TORONTO — The Park Hyatt in Toronto hosted a Bourbon and Beef Barbecue as part of its 2012 Masters of Food and Wine series, welcoming invitees as they celebrated the summer solstice while tasting six bourbons.
Joan Monfaredi, executive chef, Park Hyatt, created culinary accompaniments for the bourbon. “What I’d hoped to achieve was to give a tasting of different cuts of beef, an opportunity to have everyone taste the different choice cuts. A little education and ultimately, provide a great evening. Plus bourbon and beef just go together nicely,” said Monfaredi.
The sampling of beef included Black Angus hors d’oeuvres and a Black Angus tenderloin carpaccio starter, made from beef aged 21 to 28 days. The main meal, a Spring Creek steroid- and antibiotic-free, 35-day aged tenderloin cut was served with a side of gorgonzola gnocchi and rosemary-roasted cream potatoes.
Mixologist Matt Jones, an official whisky ambassador from the U.S.-based Beam Global that crafts and produces spirits, conducted a tasting of six products. “Bourbon is the fastest-growing category at the L.C.B.O. in Ontario,” said Jones. “There used to be six, now there are 36 bourbons at the L.C.B.O.” Jones encouraged the crowd of some 40 tasters to nose each whisky carefully, then “chew the bourbon for about four or five seconds in your mouth and finish.”
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