Recipe: B.C. Beef and Potatoes

I like all kinds of cuts of beef, and certainly the most popular are the primary cuts: striploin, tenderloin and ribeye. I also love trying the secondary cuts—flank, flatiron, sirloin, coulotte, skirt and tri-tip are among my favourites. They are tasty, and by choosing something new and different, we are supporting ranchers and butchers in whole animal sustainability. So I invite you to visit your local butcher and ask them to surprise and delight with something new for this beef and potato recipe.

Chef Ned Bell’s B.C. Beef and Potatoes Recipe

Black pepper roasted beef

INGREDIENTS

• 4 to 5 oz of beef per person
• Kosher salt
• Cracked black pepper
• Canola oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• 3 tbsp butter
• Fresh thyme

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat a cast-iron pan over medium heat. (You’ll want a hot pan, but not too hot.)
2. Season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
3. Add some canola oil in the pan, lay the beef in the pan and sear on all sides, then slightly reduce the heat.
4. Add garlic, butter and fresh thyme to the pan.
5. Baste the beef with large spoon and cook until medium-rare, or to your desired doneness.
6. When you’re finished cooking the beef, remove it from the pan and let it rest.

Salt-baked Potatoes

I love all BCfresh potatoes—the red ones, the white ones, and especially the yellow ones. There are so many delicious ways to prepare potatoes: smashed, mashed, fried, roasted, rosti, gnocchi, and so on.

INGREDIENTS

• Approximately 4 to 5 potatoes per person (choose potatoes that are similar in size, and on the smaller side)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Cook the potatoes in simmering water that is heavily salted. Make sure the water tastes like the ocean.
3. Cook the potatoes until fork tender and strain the water off the spuds.
4. Gently crush the potatoes and toss in the extra virgin olive oil and kosher salt.
5. Put potatoes on a baking tray and roast in oven for 25 minutes until they are golden brown and crispy.
6. Serve Immediately.

Brightside Eggs Aioli

Brightside Eggs is a family-owned and -operated poultry farm located in Chilliwack, B.C. They are committed to sustainable and humane farming practices, and put their hearts and souls into producing food for local families.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 whole B.C. eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1.5 cup canola oil
• 2 tbsp whole grain mustard
• 3 tbsp chopped capers
• 2 tbsp finely chopped chives
• 3 tbsp chopped pickled fennel (recipe below)
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 tbsp prepared horseradish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Whisk the eggs and the yolks together.
2. Add the whole grain mustard and slowly whisk in the canola oil until mixture has thickened and emulsified.
3. Add capers, chives, pickled fennel, lemon juice and zest, and horseradish. Stir to combine.
4. This aioli will last in your fridge for two weeks and is great with seafood as a dipping sauce.

Yield: 2 cups

Pickled Fennel Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 cup kosher salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 black peppercorns
• 1/2 cup finely diced fennel

Instructions

1. Bring all the ingredients except the fennel to a boil. Let cool.
2. Add fennel to chilled pickling liquid.
3. Let sit in the fridge overnight until fennel is marinated—sweet and sour.

To assemble the dish

1. Place the potatoes in the middle of a platter.
2. Slice the beef and place on top.
3. Serve with a side salad and plenty of the homemade aioli.

Recommended pairing: Farmhouse Brewing beer

This recipe was originally published in February 2023.