid to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce it by half, about 12 to 15 minutes. Turn down the heat to medium-low. 

7. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water to make a slurry. Starting with half of the slurry, slowly drizzle into the sauce and simmer until it coats the back of a spoon, adding more slurry if needed. Season with salt and pepper. 

8. To serve, arrange the ribs on a serving platter and coat with some of the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce into a gravy boat and serve alongside the ribs.

Pita bread is a leavened flat-bread, common in the Mediterranean, Levant, and neighbouring areas. Like many in Toronto, I was introduced to pita via Greek restaurants, where it would be grilled and either served on the side of a meal or wrapped around garlicky souvlaki skewers. I have tried many pita breads, and we are lucky in Toronto to have so many bakeries making great versions.

My favourite pita bread used to be made by a restaurant called “Fat Lamb Kouzina”, who unfortunately no longer supply retailers. The pita would be toasted in a skillet and would come out so warm and fluffy, they were the thing of pita dreams. In any case, I wanted to recreate that at home, and I’d like to share my version with you!

Pita Bread

Makes 6 pita bread

Ingredients:

360g                     lukewarm water
3 tsp                     dry instant yeast
1 tsp                     sugar
500g                     bread flour
1 tsp                     salt
2 tbsp                   olive oil, divided

Method:

1) In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together the water, yeast and sugar until the yeast dissolves. Allow to sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes until yeast froths.

2) Add the flour and salt and mix using the dough hook for 6-8 minutes.

3) After mixing, the dough should become an elastic, and easily pull away form the sides of the bowl.

4) Remove dough from mixer and place in a bowl. Drizzle the dough with olive oil and rub all over. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit in a warm area of your kitchen for 20 minutes, or until it doubles in size.

5) Take the dough out of the bowl and place on a lightly floured work area. Divide dough into 6 evenly sized balls. Place dough on a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Rest for an additional 15 minutes.

6) Use a floured rolling pin to form each dough into a disc about 10” in diameter.  You can also form by hand stretching. If desired, make dimples in the dough with your fingertips.

7) Add a bit of olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Pan-bake each pita for about 3 minutes per side, or until golden. Use a lid to cover the pan during cooking – this will allow the bread to steam slightly. Repeat until all pita are complete!

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Meatballs are a great, versatile, menu option: you can stuff them inside crusty bread, pile them on a mountain of spaghetti, or simply eat them on their own without the sauce. This recipe is abridged from my book “Cooking Meat”.

Makes 15 to 20 meatballs

Ingredients:

1 pound               ground beef
1 pound               ground pork
1 ounce               prosciutto, finely diced
¼ cup                  finely chopped onions
2 Tbsp                 chopped garlic
2 Tbsp                 grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 Tbsp                 chopped Italian parsley
1 Tbsp                 salt
1 tsp                    pepper
1 tsp                    dried oregano
4 cups                 Sanagan’s Tomato Sauce (any of your favourites will also work)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, with a clean hand mix together the beef, pork, prosciutto, onions, garlic, cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, and oregano until well combined, and slightly tacky (the action of mixing extracts protein from the meat which acts like a glue). Pinch off bits of the meat mixture and roll them into balls about 1 to 1½ inches in diameter. Place the meatballs on the baking tray, set it in the oven, and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes, turning once during cooking.
3. Heat the sauce in a large pot over medium-low heat until it is simmering. Add the baked meatballs, cover, and simmer for 1½ hours.
4. To serve, remove from the heat and enjoy.

 

 

When I left high school, I went straight to work in restaurants. Unlike my siblings who left home to study at university, I was surrounded by good food and never went hungry. Then, as now, many students moved away from home barely knowing how to heat a can of soup, let alone eat well on a budget. This recipe is for them and other cash-strapped reluctant cooks, as well as families looking for an easy recipe that the kids will (probably) love!

Abridged from Cooking Meat

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp                   salt (divided)
1 Tbsp                               olive oil or vegetable oil
1                                        medium onion, cut in medium dice
½ tsp                                  pepper
2                                         garlic cloves, finely diced
1 pound                              ground beef
1 Tbsp                                paprika
1 pound                              pasta of your choice (small noodles work best)
1 (10 ounces) can              chopped tomatoes
2 Tbsp                                tomato paste
3 Tbsp                                sour cream
1 cup                                  grated cheddar cheese
½ bunch                             green onion, chopped

Method

1. Fill a large pot with water, add the 1 Tbsp of salt, and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. While the water is coming to a boil, set your biggest frying pan over medium heat and add the oil. When it’s hot, add the 1 tsp of salt, the onions, and pepper. Turn down the heat to low, cover the pan, and allow the onions to cook, stirring every minute or so, for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cover, and cook for 5 more minutes.
3. Add the beef, then turn up the heat to medium. Using a spoon, mash the beef with a spoon so it browns all over. Stir in the paprika and cook, uncovered, for 8 minutes or until the beef is no longer red.
4. When the water comes to a boil, add the pasta, stir, and cook according to the directions on the package until al dente. Drain and set aside.
5. Stir the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste into the beef mixture and allow to cook for 10 minutes.
6. Stir the sour cream into the beef mixture and turn down the heat to low. Stir until the beef is well coated and saucy, then add the drained pasta and cheese, stirring well to allow the cheese to melt into the sauce.
7. To serve, scoop the hamburger helper into a large serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped green onions.

