With Mother’s Day fast approaching on May 10, brunch hot spots across the city—like the trendy Red Wagon (2296 East Hastings Street)—are preparing for one of the busiest Sundays of the year.

But if you want to make dinner for your mom at home instead, Red Wagon’s chef de cuisine, Matthew Thompson, suggests one of his favourite childhood meals. It isn’t offered at the restaurant; he saves it for special occasions. When Thompson was growing up in southern Ontario’s Niagara region, his mother often made beef goulash, and he says the hearty dish is perfect for a big family feast.

“Growing up, my parents were always super busy working different jobs; they had a sugar bush, so my mom would occasionally make a hearty soup or a big stew,” Thompson recalls, remembering the hard work his parents put into harvesting maple syrup.

“That way, we could eat it for days when we were all super busy.”

Thompson’s first stint in a kitchen began at age 14 at a resort in the Niagara region. Eventually working under renowned chef Tony DeLuca, he went on to study culinary arts at George Brown College in Toronto.

The 35-year-old chef made his first trip to Vancouver 13 years ago when he spent a winter cooking at Grouse Mountain “just to get my feet wet”. In 2012, Thompson decided to return and he’s been living and working in the city ever since, with the last six months at the Red Wagon.

When asked what makes Vancouver’s food scene unique, Thompson says that the diversity of local products and proximity to fresh ingredients are hard to ignore.

“There are always a plethora of things you can get at an arm’s reach. Everything’s here, and there are a lot of farmers and great suppliers around, so we know who we’re dealing with,” he says.

Thompson says this time of year is ideal for foodies who like to experiment in the kitchen.

“The springtime is a good time for a lot of produce, and all the great things start coming into bounty. It’s a great time to play with stuff.”

While Thompson likes cooking in Vancouver, his goal is to eventually open a French-inspired restaurant in the Okanagan. He compares that area of B.C. to the Niagara region—there’s less urban hustle and bustle, but suppliers are still abundant.

For Mother’s Day, he offers his mom’s goulash recipe below, which he’s tweaked to include bison instead of beef. He likes bison from Alberta’s Canadian Rangeland farms, which you can buy in North Vancouver at Two Rivers Specialty Meats (180 Donaghy Avenue).

“It’s a great product,” says Thompson of the meat, which is slightly leaner and more textured than beef. He serves the gou­­lash over pommes purée but notes that spaetzle, gnocchi, or even buttered noodles make a good alternative.

Thompson suggests pairing the dish with a strongly hopped ale or a rich red wine such as a Bordeaux.

Matthew Thompson’s bison goulash

Ingredients

3 lb (1 1/3 kg) boneless bison chuck, preferably chuck flats
1 Tbsp (15 mL) canola oil
3 carrots, roughly chopped on the bias
2 onions, coarsely diced
2 Tbsp (30 mL) ground caraway seeds
2 Tbsp (30 mL) paprika
3 Tbsp + 1 tsp (50 mL) balsamic vinegar
8 cups (2 L) demi-glace or 12 cups (3 L) beef stock
2 Tbsp (30 mL) tomato paste
3 red bell peppers, cored and coarsely diced
3 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 garlic cloves, minced
Crème fraîche or sour cream for garnish (optional)

Method

1. Cut bison into 1.5-inch chunks and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add canola oil. Add bison and sear until deep brown in colour. Do this in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pan so that the meat doesn’t steam in its own juices. Once seared, remove meat from pan and set aside.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add carrots and onions. Sauté for a few minutes until browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. Add caraway seeds and paprika, and toast to perfume for a few minutes. Add balsamic vinegar to deglaze.
5. Add seared meat, carrots, and onions back into the pot, then slowly pour in demi-glace or beef stock.
6. Gradually stir in tomato paste, bell peppers, bay leaves, thyme, and garlic. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer covered for 1.5 to 2 hours. Stir occasionally and skim off fat periodically. Add more stock to thin the stew if necessary. To finish, season with salt and pepper.
7. Serve over pommes purée, spaetzle, gnocchi, or buttered noodles. If desired, top with crème fraîche or sour cream.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

Recipe has not been tested by the Georgia Straight.