*Adaptation from Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles During our recent trip to France for Dan’s Wild Idea book tour we dined at many fantastic restaurants. One dish that we noticed served often and in copious amounts, was Steak Tartare. Upon returning to South Dakota I decided to replicate this recipe with 100% grass-fed buffalo sirloins for a delicious, light, and elegant dish. Ingredients: (serves 2 to 3 entree’s or serve as an hors d’oeuvre) 2 – 6oz. Wild Idea Buffalo Sirloin Steaks, slice very thin and coarse chopped (or any of Wild Idea’s prime steaks) 1 – tablespoon Dijon 2 – anchovy filets, minced 1 –teaspoon ketchup ½ – teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 4 – good shacks of hot sauce 1½ – tablespoons olive oil 2 – green onions, finely chopped 1 – tablespoon capers, rinsed 1 – tablespoon tart gherkins, finely chopped 4 – sprigs Italian parsley, finely chopped 8 – grinds black pepper salt to taste 1 – tablespoon, freshly squeezed lemon juice Preparation: 1) Prep and measure all ingredients but steak and lemon juice, and mix together. 2) Add chopped bison steak and mix with your hands to incorporate evenly. Can be made a few hours ahead of time. * We had leftovers the next day and it was still fabulous! 3) Squeeze in lemon juice just before serving and stir into Tartare. Press into molds of desired portion and press tightly into the mold. 4) Invert onto plate, removing the mold. Serve with salad greens, potato chips, toast points, or crackers.
Bone Broth
Buffalo Bone Broth Customers often inspire me to come up with recipes. A couple of weeks ago I was visiting with a women on the phone who was ill, and her doctor had recommended buffalo broth. He suggested boiling the bones for hours because what was inside those bones was what she needed. The health benefits of consuming this magic elixir continue to be proven, including lowering blood sugar levels for those who live with diabetes. Wild Idea Buffalo has a strong following of customers who use the bone broth as preventive medicine. This recipe is a bit of a lengthy process, and will take you two days to make. But, it’s worth it, and it’s the only way to get the maximum benefits of all of the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and amino acids inside the bones. You won’t be sorry for the time invested, as the end result is not only healthy, but also super delicious! For preparing, you will want a larger pot as you simmer at a higher heat. This will help keep liquids in the pot. You will also want a heavy lid to keep the steam from escaping. Enjoy the broth alone, or serve over rice with the shredded shank meat. Ingredients: 1 – 3.5 lb. pkg. Wild idea Buffalo Shank Steaks 1 – 2 lb. pkg. Wild Idea Buffalo Soup Bones Water 2 large Daikon radishes, peeled and quartered 1 onion, quartered 2 cloves garlic, halved + 2 cloves garlic, chopped Salt (to taste) Garnish Options: 1 bunch radishes, sliced fresh grated ginger or pickled ginger Instructions: Wash bones and shank meat under cold water. Soak bones and shank meat in cold water for 2 hours. Rinse bones again under cold water. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil, add washed bones and shank meat, bring to full boil. Boil for 20 minutes. Strain bones and meat and rinse under cold water. Rinse pot thoroughly to remove any fat particles. Return bones to pot and add 4 more quarts water. Bring to a boil, and boil for 30 minutes. Add the radish, cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 3 hours. Strain liquids into a container, cover and refrigerate. Pull meat from bones and reserve for a later use. Return the bones with onion to pot and add 3 quarts of water. Over high heat, bring to a full rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 3 hours. Drain the bones, reserving the milky broth. Cover and place in refrigerator. Remove the first reserved liquids from refrigerator and skim fat off the top. Return Bones and first reserved liquids back to pot. Add 2 cloves garlic and 3 quarts of water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for an additional 3½ hours. Strain bones, reserving broth. Cover broth and refrigerate overnight. (Optional: You may want to save bones for serving.) Remove both containers of broth from the refrigerator and remove any fat from the top. Marry both gelatinous broths into one pot, and bring to full heat. Season with salt to taste, starting with a little and adding until milky broth has full flavor.Meat Option: While bones are simmering, mix 3 Tbl. Bragg Liquid Aminos (Natural Soy) or Soy Sauce, 3 Tbl. Sesame Oil, 2 Tbl. green onion, chopped + 1 bunch of green onions, sliced, ½ tsp. black pepper and 2 tsp. red pepper flake together. Toss mixture with reserved Shank meat. Add shredded meat to bowl.