I am a traditionalist when it comes to my hamburger accoutrements. Lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, and of course ketchup and mustard. That was until we developed this recipe for burger sauce that removes the need for both ketchup and mustard and adds in mayonnaise for some extra flavour. We sell tons of it at the shop, but I thought I’d share the recipe with you in case you want to whip up a batch at home.

Sanagan’s Burger Sauce

Makes one liter

Ingredients: 

2 cups                  mayonnaise
1.5 tbsp                tomato paste
1 tsp                     Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp                   grainy mustard
2 tbsp                   dill pickles, chopped finely
1 tsp                     prepared horseradish
pinch                    sumac
pinch                    onion powder
pinch                    garlic powder
1 tsp                     hot sauce
to taste                salt and pepper

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well to incorporate. Store in fridge for up to two weeks.

Our housemade jerk chicken is on sale this weekend, but I also wanted to share our process for making it; you may want to continue jerking meat all summer long! This marinade works great with chicken, pork, lamb, beef, vegetables…basically anything you want to have a little island flavour. This recipe is adapted form my book Cooking Meat, which has all kinds of marinades and tasty tips for meat-cooking success!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Marinade

3 Tbsp chopped garlic
1½ Tbsp seeded and chopped Scotch bonnet pepper
1 Tbsp chopped ginger
3 cups chopped green onions
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2½ Tbsp ground allspice
2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg

Chicken

4 chicken legs, skin-on and bone-in, split between the thigh and the drumstick
½ cup sliced green onions

 

Method

1. To make the marinade, place the garlic, Scotch bonnets, and ginger in a food processor and process at high speed until finely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl. Place the green onions in the food processor and purée. Stir this purée into the garlic mixture and pour it all into a blender. Add the soy sauce and oil, followed by the sugar, allspice, thyme leaves, salt, dried thyme, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and purée on high speed until well combined. Measure ½ cup of the marinade into a clean bowl and refrigerate the rest, reserving it for another use. It will keep fresh in your fridge for 4 weeks.
2. Place the chicken in a nonreactive bowl, add the ½ cup marinade, and toss well. If you prefer a healthier dose of marinade, help yourself. Stir in the sliced green onions. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat the barbecue to medium-high on one side and medium on the other. Place the chicken on the hotter side of the grill to sear, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer it to the cooler side to finish cooking, about 20 minutes. The chicken is done when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F.
4. To serve, arrange the legs on a platter and serve immediately.

A whole brisket weighs between 9 and 12 pounds on average and consists of two ends. The flat—also known as the single end, first cut, or thin end—is usually about 2 inches thick with ½ inch of fat cap. The point—also known as the double end, second cut, or fatty end—consists of two muscles separated by a layer of fat with another inch or so of fat cap on top. This thicker end is on average 4 to 5 inches high. If you’re feeding lots of people, use the whole brisket and offer your guests the choice of fatty or lean cuts.

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

3 Tbsp                  salt
2 Tbsp                  pepper
2 Tbsp                  packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp                  sweet paprika
2 Tbsp                  onion powder
1 Tbsp                  garlic powder
5 pounds             brisket
5 cups                  chunky wood chips

 

 

Method:

1. Mix together the salt, pepper, sugar, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Place the brisket on a baking tray and, using your hands, massage the rub evenly into the meat. Refrigerate, covered, for 4 hours or overnight.
2. Remove the brisket from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Soak the wood chips in cold water for at least 30 minutes.
3. Set up your charcoal BBQ. Light about 15 pieces of lump charcoal. When hot, place them in three even piles around the circumference of your grill. In the empty center of a grill place a catch pan made of either a small stainless-steel bowl or an aluminum tray and fill it ¾ of the way with hot water. Place the grill on top of the charcoal and catch-pan and close the lid, bringing the internal temperature of the grill to 250°F.
4. Place the brisket on the grill above the catch pan and place a handful of wood chips on each pile of charcoal. Close the lid and adjust the temperature to reach 225°F. Every hour, continue to add fresh hot coals and soaked woodchips to maintain the heat and the smoke.
5. When the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 190°F (after about five hours), remove it from the grill and wrap it tightly in either heavy duty aluminum foil or butcher’s paper. Let it rest, wrapped, for one hour to allow the residual heat from the brisket to continue cooking it in a moist environment.
6. After the hour is up, unwrap the brisket, slice it thinly against the grain, and enjoy! BBQ Sauce is optional here. I prefer it Montreal style – with lots of mustard

I’ve cooked many foods on my charcoal barbecue, but one of my favorite ways to do so is slow-roasting pork butt using plenty of wood chips to impart a strong smoky flavor. A pork butt comes from the shoulder of the pig and runs from the top of the pork rack to the base of the head. This recipe is adapted from Cooking Meat.

