A Thanksgiving Recipe From Chef Susur Lee

Yes chef! Milk Masters, the three-part series cookoff between Ontario’s top chefs is now LIVE to stream on CTV.ca. Watch as five chefs, alongside host Jess Allen, judges Claudio Aprile and Erica Karbelnik, and panel of star-studded guest judges, Susur Lee, Mary Berg, and Nadège Nourian take on the challenge of elevating our favourite everyday meals. Only one winner at the end will be officially crowned the new Milk Master, and lock in a $10,000 donation to their favourite local food charity.

The excitement doesn’t stop there: warm up your kitchens because after watching the season two premiere you’ll be inspired to cook like a pro. Luckily, guest judge and Ontario culinary legend, Susur Lee is sharing his recipe for Asian-Style Ontario Milk Braised Beef with Mashed Leek Potatoes and Horseradish Cream: a comforting fall-inspired dish that will make you the Milk Master of your own kitchen! Perfect for your Thanksgiving spread. See recipe below. —Vita Daily

Asian-Style Ontario Milk Braised Beef with Mashed Leek Potatoes and Horseradish Cream

Ingredients

Mashed Potatoes

• – 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• – 4 tablespoons Ontario butter
• – 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced and rinsed
• – 1 cup Ontario milk cheese curd
• – 1/2 cup Ontario milk (or more as needed)
• – Salt and pepper to taste

Asian-Style Braised Beef

• – 6 oz (170g) beef short rib or chuck, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
• – 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• – 1/2 small onion, sliced
• – 2 garlic cloves, minced
• – 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• – 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• – 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• – 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
• – 1/2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• – 1/2 teaspoon chili paste or sriracha (optional, for heat)
• – 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
• – 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• – 1 star anise (optional)
• – 1 small cinnamon stick (optional)
• – 1/2 cup Ontario milk/yogurt mixture

Horseradish Cream

• – 1/4 cup Ontario sour cream
• – 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• – 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• – Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cheese curds

1. In a small pot, combine plain yogurt and milk. Heat on medium-high until it begins to simmer gently.

2. Whisk in lemon juice and let the mixture simmer for about 3 minutes, until curds form and the whey becomes clear.

3. Gently stir the bottom of the pot using a rubber spatula to ensure the curds are separating.

4. Carefully strain the curds through a cheesecloth, squeezing out any excess liquid.

1. Keep remaining milk whey aside for braising beef

1. Mashed Potatoes

   – Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and return to the pot.

   – Sauté leeks in 2 tablespoons butter until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Purée the leeks.

   – Mash potatoes with remaining butter, adding milk until desired consistency. Stir in puréed leeks,  cheese curd , and season with salt and pepper.

2. Asian-Style Braised Beef

   – Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Sear beef until browned; set aside.

   – Sauté onion, garlic, and ginger in the same pot until fragrant.

   – Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, chili paste, five-spice powder, black pepper, star anise, and cinnamon stick.

   – Return beef to the pot, add remaining milk whey, and brown sugar. Simmer on low for 1.5 to 2 hours until beef is tender. Remove star anise and cinnamon stick.

3. Horseradish Cream

   – Mix sour cream, horseradish, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

4. Assemble

   – Plate mashed potatoes, add braised beef, and top with horseradish cream. Garnish with green onion and cilantro.