LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2025

3 cups (750 mL) diced pineapple 1/3 cup (80 mL) finely chopped red pepper 1 large jalapeño pepper, finely chopped 4 tsp (20 mL) canola or sunflower oil 1/3 cup (80 mL) chopped cilantro Salt to taste

7. While chicken is roasting, make the salsa. Combine lime juice and red onion in a mixing bowl. Let stand at least 15 minutes. Add rest of ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. 8. Roast chicken, rotating pan and basting with rendered fat 3 or 4 times, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in centre of meat registers 165°F (74°C), about 2 hours. Remove from oven and rest 20 minutes. 9. While chicken is resting, heat two small frying pans over medium-high. Toast tortillas until warm and pliable, about 25 seconds per side. Stack on a small plate and cover with a folded kitchen towel to keep warm. 10. When chicken has rested, transfer to a large round serving platter. Using a sharp chef’s knife, slice downward working around edges to make strips about 1/2 inch (1 cm) wide. Remove skewers as you get close to them. Serve with warmed torti llas, salsa, lime wedges and hot sauce.

12 to 16 4-inch (10-cm) corn tortillas Lime wedges and hot sauce for serving

1. For the marinade, snip off and discard gua jillo stems with scissors then tap out and discard seeds. Heat a medium-size frying pan over medium-high. Add chilies. Toast, turning occa sionally, until puffed and lightly charred in spots, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. 2. Carefully add 11/2 cups (375 mL) water to pan and raise heat to high. When it comes to a boil, pour over chilies. Place an inverted saucer over chilies to keep them submerged. Soak for 30 minutes. Drain. 3. Place chilies, garlic, orange juice, vinegar, oil, achiote, cumin, oregano, chipotle, pepper and cloves in a blender. Blend until smooth ish , stopping to scrape down sides once or twice. (Marinade can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated until ready to use.) Divide mar inade in half. Reserve one portion to marinate chicken, and freeze other portion up to 3 months for another use. 4. Place chicken thighs in a large mixing bowl. Add salt and reserved marinade. Mix thoroughly to distribute evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. 6. Line a heavy-duty quarter sheet pan with foil. Trim and discard pineapple leaves without cut ting away the peel. Cut a disc about 11/4 inches (3 cm) thick from top of pineapple (reserve remaining pineapple for salsa, below). Place in centre of tray, cut side down. Insert 1 skewer into centre core, blunt side down. Gently press chicken thighs down onto skewer, smooth sides up, overlapping at different angles to make a roughly even pile of meat. Insert remaining skewers, sharp side down, evenly about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from centre skewer. Loosen top few thighs with your fingers so it’s not so compact. Trim skewers with a wire cutter, if desired. Place chicken in oven. 5. Arrange rack in bottom third of oven and remove other racks. Preheat to 375°F (191°C).

CHICKEN TACOS AL PASTOR WITH PINEAPPLE SALSA

When I saw food personality Ara Zada (@arazada) recreate a shawarma spit at home, I knew I had to try out the technique on its Mexican cousin, tacos al pastor. It took some tweaking, but eventually it yielded a mountain of juicy, spiced chicken to pile onto corn tortillas with a vibrant pineapple salsa. The recipe makes more salsa than you should need; serve extras with baked salmon or jerk chicken. Available at Latin American food shops, achiote paste is a colouring and flavouring agent made from annatto seeds. CHICKEN 4 guajillo chilies 3 cloves garlic, halved lengthwise, germs discarded 1/3 cup (80 mL) strained fresh orange juice 1/4 cup (60 mL) cider vinegar 2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil 1 tbsp (15 mL) achiote paste, crumbled 1 tsp (5 mL) cumin 1 tsp (5 mL) dried oregano 1 tsp (5 mL) chipotle pepper powder 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground black pepper Pinch ground cloves 21/2 lbs (1.13 kg) medium-size boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 10 11/2 tsp (7 mL) salt 1 large pineapple 4 8-inch (20-cm) wooden skewers PINEAPPLE SALSA 11/2 tbsp (22 mL) fresh lime juice 3 tbsp (45 mL) finely chopped red onion

Serves 4 to 6

WHAT TO SERVE Magnotta Small Batch Pineapple Chili Cider LCBO 41779, 473 mL, $3.60

A malty amber ale will temper the tacos’ spicy heat; an IPA will enhance it. Or take another tack and bring out the flavours of the dish with a pre cisely calibrated cider.

GRILLED CHEESE CHILI DOGS There are a few popular ways to approach the grilled cheese hot dog, but we found them labori ous to make in any kind of quantity unless you have a big griddle. Our broiler method yields the same divinely gooey results and allows you to whip up a big tray for a party at home in no time.

1/4 cup (60 mL) diced white onion 4 top-cut hot dog buns, such as La Fournée Dorée 1 tsp (5 mL) canola oil

4 jumbo hot dogs, preferably all-beef 1 cup (250 mL) canned chili, preferably Stagg Original 6 slices medium cheddar (about 20 g each) Pickled jalapeño slices to garnish, preferably Mezzetta 1. Place onion in a small bowl. Cover with cold water and add 1 ice cube. Let stand for 10 minutes. Drain, pat dry with paper towel and set aside.

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———————— SPRING 2025