Food On The Table

Growing up, the foods we ate were based on two things, what we had and what we could afford. This is still the case today. Like then and now, sometimes what we have and can afford is related, and sometimes it is a simple matter of distance, with the closest grocery being 45 miles away. The above reasons created some great cooks in my family and earned my mother, my sisters and myself the ability to turn nothing into something.

So a couple of weeks ago when I was reading through the comments on our Wild Idea face-book fan page of a Monday food photo, there was a comment that stuck with me. It said: “I would have thought you would be a company that supported Meatless Monday’s!” It stuck with me not because I don’t believe we shouldn’t have meatless meals, (we are proponents of eating meat – but less of it) but that we have to be told what day to have meatless meals? If we don’t follow the Meatless Monday movement, will we be removed from the “in” food group? What if all you have on Monday is meat? Why not meatless Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s, Thursday’s? I realize Meatless Mondays is catchy, but so is Meaty Mondays.

In 1900 Americans spent around 45% of their income on food. Today we spend under 10%. What that 10% consist of for each of us, is not only a personal choice based on our tastes, beliefs and income, but also a cultural one. There are perfectly healthy peoples that have been eating blood, blubber and meat for thousands of years, or others where horse meat is a staple and others where vegetables and grains are the main source of their diet. Working with a lot of our Native American brothers, I can tell you that vegetables are not highly consumed.  But for so many of us, we eat what we have and are grateful for it.

That said, we all know more about the foods we eat then we ever have before, and we all probably do the best that we can. Wild Idea’s responsibility and platform has always been: 1.) To raise a healthy product that is good for the land, good for the animals and good for you. 2.) To educate and provide information, assisting the consumer in making their personal food choices.

We hope that Wild Idea Buffalo meat is a choice for you and your families. We promise to hold true to our principles and to not mind what days of the week are meatless!

The below recipes is for one of our featured cuts in this months monthly special. Super easy, healthy and oh so delicious! Cheers. Jill

Jerk Tri-Tip with Orange Glaze and Bulgar Wheat Salad (serves 4)

We use a Wild Idea beautiful Buffalo Tri-Tip roast  for this recipe, and marinade in our house jerk seasonings. The meat is butter knife tender and packed with flavor. The bulgar wheat salads natural nuttiness compliment the jerk flavors nicely and required no additional seasonings. Season to taste, as you like.

Ingredients:

• 1 – 1 lb. Marinated Buffalo Tri-Tip Roast
• *optional jerk seasoning
• reserve marinade
• ¼ – cup orange marmalade
• ½ – cup bulgar wheat
• ½ – cup water
• 1 – tablespoon olive oil
• ½ – of two colored bell peppers, finely diced
• 2 – green onions, finely slivered
• 2 – tablespoons cilantro, finely diced

Preparation:

1. Place bulgar wheat and water in bowl, cover and let rest for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 450*. Remove roast from marinade, shaking off excess. Rub with a teaspoon of Jerk seasoning if desired. (This will cause the roast to blacken a bit more.)
3. Place heavy cast iron skillet over high heat to heat through. Place roast in hot pan and sear all sides of roast. About 4 minutes. Place hot pan with roast in preheated oven and roast for 8 minutes for medium rare.
4. Remove roast from oven and pan and place on cutting board. Cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
5. While roast is in oven, sauté vegetables in olive oil over medium high heat for 3 minutes. Add softened bulgar wheat and mix together. Set aside, until ready to serve. Can be made ahead and flash reheated or served at room temperature.
6. Place reserved marinade in saucepan and bring to a full boil, and allow to reduce for a couple of minutes. Whisk in orange marmalade until well incorporated. Reduce heat to low until ready to serve.
7. Slice roast on the bias into desired thickness.

To serve, arrange sliced meat on bulgar wheat salad and drizzle with *Orange Glaze.

*If you are uncomfortable using reserved marinade as a sauce base for the Orange Glaze, try this instead:Melt 1 Tb. butter in saucepan with 1 teaspoon jerk seasoning, add ½ cup pineapple juice and reduce as above, and continue with marmalade. Jerk seasoning available at most groceries.

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