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Charcoal Bison
Skirt Steak
a big, flavour-
forward stunner
for grilling season
Chef Shane Chartrand
Locavore
Cooking His Roots
an alberta chef puts his indigenous heritage on a plate
BY LIane faULder
1 kg bison skirt steak
2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups apple juice
1 cup garlic, minced
1 cup shallots, minced
4 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup wildflower honey
5 sprigs fresh dill
6 long English
cucumbers
1 cup red mustard seeds
2 cups brown sugar
charcoal
was a
boy, he learned to hunt, fish and forage
at his father’s insistence. Back then,
it wasn’t a trend; it was a way of life.
“My dad always hung his own animals,
skinned them, made pickles, smoked his
own meat,” he recalls.
Cree by birth, Chartrand’s Métis par-
ents adopted him from foster care when
he was six. His dad pledged to do every-
thing he could to connect Chartrand to
his Aboriginal roots.
Chartrand now finds himself drawn
to what he calls “progressive indigenous”
fare. Most of what he prepares as exec-
utive chef at Sage restaurant—located
at Enoch Cree Nation in the Marriott
River Cree Resort and Casino, just
outside Edmonton—can be categorized
as steakhouse cooking, but there’s an
undeniable earthiness to it. And a few
more explicitly Aboriginal options can
be found, too, including smoked bison
brisket and his popular dessert: bannock
served with a reduction of locally grown
Saskatoon berries and maple syrup.
When chef Shane chartrand
Progressive indigenous is also
at the heart of Marrow, a cookbook
Chartrand has penned and hopes to
have published. Among the recipes
it collects are his grandfather’s famed
galette—an unleavened bread similar
to bannock—as well as a dish dubbed
“War Paint,” a smoked game bird with
fresh horseradish and a bold red pepper
handprint to garnish the plate.
“I love edgy, and Aboriginal warriors
always had beautiful regalia and war
paint, so that dish made sense artisti-
cally,” Chartrand says.
The chef also credits his time at Sage
for deepening his Aboriginal knowledge:
“I have the luxury of being surrounded
by a lot of Nations—Siksika, Blackfoot,
Blood. People come to River Cree for
meetings, and a lot of elders and mem-
bers talk to me about their families and
their history.”
It’s those links to the past that help
connect Chartrand to his culture in
the present—both on the table and
in his heart.
Marinate the skirt steak in
apple juice and oil with garlic
and shallots, plus salt and
pepper to taste, for 36 hours.
Boil 2 cups of apple cider
vinegar, with honey and
fresh dill, until the liquid has
reduced by half. set aside.
Slice cucumbers to “sweet
pickle” thickness. submerge
in the reduced pickling
liquid and gently simmer
for 5 minutes. remove the
cucumbers (make sure some
liquid stays on them) and let
cool in the fridge.
rinse mustard seeds and
add them to a small pot with
remaining apple cider vine-
gar, brown sugar and 1 ⁄ 2 cup
of water. cook on medium
heat until seeds are tender.
Slice steak against the grain
into long strips. cook quickly
on a charcoal-fired grill,
caramelizing the outside.
Be careful not to overcook,
as skirt steak can be tough.
Serve with mustard seeds
and pickles piled on top.
(Serves four)
AMA InsIder
wInter 2016
59