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:

1             (7-8 pounds) whole boneless pork butt
½ cup    brown sugar
½ cup    salt
3 cups   wood chips

Method:

1. Rub the meat all over with the sugar and salt. Place the pork in a bowl or casserole and refrigerate, uncovered, for 6 hours or overnight.
2. In the morning, soak the wood chips in water for 20-30 minutes. Preheat your charcoal barbecue to 300°F. Once the coals are piping hot, arrange them on one side of your barbecue.
3. Remove the pork from the fridge and drain off any liquid, then place the pork on the cooler side of the barbecue, away from the fire, with a drip pan underneath to catch any fat. Throw a handful of the soaked wood chips directly on the hot charcoal, then close the lid of the barbecue and adjust the air vents so the temperature inside remains around 300°F. Smoke for 5-6 hours, adding more charcoal and wood chips every couple of hours and checking the temperature and the smoke periodically.
4. Once the meat is fork-tender, transfer the pork to a cutting board, cover it loosely with aluminum foil, and rest for about 20 minutes.
5. To serve, cut into slices and arrange on a serving platter.

Making sausages at home is not that difficult. If you’re planning on making sausages frequently, I recommend getting a grinder and a stuffer (both are available as attachments to a KitchenAid mixer), but you can also just make them with store bought ground meat, some seasonings, and a bit of ingenuity.

Follow these tips closely and you’ll have homemade sausages any time you want.

Use the right type of meat. We make our pork sausage fillings from primarily shoulder and belly meat, with added back fat if necessary. Lamb also makes a great sausage; if you get an older lamb, it will have more fat and a more pronounced flavor. Beef can make a decent sausage, but in my experience, you need a little pork fat to make it more succulent.

Aim for 25–30% fat. For a juicy sausage, you want the meat mixture to be 25–30% fat. If you’re buying pre-ground meat, ask for “fatty” ground pork. Most regular ground pork contains 15–20% fat, which is too lean for sausage.

Grind meat only when it’s cold. When you grind meat in a machine, the grinder often gets a little warm due to friction, which can cause an undesirable emulsification called “smearing”. Arrange your meat on a plate or a baking sheet and place it in the freezer for 30 minutes so it’s cold (but not frozen) when you grind it.

Make a slurry for the seasoning. Whatever seasoning you’re using for the sausage, mix it with enough water to create a slurry before combining it with the meat. This will help evenly distribute the spice throughout the mix so you don’t end up with unpleasant clumps of spice in your finished sausage.

Mix the sausage meat properly. You want to mix the sausage just enough to both distribute the seasonings and have the small pieces of ground meat stick to each other (that’s protein extraction at work). If the meat gets overmixed, it can emulsify, which causes the cooked sausage to have an undesirable texture. If the meat is undermixed, it can fall apart and crumble after cooking.

Choose your casing carefully. These are intestines that have been washed out and packed in salt. They will need to be soaked and rinsed in clean water a few times before using.

Soak the casings in water. We recommend using only all-natural casings from hogs and sheep, which are stored in salt, so rinse them well before stuffing them to improve their flavor and prevent them from drying out.

Use a sausage stuffer. We stuff our sausages by feeding the casings onto a cylinder that is attached to the stuffer. The sausage mix, or farce, goes into that sausage stuffer. Then we use a hand crank to coax the farce from the stuffer into the casings.

Or use parchment paper to form your sausages. If you don’t have a sausage stuffer, shape your sausage meat on a sheet of parchment paper. Set about 5 cups or so of the meat on a sheet of parchment, tightly roll the edge of the paper around the meat as if you were shaping a log, and keep rolling the paper to tighten the sausage. Seal both ends with kitchen twine. Remove the parchment before baking the sausage log in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes to set it, then cutting it into smaller pieces and frying it to brown the outside.

Or use a freezer bag to pipe your sausages. If you don’t have a sausage stuffer, you can place your sausage meat in a heavy-duty freezer bag and cut off one of the corners to create a makeshift piping bag. Squeeze the meat out of the bag to fill a natural casing. It’s slower than using a machine, but it gets the job done.

Don’t overstuff your sausages. A well-stuffed sausage should feel like a very ripe banana still in the peel. It should definitely have some give to it when gently squeezed. Overstuffed sausages can burst while cooking because the meat inside the casing expands as it cooks. Understuffed sausages can easily be fixed with a few more twists of the casing. A good method is to pinch the coil at the 6-inch mark and spin it forward a few times. Skip the next 6 inches, then repeat the double-pinch-and-forward-spin. This naturally creates a sausage in between. Many sausage makers suggest alternating between spinning the casing forward with one link and backward with the next, but this method avoids that added step.

Prick your casing. If you’re using fresh casing, fill it evenly to avoid air holes. To do this, simply ensure you have a steady stream of farce entering your casing. Most air holes occur when there are gaps in the flow. No matter what you do, you will get some air holes, though. The easiest way to get rid of them is by pricking holes in the piped sausage with a specialized tool or the tip of a sharp paring knife.

Have fun! Sausages are a delicious and satisfying product to make yourself, and I highly recommend doing it at least once in your life. But if you don’t want to, no worries – we’re always fully stocked with our own at Sanagan’s so you too can get into that sausage life this summer!