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WINNIPEG-STYLE CHEESEBURGER (A.K.A. THE “FAT BOY”)

Very few places in Canada have the distinction of having their own style of burger. Aside from this burger often calling for pickle spears instead of medallions and putting the cheese underneath the patty, the real differentiator here is the addition of Greek-style meat sauce (think the meat sauce in moussaka). Notes of cloves, allspice and cinnamon make this (charmingly messy) burger taste like no other. Of course, there are subtle variations on the theme depending on where you go, but as an unofficial Winnipegger who has eaten his fair share of Fat Boy burgers, here’s how I would make it.

(For the sake of simplicity, we’ll take a “smash-burger-ish” approach here, though traditionally patties would be formed with a press.)

Ingredients:

Meat Sauce

• 2 cups store-bought Bolognese meat sauce
• 1 cup water
• ½ tsp allspice
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves

Smash Patties

• 500 g ground chuck or lean ground beef
• Salt, to season before grilling

Bun and Toppings

• 4 good-quality sesame seed buns
• 1 ½-2 cups shredded lettuce
• 8 tomato slices
• 4 classic dill pickles, quartered length-wise
• 4 slices cheddar cheese (or Kraft singles)
• 1 cup diced white onions
• Mustard, enough for slathering
• Mayo, enough for slathering

Method:

Meat Sauce:

1. We’re making it easy on ourselves here by using store-bought meat sauce and infusing those “moussaska” flavours into it.
2. Place all ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a gentle simmer on medium heat. Allow to cook until added water reduces and Bolognese returns to its original consistency, about 30 minutes.
3. Keep warm on stove until ready to assemble the burgers.

Smash Patties:

1. Lightly brush a large cast-iron pan with canola oil and heat on medium heat for 5 minutes. Pan should be very hot, but not smoking.
2. While pan is heating up, season ground chuck or ground lean beef liberally with salt in a mixing bowl, and gently work with hands to distribute seasoning evenly.
3. Form into 4 equal balls.
4. Place balls into the pan and use a metal spatula (or grill press if you’ve got one!) to flatten. (If using a smaller cast-iron pan, just do this cooking step in two batches.)
5. Let patties cook until a golden-crispy crust forms around the perimeter of each patty, about 4 minutes. Use the edge of the spatula to carefully scrape up and flip the patties one at a time, making sure to get all browned bits removed from the skillet.
6. Allow to cook for approximately 2 more minutes, or until the centre of patties reach 160°F (71°C) when checked with a thermometer. Transfer to cutting board and start Fat Boy burger assembly!

Assembly:

1. Lay out all 8 halves of the sesame seed buns on a clean surface.
2. Slather mayo on top half of buns and mustard on the bottom half of buns and then stack toppings as listed below. (Or go crazy, just don’t forget the meat sauce!)

Top Half (in this order):

• Shredded iceberg lettuce
• Tomato slices

Bottom Half (in this order):

• Diced white onion
• Cheddar slice
• Smash patty
• Chili sauce

Tip: for added “restaurant quality” try lightly steaming the sesame seed buns just before assembly. Easiest way would be to place buns in a microwave-safe dish—or under a microwave cover/dome—with a damp piece of paper towel rolled up and microwave for 20-25 seconds.

BONELESS DRY RIBS WITH HONEY-DILL DIP

Serves 3-4

Boneless dry ribs are a true Saskatchewan pub classic, and it’s a pub dish I have to order every time I’m back home visiting friends in my hometown of Saskatoon. They’re pretty easy to make at home too.

My honey-dill dip is slightly elevated from the traditional pub style (mayo, dried dill and honey), with some added brightness from fresh herbs, pickle brine and dijon mustard.

