Ryan Stone has worked around the world at Michelin-starred restaurants — often in high-end eateries where food costs didn’t matter and special ingredients were even flown in by helicopter. Now at BC Place Stadium (Vancouver), one of the dishes the chef is most proud of is a hot dog.
For the wiener, Chef Stone enlisted the help of Drews Driessen, a fifth generation German charcuterie master who now owns D-Original Sausage in Vancouver.
“I went to him and I asked him if he could help me, if he would do this hot dog for me,” Stone explained. “And he told me if anyone else would have asked him, then he would have sent them packing.
The hot dog is all real beef and pork, with no unnatural preservatives, no binders, no emulsifiers and no fillers.
After taking care of the meat, Stone took just as much care in developing what would envelop it. He went to an artisan baker for a bun prototype. “It’s always important to match the texture of your bread to the filling of any sandwich,” he said.
To take it a step further, Stone also makes the ketchup and mustard in-house. ”For the mustard, Stone soaks mustard seed in a local beer for 24 hours. He then adds fresh horseradish, honey, sea salt and, lastly, vinegar.
It may seem like a long process for a simple dish, but it’s all part of Stone’s philosophy, which is “finding something that’s local and that’s locally relevant, and making food out of that,” he explained. “So whether it’s a three-Michelin-star entrée or a hot dog, I use that same approach to the food.”
Contact: (604) 661-7238
Exec. Chef Ryan Stone
BC Place Stadium, Vancouver, B.C.
Centerplate
Raised in the Vancouver area, Ryan Stone traveled the world before returning home and working at BC Place Stadium. His resume lists locations in London, Paris, Germany, Hong Kong and Australia, and about 15 Michelin-starred restaurants as employers.
His position at the stadium, however, still challenges him, in a positive way. “It’s the most unique [position I’ve held] because we do everything at the stadium. You do everything from a hot dog to truffles to fois gras here,” he said. “There are always opportunities to improve and enhance the food experience, serving so many people with such a range of preferences.”
Natural casing hot dog with house-made ketchup and mustard
Served with kettle chips $9
Pairs with Stanley Park 1987 Amber, a local beer
