Did someone say pancake? (Contest & Recipe!)
Yes, it’s that time of the year again – one of our favourite days of the year, Pancake Tuesday! Today is Mardi Gras, otherwise known as Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, and, most importantly, Pancake Tuesday. At some point tomorrow, many will make a point of sitting down to eat a plate of pancakes.
Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) is the day preceding Ash Wednesday which is the first day of Lent. The word shrove comes from the word ‘shrive’ which means confess and it is traditional on Shrove Tuesday to make a point of self-examination and decide what you need to adjust in your life to become a better or happier person in the future. Traditionally Shrove Tuesday would include a massive feast before the forty days of fasting that lead up to Easter – which is known as Lent. Pancakes are associated with Shrove Tuesday because they are a way to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar before Lent.
Yummy pancake goodness is welcome in the our kitchen but we wanted to shake things up a bit this year with our pancakes.We took to the streets of Toronto and found pancake inspiration from our friend, Matt Basile, creator of Fidel Gastros and his ‘Bigged-up Pancake Pork Burgers’ from Street Food Diaries.
Bigged-up Pancake Pork Burgers
*Serves 5
[Ingredients]
- 1 ½ cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour
- 3 ½ teaspoons (17.5 mL) baking powder
- 2 teaspoons (10 mL) 1 Kosher salt divided
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cups (310 mL) 2% milk
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons (45 mL) melted unsalted butter
- 1 ½ lb (750 g) ground pork
- 1 teaspoon (5mL) garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) all spice
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) black pepper
- 10 slices American cheddar
- 1 cup (250 mL) shredded iceberg lettuce
- 2 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 cup (250 mL) maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
PANCAKES ARE ALL GROWN UP NOW [AND INSTRUCTIONS ON MAKING THEM]
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon (5mL) of the salt, and the sugar.
- Make a center with your fist and pour in the milk, crack in the egg, and add the melted butter. Mix your little heart out until the mixture is smooth.
- Heat a lightly buttered griddle or skillet over medium-high heat, and pour a small ladleful of batter on the griddle. Just keep in the mind the size of your pancake because they will be the bun for your burger and you don’t want them too big or too small. Cook for approximately 4 minutes on each side, or until brown on both sides. Repeat with the remaining batter (approximately 15 small pancakes)
- For the Pork Burgers, season the pork with the remaining 1 teaspoon (5mL) of salt, the garlic powder, all-spice, and pepper. Mix everything well, and use your hands to shape the meat into ten evenly sized patties.
- Grill the burgers in a skillet with a little bit of vegetable oil over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until the juices run clear.
- Build a double-decker pancake burger using three pancakes as buns with two patties, cheese on each patty and topped with lettuce and tomato. Pour maple syrup over it all for pure enjoyment.
Words from the creative genius (the chef) himself:
“Coming up with this dish was actually a lot of fun. I love pancakes. I love sausage cakes. I love burger. hmmmm, how do we take all these elements and make one dish from them? The double-decker pancake pork burger just made sense. Eat it with your hands or with a knife and fork. Use whatever you want – just make sure you don’t leave a drop of syrup behind.” — Matt Basile
To Celebrate we are giving away a copy of Matt Basile’s Street Food Diaries. Click on the image above to be re-directed to the contest page! Contest ends 11:59pm Wed. Feb. 10 (EST) so be sure to get your name in the draw quick!
