LCBO Food & Drink Summer 2026

FRESHLY GROUND BEEF BURGERS WITH AGED CHEDDAR & GUINNESS ONIONS The secret behind the best restaurant burgers is beef ground freshly in-house. If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer, the affordable meat grinder attachment allows you to do it at home. Chuck—often called blade—is the perfect cut of beef for burgers as it has the right ratio of meat to fat. When grinding your own beef that you plan to serve less than well done, source the beef from a reputable butcher who can assure you there was no cross contamination. Standard store-bought ground beef should always be cooked to at least 160˚F (72˚C). GUINNESS ONIONS 2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil 2 lbs (905 g) onions, thinly sliced 3/4 cup (175 mL) Guinness or other stout, divided 1 tsp (5 mL) balsamic vinegar Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste BURGERS 11/2 lbs (680 g) beef chuck (aka blade) Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 4 slices aged cheddar cheese 4 soft, plain hamburger buns, split Ketchup and mayonnaise to taste 4 slices beefsteak tomato, seasoned with salt Thinly sliced iceberg lettuce 1. For the Guinness onions, heat canola oil in a large frying pan (not nonstick) over high heat. Add onions. Cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring often, until patches of brown have formed on bottom and sides of pan, about 4 minutes. Deglaze pan with 1/4 cup (60 mL) Guinness, scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon. Repeat process two more times—onions should be soft, sweet and brown. Stir in vinegar and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to plate to cool completely then transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate up to 5 days. Serve at room temperature. 2. For the burgers, pat beef dry with paper towel and cut into long strips about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Place beef on a parchment-lined tray. Place beef and grinding attachment in freezer for 20 minutes. 3. Grind beef using coarse plate following man ufacturer’s instructions. If there are any strips with a long seam of fat, avoid grinding it last or it might get stuck in the mechanism. Divide into four loose balls. Gently form balls into patties slightly larger than buns—do not overwork meat. Push a wide dimple in centre of each patty with thumb. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 1 day.

1/2 cup (125 mL) thinly sliced green onions, green part only 1 tsp (5 mL) cumin 1/2 tsp (2 mL) turmeric Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 3 eggs 1/4 cup (60 mL) all-purpose flour TO ASSEMBLE 6 tbsp (90 mL) canola oil, divided 6 soft sesame seed hamburger buns, split Sliced pickled beets, drained 1. For the tahini cream, place ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Whisk together, starting slowly then speeding up when water has been incorpo rated, until it has the texture of loose mayonnaise. Transfer to a glass jar. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours to thicken and up to 5 days. 2. For the zhug, combine herbs, jalapeño and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, but not a paste. Transfer to a small mixing bowl. Stir in oil, water, spices, salt and pepper. Transfer to a glass jar. Press plastic wrap against surface, cover and refrigerate up to 1 week. 3. For the patties, drain chickpeas in a sieve. Rinse and drain again. Place in a large mixing bowl and blot dry with paper towel, then roughly mash with a potato masher. 4. Cut enoki into 1/2-inch (1-cm) lengths, then separate clusters with fingers. Add to chickpeas along with Halloumi, green onions, spices, salt (go easy, as Halloumi is very salty), pepper and eggs. Mix with a silicone spatula until thoroughly combined. Sprinkle flour over mixture and mix again until combined. 5. Divide burger mixture into six even portions. Form each portion into a patty the same size as a bun. Place in a single layer in airtight container(s). Refrigerate up to 1 day. 7. Heat 3 tbsp (45 mL) oil in each of two large, heavy-duty, nonstick frying pans over medium- high. When hot, place three patties in each pan. Cook until they form a deep brown crust and are hot in middles, 4 to 5 minutes per side. (Lower heat if they start to scorch.) 8. While patties are cooking, preheat broiler to high. Place buns, cut side up, on a large heavy-duty baking sheet. Broil on top rack, watching carefully, until lightly browned, 1 to 11/2 minutes. 6. When ready to serve, bring tahini cream and zhug to room temperature.

4. When ready to cook, preheat grill to medium-high.

5. Clean and oil grate. Season patties gener ously with salt and pepper. Grill until they reach desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare, 4 minutes per side for medium or 5 minutes per side for medium-well. (See TIP below re: using an instant-read thermometer.) Top patties with cheese during final minute of cooking and close lid to melt. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. 6. If desired, grill cut sides of buns briefly (about 30 seconds). Smear bun bottoms with ketchup and top with a generous layer of onions. Add patties, tomatoes and lettuce. Smear bun tops with mayo, cover burgers and serve immediately. TIP To take the internal temperature of a burger, insert an instant-read thermometer through the side until the tip reaches the middle. For medium-rare, it should read between 130˚F (54˚C) and 135˚F (57˚C). For medium, between 140˚F (60˚C) and 145˚F (63˚C). And for medium-well, 150˚F (65˚C) and 155˚F (68˚C). Serves 4 HALLOUMI BURGERS WITH PICKLED BEETS, ZHUG & TAHINI CREAM This Middle Eastern–inspired veggie burger makes a patty from chickpeas, Halloumi and enoki mushrooms, which give it some chew. Pan-fried, the patty develops a deep brown crust. It’s topped with pickled beets, tahini cream and a punchy Yemeni herb sauce called zhug. TAHINI CREAM 1/2 cup (125 mL) tahini, preferably a Middle Eastern brand 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp (60 + 45 mL) warm water Salt to taste ZHUG 1 cup (250 mL) cilantro leaves, packed 1 cup (250 mL) flat-leaf parsley leaves, packed 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped (with seeds, if you want it spicy) 1 clove garlic, chopped 1/4 cup (60 mL) extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup (60 mL) cold water 1/2 tsp (2 mL) cumin 1/4 tsp (1 mL) coriander Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

PATTIES 1 small can (398 mL) chickpeas

1 pkg (150 g) enoki mushrooms, roots trimmed 1 pkg (250 g) Halloumi, patted dry, coarsely grated

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———————— SUMMER 2026