1. F~WvLA(AMPBELL
Twyla Campbell is searching Alberta for the best local products and
dishes-then whips them up in delicious homegrown recipes
Alberta's wild game is a perfect complement to the
upcoming season sfresh produce
By Twyla Campbell
Photography by Michele King
F
iring up the barbecue coday reminded me of a conversation that
cook place over Christmas. As I stood in line at a jerk shack in
Jamaica I calked with the young Jamaican man who was turning
pieces of crispy skinned jerk chicken and pork belly. He asked if we bar-
becued in Canada and was amazed to hear my answer. "You barbecue
even when it snows)" He shook his head in disbelief. "Canadians are
crazy, Mon!"
Oh yes, we do love our barbecues, and barbecuing year round is noth-
ing strange to us here and many of us can attest to donning a parka,
stepping on to our snow-covered deck wielding a pair of barbecue tongs
under the light of a winter moon. Bur there's no doubt, once spring and
summer grace us wirh rheir long-awaited presence is truly when we
fully enter and revel in a state of charbroil euphoria. There is nothing
quite like the sweet smoky aroma of meats cooking on a grill that says
the good weather has arrived.
Alberta is a province rich in many resources-food being one of
them-and there has never been a better time to embark on a culinary
expedition in this fortunate province. Thanks to a growing awareness
and acceptance of exotic meats, masters and mistresses of the grill are
set to serve up some very unusual but savoury offerings.
Brent O'Sullivan of Buffalo Valley Variety Meats in Edmonton
acknowledges the growing acceptance of wild game in the province.
"Over the past four or five months, more and mote people have inquired
about wild game. People are surprised to hear we carry muskox and
caribou and that restaurants here are serving it. It's been very educa-
tional; some people don't even know what a muskox is."
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www.lifestylealberta.com Lifestyle Alberta Magazine 23
Edmonton Slow Food'sWild Boar and Beer Barbecue, an annual event
These animals, raised in the wild and hunted by the Inuir, are
processed out of two plants in Nunavut; one in Rankin Inlet and the
other in Cambridge Bay. The meat is federally inspected and offered
ground, and in curs, such as tenderloin, racks and steaks. The animals,
raised on the sparse offerings of Nunavut's tundra, are completely
chemical and antibiotic free; the resulting flavour is rich yet delicate.
Surprisingly, the tenderloin of the caribou is quite small in size, bur
perfect as the crowning glory on a bed of salad greens.

2. F~WvlA CAMPBEll
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Buffalo Variety Meats in Edmonton offers a selection of wild game
including muskox, caribou and bison.
24 Lifestyle Alberta Magazine
Those fortunate to attend Edmonton's Slow Food Wild Boar and
Beer BBQ are familiar with another exotic meat relatively new ro
the marker: wild boar from Hog Wild Special ties near Mayerthorpe,
a town located an hour northwest of Edmonton. The producer, Earl
Hagman, offers his specialry meats to markets around the world. He
credits the growing demand of wild boar to creative chefs and
restaurateurs who offer it on their menus, as well as ro the popular-
ity of the Wild Boar and Beer Barbecue. And although the boar is
offered in curs such as smokies, chops and racks, the most sought
after wild boar product is the prosciutto. Authentic ro the core, this
cured delicacy is crafted by a true native of Sardinia, and offered for
sale exclusively at Buffalo Valley Variety Meats in Edmonton.
l7e'dall rather be out on the deck sipping
refreshments and enjoying a feast of
Alberta's edible bounty than in the kitchen
cooking at the stove.
Another perfect choice for summer grilling is bison. Similar in
taste to beef, bison needs to be cooked at a lower tempera cure and
for less time because of the lack of marbling. This lack of marbling
also means that bison has fewer calories and less cholesterol than
beef, and because it's chemical free, bison meat contains more iron
and protein than its cloven-hoofed cousin.
The key to warm weather cooking is to use the freshesr ingredi-
ents possible in recipes that require little fuss. The first bite of a
garden tomaro, the peppery taste of spring asparagus and heirloom
greens, the rich creaminess of local cheese, makes spring and
summer meals a pleasure to not only eat, bur co prepare as well.
We'd all rather be our on the deck sipping refreshments and enjoy-
ing a feast of Alberta's edible bounty than in the kitchen cooking at
the stove. As eaters, we have never been so lucky and as cooks, a
meal using locally grown herbs and vegetables, and cheeses, breads
and meats the likes of which we've never seen before means those
donning the apron can produce an elegant yet simple meal
jam-packed full of nutrition and one that will surely impress
the guests. Not sure where ro find Alberta's best) A list of Alberta's
culinary resources and seasonal offerings can be found online at
www.chomparoundalberta.com and http://albertafarmfresh.com.
Combine the best of the season with a bit of the odd and
unusual, and you've got all the right ingredients for months of
unforgettable grilling. So before you break open that package of hot
dogs, we invite you first to take a walk on the wild side .•
Twyla Campbell is an Edmonton-based umter, "foodie" and member of the
Slow Food movement, encouraging the use of natural, local food
products. Her husband, returning from a business trip, once brought her the
frozen hind end of a caribou as a present. And she liked it.
www.lifestylealberta.com

3. r
GRILLED ASPARAGUS WRAPPED IN
WILD BOAR PROSCIUTTO WITH
STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC PORT REDUCTION
Serves four
16 asparagus spears, washed and ends trimmed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 slices Wild Boar prosciutto
(Tryand find asparagus spears about the diameter of a pencil.
Nosalt is added as there isenough inthe pros'
1/3 cup strawberry f1av.oured
f1avoure alsamlc vinegar
2/3 cup tawny po
In a small saucepan bring port and balsamic vinegar to a boil, turn heat to low and simmer until
liquid has reduced by 3/4 to a syrup consistency (about 20 minutes).
Turn off heat but leave the saucepan on the element.
Coat the asparagus with olive oil and place on a grillat medium-low heat. Cookapproximately
2 minutes, turn and cook for 2 minutes laMer. Watch these carefully; you don't want them to
burn but to achieve a lightly charred st~ indicating that the sugars have caramelized. Remove
from heat and wrap 2 spears with one slice of prosciutto. Drizzlewith balsamic reduction.
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lifestyle Alberta Magazine 2S