Mark Butcher - Rib-Eye with Rosemary & Blue Cheese Compound

Mark has been cooking professionally for over ten years and is equally serious about his lifestyle and work. After bartending to support his ski bum lifestyle, he thought he’d try his hand in the kitchen. Inspired by a number of chefs along the way he decided to get his chef certificate at George Brown College in Toronto before diving into a life in the mountains which has included a lot of cooking (Lizard Creek Lodge, Island Lake Lodge, Bulldogs and now Picnic) and a lot of skiing. When I met Mark he was adamant about sharing some simple yet crucial tips regarding grilling meats.

“Since it is BBQ season, I figured I would cover some basics and give insider techniques to meat cookery. First and foremost it helps to know your cuts. Prime cuts are great for the grill and are cut from either the Rib, Short Loin or Sirloin, such as T-Bones, Bone-in Rib (Rib Eye), Tenderloin, Strip Loin and Sirloin. Chuck and Flank cuts also provide great inexpensive flavourful steaks. Look for good marbling – these bits of fat are crucial to its taste. Look for meat to be deep red, cherry-like in colour - not pale pink.

With the steak home and ready to prepare, I suggest keeping it simple. You can put all the sauces you want on a perfectly caramelized steak but marinating your steak in BBQ sauce or leaving it overnight in unnecessary liquids DOES NOT make it more tender. Cooking makes it tender. BBQ and other prepared sauces simply burn on the grill and prevent proper carmelization – which is key. The optimal way to a tender steak is to lightly rub olive oil all over the meat up to one hour before cooking and bringing the steak to room temperature. There are many reasons to having the meat at room temperature but most importantly it ensures a warm medium rare centre over a cold one. Clean, and then pre-heat your grill for at least ten minutes with the lid down - 500 degrees F is ideal.

For restaurant style hatch marks, start your steak pointing at ten o-clock for two minutes – turn to two o-clock for another two minutes, flip repeating the process. Once the steak is done to your liking, it is extremely important to rest before eating – covering it with a piece of foil and letting it sit for at least five minutes without cutting into it. This locks in all the juices creating a tender and juicy steak ready to enjoy with your favourite sauce, accompaniment or side dish.”

Mark Butchers’ Bone-In Rib-Eye with Rosemary & Blue Cheese Compound with Butter & German Style Potato Salad ~

Meat:
Rib Eye (room temperature)
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
fresh black pepper

Butter:
1/2 lb. softened unsalted butter
2-3 sprigs chopped rosemary
1-2 tbsp crumbled blue cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix together in a bowl, taste, adjust – cool
Once your steak has rested place a chunk of the butter to the top of the warm steak, and it just melts. The left over butter can be used for whatever you like.

Salad:
2 lbs any small potato (reds, purples, fingerlings etc)
3 whole shallots
2 tbsp chopped thyme
1/4 cup cubed cooked bacon
4 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
4 tbsp chopped gherkins
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp whole grain mustard (or Dijon)
1 tsp honey
A handful of your favourite greens (spinach, arugula, mustard)

Halve potatoes and toss with shallots in olive oil salt and pepper. Wrap in foil and BBQ on low heat for approx 30 minutes or until tender. Set aside. In a frying pan, on medium heat sauté bacon – add potatoes and chopped shallots. Combine all other ingredients in pan and cook for one minute – season to taste and serve warm.

July Food News

Cincott Restaurant ~ Enjoy breakfast on the patio, try coffee and baileys for $5.75. Coffee drinks are made with Certified Organic beans and Certified Organic, local milk. Tuesdays enjoy mussels and half priced organic wine, and Thursdays slow cooked ribs and half priced organic beer. Gluten free options available.
Fernie Tea House ~ New summer hours include Sundays1:30- 5:00pm, late Wednesday evenings until 8pm and closed only on Tuesdays.
Loaf Bakery, Cafe & Pizzeria ~ Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 5pm-close. Dine in the licensed café and try their‘ Back to Basics' pizza with two FBC Draft Genuine Lagers for $20 including tax. They also do take-out!
Mezzaluna ~ Bringing in a new summer restaurant menu, and introducing old time bar favorites with an Italian twist. Try the $10 Tuesday homemade Italian style pizza and beer or glass of wine.
Rip & Richards Eatery ~ Under new ownership, serving lunch and dinner from 11am – 10 pm daily. The menu is revamped, keeping old favourites and adding dinner items and sharing platters. They’re also bringing back pizza and beer Wednesdays, as well as other food and drink specials daily.
Fernie Hotel ~ Featuring $6 wings with purchase of a jug of beer Sundays in July. Saturday, July 30, they are hosting the Porky Blue Trail Ride & Roast. To register go to the Fernie Hotel, Guides Hut or fernietrails.com. The roast starts at 4pm and is open to the public - $12 and includes three salads, roll and gravy.
The Pub - Parkplace Lodge ~ Sports are better with a cold, crisp après beer! The Pub has put together packages for local sports teams to enjoy post-game nachos, wings and beer! Got a team? Want to learn more? Contact F&B Manager, Ben (pub@parkplacelodge.com).