LCBO Food and Drink Holiday 2016

BBQ MAC ’N’ CHEESE WITH TEXAS CHI L I CRUMBS

5 Butter a 12-cup (3-L) baking dish; turn out half of the macaroni mixture and smooth. Drizzle with BBQ sauce. Top with other half of macaroni and smooth top. 6 For the crumbs, melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat; fry garlic for 1 min- ute until softened. Add bread crumbs, cumin and chili powder to pan; stir to coat all in but- ter. Season to taste. 7 Spoon crumbs over macaroni and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbling and golden. Serves 6

½ cup (125 mL) dry Marsala 3 large Yukon Gold potatoes, each about 1 lb (500 g)

Vegetable or peanut oil for deep-frying 2 rib-eye steaks, each ¾ inch (2 cm) thick 10 oz (300 g) cheese curds 2 oz (60 g) Gorgonzola, broken into small pieces 1 Bring stock to a boil in a large pot over medium-high and reduce to 2 cups (500 mL); set aside. 2 In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until softened and tender but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mushrooms; combine. Pour Mar- sala and stock into skillet; bring to a boil, stirring from time to time, and cook for 5 min- utes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Remove from heat and cover while preparing fries and steak. (Gravy may be made 3 days in advance and refrigerated until ready to use. Reheat to serve.) 3 Peel potatoes and cut into slices about ⅓ inch (8 mm) thick. Stack a few slices to- gether at a time and cut into ⅓-inch-wide (8‑mm) batons. Add to a large bowl and cover with cool water; soak for at least an hour, and as long as a day at room temperature. 4 Drain potatoes and dry well. Pour oil into a large deep pot to a depth of 5 inches (12 cm), or a deep-fryer to specified fill level; heat to 325°F (160°C). Working in batches, cook fries for 5 to 6 minutes or until tender but not golden. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain. 5 Before finishing fries, prepare the steaks; season both sides with salt and pepper. Bor- row 1 tbsp (15 mL) from the frying oil and add to a heavy skillet. Heat over high until oil is smoking; fry steaks 2 minutes per side for rare, remove to a board, let rest 5 minutes; slice and set aside. 6 Reheat oil to 375°F (190°C). While oil is heat- ing, heat gravy to steaming. 7 Fry potatoes a second time, in batches, un- til golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain; season with salt. 8 Divide fries between 4 shallow bowls. Top each with an equal amount curds and hot gravy. Divide steak and Gorgonzola between the portions. Serves 4

Mac and cheese is a great way to use up little odds and ends of cheese. If you stick with the correct measure of both the cheddar and the Parmesan, you could swap out the Jack or Swiss for other great melting cheeses like pro- volone, Pepper Jack, colby, Gouda or fontina. The thread of BBQ sauce running through the finished mac and cheese introduces luscious sweetness and acidity. 1 lb (500 g) macaroni 12 oz (375 g) sharp cheddar, grated, divided

4 oz (125 g) Monterey Jack, grated 4 oz (125 g) Swiss cheese, grated 2 oz (60 g) Parmesan, grated 1 stick (½ cup/125 mL) unsalted butter plus extra for buttering dish

WHAT TO SERVE Black Oak Nut Brown Ale LCBO 422121, 473 mL

$2.95 The sweet malty notes of brown ale contrast with the saltiness of cheese, and also act to temper spicy heat in the chili crumb topping. Brickworks Ciderhouse Batch: 1904 LCBO 394015, 473 mL $3.15 Apples and cheese are a timeless combination. This cider’s authentic apple flavours complement the med- ley of cheeses in the dish.

⅓ cup (80 mL) flour 2 cups (500 mL) milk 1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream 1½ tsp (7 mL) salt

½ tsp (2 mL) finely ground black pepper ¼ tsp (1 mL) ground chipotle or cayenne 1 tbsp (15 mL) dry mustard 3 tbsp (45 mL) favourite BBQ sauce CRUMBS

3 tbsp (45 mL) unsalted butter 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 2 cups (500 mL) coarse white bread crumbs or panko ½ tsp (2 mL) cumin 2 tsp (10 mL) Texas chili powder Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil 3 Measure out 2 cups (500 mL) of the cheddar and set aside. Combine remaining cheddar, Monterey Jack, Swiss and Parmesan in a large bowl. 4 In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat; sprinkle flour over and whisk to com- bine. Add milk and cream, stir until smooth. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, for 5 min- utes or until thickened. Whisk in salt, pepper, chipotle and mustard. Reduce heat to low and add the mixed cheeses in 3 additions, whisk- ing until smooth after each addition before adding more. Remove from heat and stir in drained pasta. Gently fold in reserved cheddar leaving visible clusters of cheese. and cook pasta until al dente; drain. 2 Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

RIB STEAK POUTINE I don’t know anybody who doesn’t like pou- tine, even all the newfangled versions of late… It’s hard to go wrong when fries and gravy are involved. This version sticks pretty close to the classic, with just enough twists to make it interesting. Considering the juggling skills required to make poutine at home, the por- tions here are meant to satisfy as a meal. 6 cups (1.5 L) homemade beef stock, or 2 cartons (each 480 mL) beef stock ¼ cup (60 mL) butter 6 oz (175 g) shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced 6 oz (175 g) cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced Salt and freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup (60 mL) all-purpose flour

244  FOOD & DRI NK HOLIDAY 2016