Meet the Chef: Ian McHale drives Wildebeest's nose-to-tail cookery
Credit to Author: Randy Shore| Date: Wed, 12 Feb 2020 19:00:27 +0000
Ian McHale fuses an old-school approach to food with contemporary technique in pursuit of Wildebeest’s farm-to-table ethos.
He takes pride in collaborating with local farmers and butchers to run the Gastown hotspot’s innovative nose-to-tail culinary program; and he relishes the gastronomical freedom he has to work with offal and other unique cuts of meat, and spearheads the restaurant’s 100-per cent in-house charcuterie program.
In May 2016, McHale came to Vancouver to be sous chef at Wildebeest and was soon promoted to chef de cuisine before rising to the role of executive chef in 2018.
Q: What motivates and inspires you as a chef?
A: The fact that we’re committed to working with small, independent farmers and foragers. I never know what new and interesting products they will bring through our doors. They are the reason we continue to change up the menu every week, keeping it fresh for our guests.
Q: How would you describe the type of food you like to cook?
A: I am not necessarily tied down to a specific type of cuisine or style. I pride myself on cooking what is local, seasonal and sustainable. It is incredible what grows here in B.C., and sometimes even surprising. I take great pleasure in preserving ingredients for next year; it gives us a bountiful larder to pull from in the winter months.
Q: What might diners not know about you?
A: I always wear funky socks — I am currently rocking my Star Wars socks!
Q: Describe a couple of your most recent creations.
A: We deal with a farm in Princeton that does the only pureblood Canadian Wagyu beef. It is super small scale and only produces four animals a year. We’ve made a beautiful tartare dish from that animal and served it with pickled cucumbers from Cropthorne Farms on Westham Island, grated horseradish from Local Harvest in Chilliwack, house-made mustard, and shallots.
Q: What’s your favourite local product and how do you use it?
A: Tree tips — it truly embodies our philosophy here at Wildebeest and the Pacific Northwest. Each tree tip is wildly different from the other. We use tree tips in infused vinegar, house-made mustard, ice cream, infused salt, sugar, sauce, and caramel.
Q: If there’s one important piece of advice you might have for home cooks, what might that be?
A: Get outside of your comfort zone with food: Go to the farmer’s market, buy local and in-season ingredients, learn from a farmer, try new vegetables you may have never heard of, and be a local hero.
1 tbsp (15 mL) canola oil
7 oz (200 g) Wagyu beef
1 ½ inch (3.5 cm) piece of fresh horseradish
1 tsp (5 mL) gherkins, small dice
1 tsp (5 mL) shallots, small dice
Chili flakes, to taste
1 tsp (5 mL) whole grain mustard
1 lemon, juiced
Sea salt, to taste
2 medium eggs
Warm a sauté pan on high heat and add canola oil. Once the oil begins to smoke, quickly sear the meat for a few seconds on all sides. Place in fridge to cool.
Once cooled, shave off seared meat and place into freezer for a minimum of one hour, along with horseradish. Once meat has chilled, slice into 1/4-inch (1/2 cm) strips and then dice into 1/4-inch cubes. Place in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and add in gherkins, mustard, shallots, chili flakes and lemon juice. Once meat is sufficiently seasoned, place into serving bowls.
Crack both eggs to separate the yolks. Make a divot with your spoon in the beef mixture and gently place the yolk in it. Remove horseradish from the freezer and gently microplane over meat. Serve with your favourite potato chips or fresh sourdough toast.
Makes 2 servings.
CLICK HERE to report a typo.
Is there more to this story? We’d like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. Email vantips@postmedia.com