Alberta beef makes a prime sandwich Alberta beef makes a prime sandwich
Low-and-slow cooking is key to perfect beef
The prime rib sandwiches are little more than slices of simply cooked beef, a drizzle of fragrant Turkish olive oil, a sprinkling of Maldon sea salt and some watercress on a house-made baguette.
But the straightforward sandwiches are getting snapped up at SAIT’s new culinary campus; only a few weeks after opening the doors of the location in the heart of downtown Calgary, they are going through three prime ribs a day — each weighing about 12 kilograms.
The beauty of the sandwich, says SAIT chef instructor Mike Dekker, is the ingredients speak for themselves — like the triple-A Alberta beef.
“We’re focusing on the meat, that Alberta beef, and letting that flavour come out.”
The prime ribs are seasoned with salt and pepper and left in the fridge overnight, uncovered, to dry out, which gives them a good crust.
At 5 a.m., the baker — leaving after an overnight shift — puts the prime ribs on the rotisserie, where they cook over low heat for three to four hours.
“We do it low and slow,” says Dekker. “We go into saunas to relax; it’s like that for the beef.
“It needs time and it needs love.”
The technique works just as well at home, he adds, even without a rotisserie.
Simply cook the meat, uncovered, between three and five hours — it will vary depending on the size of the prime rib — pulling it from the oven once it has reached an internal temperature of 130 F. Then, let it rest for at least 30 to 45 minutes.
Using local ingredients, like Alberta beef, is key for Dekker, who was the executive chef at the Rouge restaurant in Calgary prior to taking the position at SAIT.
His philosophy revolves around getting the best ingredients possible.
“The best often comes close to home,” he says.
Chefs have helped push forward movements like those focused on eating local ingredients, says Dekker.
If restaurants don’t serve asparagus from Peru in December, then consumers begin to ask questions and chefs can use that dialogue to inform them, he says.
“Consumers have opened their eyes to where their food comes from.
“We used to hide where we got our ingredients. Now we’re proud (to say where they come from).”
It’s a philosophy he and the other chef instructors at SAIT — like Scott Pohorelic, formerly of River Cafe, and Michael Allemeier, who once was the winery chef at Mission Hill in Kelowna — are instilling in the students. They brought with them pieces from the former lives, connections with farmers and producers and a love of local.
“We love our food. We look for producers who feel the same,” says Dekker.
At its main campus, SAIT also has the Jackson Henry Henuset Memorial Garden — named for benefactor Wayne Henuset’s grandson, who died tragically in 2009 — which functions as a living classroom for the school’s culinary students.
“You walk through a garden and you get inspired, you get hungry,” says Dekker.
And the students respond to it — giving us the next generation of chefs who will focusing on local.
The prime rib baguette sandwiches sell for $8.50.
For those who can’t make it to the downtown culinary campus, though, see below to learn how to build them at home. Culinary Campus Prime Rib Sandwiches
The trick is to use good beef and cook the prime rib low and slow.
Pay less attention to the time suggestion and more to the internal temperature, advises Dekker. Ingredients ❚ ❚ 1 prime rib (10-15 lb/4.56.7 kg) ❚ ❚ salt and pepper ❚ ❚ baguette ❚ ❚ olive oil ❚ ❚ Maldon sea salt (or another flaked salt) ❚ ❚ watercress Method
The night before, season the prime rib heavily with salt and pepper and leave in the fridge, uncovered, over night.
Preheat the oven to 300 F (150 C). Roast the meat, uncovered, for 3 to 5 hours, until it has reached the desired internal temperature. (At SAIT, they cook it until it reaches 130 F (54 C) for medium rare.) Let rest for at least 30 to 45 minutes.
To assemble sandwiches, cut baguette into 8-inch (20cm) lengths and slice open. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and add slices of prime rib. Sprinkle on flaked salt and top with watercress.