Ingredients:

Boneless Dry Ribs

• 3 cups water
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1 tbsp cane sugar
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 1/2 tbsp sea salt, divided
• 8 ice cubes
• 1 2-lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1″ cubes
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 3 eggs, whisked
• canola oil, enough for frying

Honey Dill Dip:

• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp pickle juice
• 2 tsp dijon mustard

Method:

Boneless Dry Ribs:

1. To make the brine, combine the first 5 ingredients and 2 tbsp salt in a medium pot over medium heat and cook until salt and honey dissolve and liquid is near-simmering.
2. Remove from heat, add ice cubes and let cool to room temperature.
3. Place cubed pork into a deep dish and pour brine over top. Cover, and chill in refrigerator for 2 hours.
4. After 2 hours, discard liquid and pat meat dry with paper towel.
5. Heat canola oil in a large pot to prepare for frying.
6. Combine flour, cornstarch, salt and black pepper and divide mixture. To coat, dip pork in the first bowl of flour, then dip in egg and again in flour.
7. Once oil is hot, working in several batches, fry pork until crispy and golden brown, approximately 3 to 4 minutes per batch.
8. If you are not serving immediately, place on a baking tray and keep warm in the oven.

Honey-Dill Dip:

1. Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine.
2. Season to taste with salt and pepper if desired and keep cool in the fridge until ready to serve.

(Can be made several days ahead of time.)

THE SHAFT COCKTAIL

This cocktail is said to have been invented at longstanding Calgary restaurant-lounge The Living Room. The ‘traditional’ way to drink this is as fast as possible through a straw, but slow sipping on the back deck on a hot summer’s day will do just fine too.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz cold brew coffee or iced coffee
• 1 oz good quality vodka (a Canadian-made espresso-infused vodka would be even better!)
• 1 oz Irish cream liqueur (i.e. Baileys or comparable Canadian-made product)
• ½ oz Coffee liqueur (i.e. Kahlua or comparable Canadian-made product)

Method:

1. Fill a shaker with ice, add all ingredients.
2. Shake for 15 seconds and strain into ice-filled Collins glass.
3. Serve with a straw

ALBERTA STEAK SANDWICH

It’s no surprise to most that Alberta is the epicentre of beef here in Canada. In that vein, there’s steakhouses galore across the province—Calgary is the origin place of Hy’s Steakhouse—and steak sandwiches are ubiquitous on pub menus too.

This recipe uses a tasty marinade and a less expensive cut—and some garlic toast—for a steak sandwich dinner that is delicious, but won’t break the bank.

Ingredients:

Marinated Sirloin Tip Steak

• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp prepared horseradish
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp grainy dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated/microplaned
• 1 yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 top sirloin cap steak (approximately 450-500g)
• Pickled onions and mixed fresh herbs (parsley, dill, chervil, etc…), for garnish, optional

Garlic Cheese Toast

• 1 tbsp room-temperature butter and ½ tsp garlic powder, combined
• 2 pieces Texas toast
• 2-4 tbsp finely grated parmesan
• Ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Marinated Sirloin Tip Steak:

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a large Ziploc bag and massage with hands (from the exterior of bag) to combine.
2. Lay meat on a cutting board and use a fork to poke holes on both main sides of the steak. Place into ziploc bag, seal and allow marinade to coat.
3. Let marinate in fridge for 2-8 hours.
4. Pat meat dry and allow to return to near-room temperature before pan-frying or grilling on barbecue.

To Pan-Fry:

1. Add a splash of canola oil to a grill pan or cast-iron pan and heat on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes, do not allow oil to smoke.
2. Cook steak, allowing to cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side to encourage caramelization, until steak registers 160°F/71°C, which is medium doneness.
3. Remove from pan, cover and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Garlic Cheese Toast and Assembly:

1. Preheat oven 400 degrees.
2. Place Texas toast on small baking sheet, slather with garlic butter, parmesan and pepper and let bake until golden brown and bubbly on top, about 10-12 minutes.
3. Transfer toast to plates, top with sliced steak, pickled onions and fresh herbs for a pop of colour and texture and serve!