a blog for North Rangers

When I was a kid, I would be riding home from a friend’s house as the street lights came on.   The air getting colder and the smell of chimney smoke in the air, I wanted comfort food.   Moms pot roast, some beef short ribs or maybe even a lamb shank if I was lucky.  What do they all have in common?   They are all braised low and slow in the oven.     Oh, what a magical science braising is.   It takes the cheap and tough yet flavourful cuts of meats and makes them into something mouth watering and amazing,...

Read more

Cooking a steak in a frying pan is as classic as it gets, yet it requires some finesse.   Its all about the basics.   From one chef to another, let me fill you in on a few of the things you can to do perfect your technique.   Use a solid bottomed pan or a cast iron pan. A thicker pan will hold heat better and give you a better sear. When you use a cheaper, thinner pan it can cool down some when you put the steak in the pan and it will let some of the juices out before you...

Read more

Let me begin by saying I love and hate pot roast.  To clarify, I love to eat it, but I HATE cooking it.   Done right, it’s a buttery tender piece of meat with veggies, potatoes and gravy all in one pot that just spells flavour.   It’s a great cold weather dish that can be done in very few pots, if not just 1, depending on your method of choice.  You can put it on in the morning with very little effort and cook it low and slow all day long to build those flavors and get that tender, falling...

Read more

Sous Vide -

Sous Vide is a widely misunderstood method of cooking and often a topic of conversation among chefs and foodies alike.   French for “Under Vacuum”, its simply sealing meats in a bag, submerging it in water, and cooking at a precise temperature.   Why is this a good thing you ask?   Well it’s a set it and forget it method of cooking perfect, juicy meat every time.  With Sous Vide, not only do you seal in any flavour that you put in the bag, you’re also letting it cook gently so your not stressing out the meat.   Let’s have a look at...

Read more

I’m not a food historian but I have often wondered about how food was kept before refrigeration. How did armies travel so far on foot and still be able to eat? How did the sailing ships of the 1800’s keep their crew happy and healthy? Preservation of food has been a key part of the development of the world as we know it. Lets look at techniques and where they came from.     Brining and curing. On the great sailing ships of the 1800s they would need to feed a crew of 50 people or more for months on...

Read more

bbq, sauce, summer -

We are gathered here today to talk about barbecue, specifically the sauces that make it so lip smacking good.   Barbecue is such a personal thing.  A connection between pit master, meat, sauce and seasoning.   We can spend all day talking about cuts, smoke, temperature, resting and everything else that comes with barbecue but lets focus on one thing.   Now,  I can tell you the perfect recipe for Kansas City Barbecue sauce and I’m wrong before I publish it.  No one agrees on what makes the perfect sauce but there are some key aspects that make each area a little different. ...

Read more

Calgary’s best home delivered premium meat service, North Range Craft Butchers, was back at it again this April. And if home delivery wasn’t enough, we’ve broadened our horizons to help out our good friends down at the Calgary Zoo. We were called to action by the head zookeepers to bring a little cheer for the hardworking employees down at one of the last remaining spots still open. Yes! You heard that right, the Zoo is still open for business. And they are the perfect retreat to cure those stir crazy blues. Tickets are available for purchase at https://www.calgaryzoo.com/Zooventure.  Speaking of...

Read more

INTRODUCING OUR SAUCY FRIENDS AT BOW VALLEY BBQ! Bow Valley BBQ is all about flavour and quality. Period.   Founded by chef and entrepreneur, Jamie Ayles in 2012, Jamie and Chris Dean, Head of Product Development, had an ambitious goal: to create high-quality, restaurant worthy products. Both with culinary backgrounds as executive chefs in the Bow Valley area and abroad, their experience granted them the ability to create the exceptional flavours Bow Valley BBQ is internationally acclaimed for today.     Using only REAL ingredients to keep things simple and maintain the highest standards of products, Bow Valley’s mad love...

Read more

Our blue spotlighted recipe for Beef Chuck Short Ribs is brought to you by Chef Darnell Japp ( @chefd_catering). Chef D grew up on a small farm about 20 miles outside of Eston, Saskatchewan. He began his career at the Calgary Winter Club after graduating from the SAIT Culinary program with a Red Seal Distinction. From modest beginnings, Chef D progressed his culinary career to the top of his field. Including being the Executive Sou-Chef at Rouge in 2010 when his restaurant was awarded 60th place on the S. Pellegrino top 100 restaurants in the world. For those of you,...

Read more

bbq, steak -

Those lucky enough to travel the world from Canada before Covid-19 times distinctly remember the time in their travels that they thought about a BBQed steak and frites. Like a death-row meal, they dream it up in their minds and try to chase the flavour and pleasure. Likewise, those same people try to rid themselves of the nightmare of a bone-dry, hardened grey strip loin that never stood a chance on a hot grill. The difference is stark, but the solution may not come down to getting a better BBQ? It turns out that not all steaks are made the...

Read more

Leave us your email and get exclusive deals starting right now!

Including 15% off your first order!

Bucket Limit Full !!