LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2020

1/2 cup (125 mL) cider vinegar 2 tsp (10 mL) dry mustard or Dijon mustard 1 tsp (5 mL) ground ginger 1/4 tsp (1 mL) cayenne pepper Salt Boneless pork shoulder blade roast, 3 to 4 lbs (1.36 to 1.81 kg), tied Rolls or buns, split 4 oz (115 g) smoked or sharp cheese, thinly sliced

then return to pot. Stir reserved mushrooms and onions back into the soup. (The soup can be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days before serving.) 5 Place pancetta slices in a skillet in single layer and fry over medium heat, turning once, until browned and crispy. Transfer to plate lined with paper towel to cool, then coarsely crumble. 6 To serve, reheat soup to simmering over me- dium heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with crumbled pancetta.

CARAMELIZED ONION & MUSHROOM SOUP WITH PANCETTA CRISPS

1 Combine coffee, molasses, ketchup, vinegar, mustard, ginger, cayenne and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-­ high heat; reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until reduced by about half. Let cool slightly. 3 Place pork roast in a deep baking dish or roasting pan. Pour sauce over roast. Cover with lid or foil, ensuring foil doesn’t touch pork; seal foil around edge of dish. Roast in preheated oven for about 3 hours, turning halfway and spooning sauce overtop, or until pork is fork-tender. Transfer pork to a bowl, reserving sauce in dish. Let pork cool slightly. 4 Meanwhile, skim fat from sauce and discard. Transfer sauce to a deep pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for about 5 min- utes or until slightly thickened. 5 Remove strings from pork and, using 2 forks or your hands, shred pork into small pieces, discarding excess fat. (To make ahead, cover and refrigerate shredded pork and sauce separately for up to 2 days.) 6 To serve, return pork to sauce and simmer over medium heat, stirring often, until heated through. Season to taste with salt. Toast or warm rolls. Spoon pork and sauce into rolls and top with cheese. 2 Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).

The humble onion and mushroom combine together in this light yet warming soup that is anything but boring. A crispy topping of salty pancetta and a touch of cream add that bit of flourish to make it entertaining-worthy. If you don’t want to use the pancetta, a few shreds of sharp cheese or crumbled crisp multigrain crackers on top would be a nice touch. 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter 2 onions, thinly sliced 1 lb (455 g) cremini mushrooms, sliced Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried 6 cups (1.5 L) no-salt-added beef or vegetable stock 4 slices pancetta 1/2 cup (125 mL) 35% whipping cream 1 Melt butter over medium heat in a large pot. Add onions and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes, until starting to wilt. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring often, for about 30 minutes or until onions are very soft and caramelized. 2 Increase heat to medium-high and stir in mushrooms, 1 tsp (5 mL) salt and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper. Cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes or until mushrooms release their liquid and start to brown. Add garlic and thyme and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. 3 Pour in stock and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits stuck to pot. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until soup is slightly reduced and flavours are blended. 4 Scoop out about 1 cup (250 mL) mushrooms and onions using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl and set aside. Purée remaining soup in the pot with an immersion blender or transfer the soup to an upright blender, in batches,

Serves 8

WHAT TO SERVE Pair this satisfying soup with a Chenin Blanc. The wine’s ripe stone fruit and creamy mouth feel will accent the soup’s silky consistency and earthy flavours. Bougrier Vouvray Chenin Blanc LCBO 253229, $16.95

COFFEE-GLAZED PULLED-PORK SANDWICHES Saucy braised pork on rolls topped with cheese definitely warm up the coldest winter day. Pulled pork does require some time in the kitchen, but the oven does the bulk of the work by braising the pork to melt-in-your- mouth tenderness. The coffee is a surprising ingredient that adds a deep flavour to the mahogany sauce (and non-coffee drinkers might not even guess what’s in there). For entertaining, it’s easiest to make it ahead a day or two, then just reheat to serve. 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) strong brewed coffee 1/2 cup (125 mL) fancy molasses 1/2 cup (125 mL) ketchup

Serves 8 to 12

WHAT TO SERVE Richly sauced pulled pork topped with smoked cheese deserves a partner that is intense but light. A malty dark lager has gusto without bulk. DAB Dark Lager LCBO 384677, 500 mL, $2.25

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HOLIDAY 2020 FOOD & DRINK