Creemore Spring Marinated Grilled Flat Iron is served on the Old Mill Toronto Menu  with warm potato salad, pairs great with a nice beer, a perfect indulgence on a summer’s eve!   

1 16 oz. pc Flat Iron Steak
8 oz. Creemore Springs Beer
4 Cloves of Garlic
1/2 bunch Thyme
1/2 bunch Rosemary

Mix beer with Garlic and Herbs, add the Flat Iron and let marinate in fridge over night.

Pre-heat BBQ to a high temperature 450 – 500 degrees

Add salt and pepper to flat iron liberally (or to taste)

Cook 3-4 mins per side until med rare

If you cook the flat iron past med it will become tough and chewy

Serve with warm potato salad and a nice beer, great on a summer’s eve! 

Compliments of Executive Chef Tim Dunnill

4 lbs ripe tomatoes
olive oil
2 onions chopped
1/2 cup fresh chopped basil
1 t. crushed red pepper
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 6oz. can tomato paste
5 cups chicken broth
salt & pepper as needed
1/2 cup sherry or port
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 t. crushed garlic

Prepare 3 handfuls of wood chips, hickory might be best, by soaking them for 1/2 hour to an hour. Spray the 4 lbs of ripe tomatoes with olive oil and place in a grill basket, preferably one that can be turned. Add 1/2 of the  wood chips over the fire and wait for them to begin to smoke. Roast the tomatoes checking to see when the bottoms begin to blacken.When they have remove the basket and add the rest of the wood chips and roast the other side of the tomatoes until done. This process should take approx. 10 – 20 minutes. The secret is to make sure they get smoke without burning up. They can be covered and used 1 or 2 days later.

Saute 2 chopped onions in olive oil. Add the tomatoes, cut in half, with the tomato juice that has accumulated, 3 bay leaves and 2 t. crushed garlic. Cook together about 10 min. over moderate heat. Add 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil, 1 t. crushed red pepper, 1 1/2 t. cinnamon and 1 6oz can tomato paste. Cook a few minutes until it becomes fragrant. Add 1/2 cup of sherry or port and 5 cups chicken broth. Adjust the soup with salt & pepper. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool and then puree in batches. Reheat when ready to serve.

Goat Cheese Guacamole
1/2 cup Goat Cheese
1 Avocado (peeled & pitted)
1 lime juiced
salt & pepper
In a bowl break avocado into small pieces, add goat cheese, lime, salt and pepper. Mix until folded in but still a little lumpy.

Red Chili Salsa
2 tomatoes (deseed and chopped)
1/2 shallot finely chopped
1 serrano chili or red chili chopped finely
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 bunch of cilantro chopped
Mix all ingredients together

Place Guacamole on bottom of bowl, then a large table spoon of salsa, pour hot soup over and enjoy!!!

Antioxidants are present in foods as vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and polyphenols, among others. Antioxidants have anti-aging effects because they are scavengers of free radicals which are linked with human diseases. Tomatoes are fast becoming one of our favorite modern foods, and for good reason–they can ward off certain kinds of cancer, prevent macular degeneration and cataracts, and help maintain mental function as we age. Tomatoes contain lycopene, a relatively rare member of the carotenoid family, also found in pink grapefruit and twice as powerful as betacarotene. Other studies suggest lycopene can help prevent lung, colon and breast cancers. Tomatoes also contain the antioxidant glutathione, which helps boost immune function.

BBQ – delicious, flavorful, tender, mesquite, heat, outdoors, friends and family, these are the words that come to mind when I think of a BBQ. While at a recent family BBQ, I started to think about the various things you need to consider before you BBQ a perfect steak.

Before you start to BBQ your perfect steak, it is important to allow your steak to reach room temperature, this helps to BBQ a steak faster and more evenly. Don’t forget to season your steak with black pepper and kosher salt, although the seasoning is entirely a personal preference and you can use your favorite seasonings of choice.

Preheat the grill as hot as it will go and before putting on your steaks you should oil the grate. Place each steak on the grill for one minute then turn and grill on the second side for an additional minute. Some BBQ’s have a searing section and this is this is the perfect opportunity to try it out. When placing your steak back on the grill make sure to turn and rotate 45 degrees and grill for half the remaining cooking time turning over only once on the other side for the remaining time to get a nice diamond pattern of grill marks.

Remove your steak from the BBQ when it has reached your desired doneness. You can use the pressure test to check your steak by using your index finger, press down on the middle of your steak, a rare steak will be soft, a medium steak will be firm but will spring back up, a well done steak will be firm with no spring.

Another important trick is to let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before serving. This will allow the natural juices to flow out from the center and redistribute the moisture, leaving you with a perfect, juicy steak.

The tenderness of a steak is another thing to consider before you BBQ your perfect steak. While NY steaks can be seasoned and grilled, other meats, which aren’t as tender, such as flank steak or flat iron steaks need to be marinated a day in advance. Below is a simple marinade you can use the day before barbecuing. Per pound of meat use the following recipe:

• White Balsamic Vinegar 1 L

• Thyme 1 bunch

• Garlic 1 bulb

• Peppercorns Whole 1 oz.

• Bay Leaf 4 Leaves

Allow the meat to marinate overnight in the fridge. When ready to barbecue remove from marinade, season, and barbecue until desired doneness.

A BBQ wouldn’t be complete without The Old Mill Inn’s favorite BBQ sauce recipe to enhance your meat. The great thing about this sauce is its versatility, as it goes well with a lot of different proteins such as chicken, wings, quail, ribs, and pork,

The Old Mill Inn secret BBQ recipe is as follows:

• 1 can of ketchup / 16 FL oz.

• 1 tsp. of mustard seeds

• 5 pcs garlic chopped

• 1 tsp. oregano

• ½ jar chipotle peppers

• 30 grams brown sugar

• 1 Spanish onion chopped

The next time you have friends and family over for a BBQ  keep these suggestions in mind and your guests will be happy and satisfied. Happy barbecuing!

The executive chef at Old Mill Toronto is sharing two popular summer menu ideas, that are easy to prepare and delicious! You will have your guests wanting more.

CRACKED WHEAT SALAD – Serves 2

Cracked Wheat – 3 1/2 cups
Raisins – 1 cup
Dried Cranberries – 1 cup
Sunflower Seeds – 1 cup
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds – 1 cup
Sugar – 1 cup
Cider Vinegar – 1/2 cup
Green Onions – 2 bunches
Roasted Peppers – 1/2 cup
Salt & Pepper – to taste

METHOD:
1.For each cup of cracked wheat you will need 2 cups of water
2. Bring water to a boil, add cracked wheat.
3. Lower temperature to a gentle simmer
4. Let simmer for 15 minutes
Once cracked wheat is cooked (soft enough to eat) and cooled down, add raisins, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, toasted pumpkin seeds, sugar, cider vinegar, green onion, roasted julienne peppers, salt & pepper to taste.

BLUEBERRY AND POMEGRANATE ELIXIR -Serves 2

Fresh Blueberries – 1/2 pint
Pomegranate juice – 3/4 cup
Orange Juice – 3/4 cup
Fresh Ginger – Tsp
Crushed Ice
Blender

METHOD:
1. Add Pomegranate juice, fresh blueberries and orange juice into blender
2. Peel the skin off the ginger
3. Add a teaspoon of ginger to blender
4. Add crushed ice to blender
5. Blend until blueberries are mixed well with juices