Asian flavours enhance this beef dish from Hugo’s Grill in Victoria

Warm wood, fresh flowers, fruit, and friendly faces greet visitors to Magnolia Hotel & Spa in Victoria, BC. The boutique hotel is just a few minutes’ walk to the provincial capital’s picturesque Inner Harbour, close to some of Victoria’s best shopping, art galleries, and restaurants, and features luxurious touches like Aveda products in guest rooms and the spa.

The hotel offers two choices for eating: the casual Hugo’s Brewhouse, where the hotel’s microbrewery has elicited a fond local following of ale aficionados, and Hugo’s Grill, specializing in Pacific Northwest cuisine. That’s where Executive Chef Patrick Lynch presides, creating delicious dishes like the one featured here.

Patrick was awarded a grand diploma from L’école Cordon Bleu in London, England in 1996, and over the following decade he has worked at that city’s renowned Claridges Hotel, as Executive Chef at the Australian embassy in Cambodia, and as Head Chef in Vancouver’s Monsoon restaurant.

To delight our palates this fall and winter, Chef Patrick shares his Asian-inspired Charred Rare Beef. The recipe is designed as an appetizer, but if you’d like to serve it as a main course, you can double the recipe, and serve with vermicelli pasta. Chef’s wine recommendation is a Blasted Church Gewürztraminer.

CHARRED RARE BEEF

Method: Combine all citrus juice and zest with the sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce and chili. Grill beef (to char rare) and let it rest before slicing. In separate bowls, dress the beef with half of all remaining ingredients. Dress the cucumber with the other half of the remaining ingredients. Place beef in the centre of a plate and arrange cucumber on top. Drizzle any remaining dressing around and garnish with roasted peanuts.