2025 Taste Canada Cooks the Books
presented by Canadian Beef
Middle Eastern Flank Steak with Brie Rice Cake and Sumac Butter Sauce
Recipe by: Student Chefs Kevin Jenkins and Liam MacPhail
Team: Culinary Institute of Canada | Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Radiant with autumnal oranges, reds, and browns, this dish showcases the exciting spices of the Middle East while utilizing French techniques and Canadian ingredients. Flank steak is marinated with Middle Eastern flavors, complemented by a brie-stuffed rice cake, roasted seasonal vegetables tossed with brown rice dukkah, and finished with a sumac butter sauce and creamy squash purée.
Middle Eastern Flank Steak with Brie Rice Cake and Sumac Butter Sauce
Ingredients
Beef Flank Steak
- 2 lb (1 kg) PEI Certified Beef Flank Steak
- 2 Spanish onions grated
- 12 cloves garlic smashed
- 4 lemons juiced and zested
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4 tbsp (60 mL) paprika
Savoury Brie Rice Cake
- 1 cup (250 mL) Dainty® Long Grain and Wild Rice Blend
- 2 cups (500 mL) water
- 2 tsp (10 mL) salt
- 1 tsp (5 mL) black pepper
- 9 oz (250 g) Lactalis Brie, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice
- ½ cup (125 mL) cranberries, halved
- Oil for searing
Brown Rice Dukkah
- ½ cup (125 mL) Dainty® Long Grain and Wild Rice Blend
- ¼ cup (62 mL) canola oil
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) za’atar seasoning
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) toasted sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt to taste
Buttercup Squash Purée
- ½ medium buttercup squash peeled and diced
- 4 tbsp (60 mL) Lactalis Unsalted Butter
- 1 cup (250 mL) Lactalis 35% Whipping Cream
- Salt to taste
Roasted Seasonal Vegetables
- ½ medium cauliflower cut into florets
- 1 lb (500 g) rainbow carrots, quartered lengthwise
- ½ lb (250 g) cinnamon cap mushrooms (or shiitake, if unavailable)
- 4 tbsp (60 mL) Lactalis Unsalted Butter
- Salt to taste
Sumac Butter Sauce
- ¾ cup (175 mL) red wine
- ¾ cup water 175 mL
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) sumac
- 6 tbsp (90 mL) Lactalis Unsalted Butter
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Beef Flank Steak:
- Preheat thermal circulator to 130°F (54°C). Trim and cut steaks into desired sizes. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Grate onions and combine with smashed garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil. Place steak in sous-vide bags with marinade, seal, and cook for 40 minutes, ensuring meat stays fully submerged.
Savoury Brie Rice Cake:
- Combine rice, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low; cook for 20 minutes. Rest 5 minutes. Stir in cranberries and half the diced brie while the rice is warm; season with salt and pepper. Pack mixture into cylindrical molds and top with remaining brie and cranberries. Chill for 10 minutes. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sear cakes until golden and crisp. Prior to service, flash cakes in the oven to warm and melt cheese.
Brown Rice Dukkah:
- Boil rice briefly until grains just begin to soften; drain immediately. Heat oil in a pan at a medium-high temperature, add rice, and fry until crisp and golden. Drain and pulse in a spice grinder to a coarse texture. Combine with toasted sesame seeds, za’atar, parsley, and salt. Set aside.
Buttercup Squash Purée:
- Sauté squash in butter in a saucepan until softened and lightly browned. Add cream and salt, then simmer until squash is fork-tender. Transfer to a blender and purée until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve and keep warm.
Roasted Seasonal Vegetables:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Blanch carrots in salted water until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Roast mushrooms and cauliflower florets in the oven for 20 minutes or until soft. Before service, sauté vegetables in butter and finish with a sprinkle of brown rice dukkah.
Sumac Butter Sauce:
- Steep sumac in water for 5 minutes to create tea. Combine red wine and sumac tea in a small saucepan. Reduce by three-quarters, ensuring sauce does not come to a boil. Whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to create an emulsion. Season with salt to taste. Keep warm.
- Remove steak from sous vide, pat dry, and brush with paprika. Sear on all sides over high heat until a dark crust forms. Tent with foil and rest for 5 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain.
- To serve, spread a semicircle of squash purée on the plate. Place the rice cake at one end, along with roasted vegetables and sliced flank steak. Spoon sumac butter sauce between the steak and purée.
Notes
If the butter sauce is too tart, balance with a touch of honey.
Torch the top of the rice cakes for colour and texture before plating.
Garnish with micro arugula, lemon juice, and sea salt
The 2025 student chefs selected a unique cut of beef for their recipe by exploring a new web-based education tool, the Canadian Beef Information Gateway. The Gateway has information on over 70 cuts of beef with cut descriptions, complete nutrition info per cut, how-to-cook recommendations, over 300+ recipe videos and more.
Taste Canada Cooks the Books presented by Canada Beef is a cooking competition that invites Canadian culinary students from across the nation to compete for the title of Canada’s Best New Student Chefs. The theme for this year's competition was “Global Flavours Grow in Canada”, which challenged the students to explore the rich tapestry of global cuisines and cultural influences that have shaped their culinary journeys. Drawing from one or more cultural cuisines or heritage(s) that has inspired their culinary journey, students were challenged to develop a unique recipe using a variety of Canadian ingredients, branded partner products, and a unique cut of Canadian AAA beef.
Using the Canadian Beef Information Gateway, a web-based platform, students were able to explore all that Canadian Beef has to offer.
This year's kitchen battle took place in the beautiful professional kitchen at Cirillo's Academy in Toronto. The student chefs prepared their dishes, start to finish, live in front of the crowd while being scored by two Culinary Federation international gold medal-winning chefs. Then, competitors presented their dishes to the judges' panel for tasting. The winners were announced during the Taste Canada Awards Soirée, with the Gold Winning team taking home a $3,000 bursary, some amazing kitchen swag and the title of Taste Canada’s Best New Student Chefs!
Photo Credits: Cathy Connally, Charley Best and Stephen Chu
Special Thanks to the 2025 Taste Canada Cooks the Books Sponsors:
Presented by Canadian Beef