BUFFALO IRISH CODDLE
Buffalo Irish Coddle (serves 8) This traditional Irish dish was often made from leftovers, using whatever vegetables were available. Feel free to change to you liking or availability. The light broth allows the flavors of each ingredient to come through, and although hearty, is also light. And, it’s so good! Enjoy. Ingredients: 1 – 8 ounce package Wild Idea Buffalo Bacon 1 – 1 pound package Wild Idea Buffalo Brats 2 – tablespoons olive oil 3 – organic onions, sliced ¼” thick and quartered 2 – quarts organic chicken broth 1½ – pound organic baby golden potatoes, sliced 4 – cups organic carrots, peeled and sliced 1 – turnip, peeled and cubed 1 – cup parsley, chopped 2 – teaspoons black pepper 1 – teaspoon salt 2 – teaspoons dried thyme *Optional – ¼ teaspoon cayenne Preparation: 1) In heavy stockpot over medium high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil, and add half of the bacon. Cook, turning once until slightly crispy. Place cooked bacon on a paper bag or paper towel. Repeat with remaining bacon. 2) Add the brats to the pan, and allow to brown, turning occasionally. 3) Remove brats, and place on a paper bag or paper towel. 4) Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil, heat and add onions. Cook for about ten minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. 5) While onions are cooking, chop cooked buffalo bacon and cut brats into ½” slices. 6) Add most of the bacon bake to the pot, reserving a little to sprinkle on top, for garnish. Stir to incorporate. 7) Add stock to the pot and bring to a full boil. Add vegetables, half of the parsley and seasonings, and bring to a full boil again. 8) Reduce heat to low, add the sliced buffalo brats, and simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender. 9) Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference. 10) To serve, ladle desired portions into bowls, covering each with broth, and garnish with remaining parsley and remaining bacon bits.
Bison Meat…and Omega-3?
One of the nutrients that is often overlooked in our daily diets is omega-3, and bison meat can be a great source for it. As this may be surprising to many readers, we thought it would be interesting to dig a little deeper on the omega-3 matter. Here are some questions we are frequently asked: 1. What is omega-3? Omega-3 is a term used to describe three types of essential fatty acids known as ALA, DHA, and EPA. These fatty acids are not produced in the body, but they are essential nutrients that can improve both physical and mental health and can be derived from a variety of food sources including fish, meat, and nuts and seeds. 2. What are the health benefits related to an omega-3 rich diet? One of the most noteworthy health benefits linked to a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids is the improvement of overall cardiovascular health. Omega-3 lowers the level of blood fats or triglycerides, which can decreases the risk for developing heart attacks and strokes. Omega-3 fatty acids are also believed to improve lung function, and thereby lower the risk for developing Asthma. There are also suggested mental health benefits such as improvement of ADHD, Depression and possibly a decreased risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. 3. Bison meat… and omega-3? Bison meat as a significant omega-3 source is often overlooked, and many people are not aware of the variety of natural omega-3 sources available to them. In fact, a popular alternative is over-the counter fish oil pills, which tend to be be very expensive, not necessarily offer the same benefits, and can smell quite bad. Certainly, not all meat products are appropriate omega-3 sources. However, research has demonstrated that grass-fed bison meat can deliver 3.5 times more omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed bison, and is therefore an excellent alternative to fish, fish-oil pills, and other meats. It is certainly difficult to distinguish between foods that are truly good for you and foods that are simply being labeled as healthy, because they are a current trend. The idea of omega-3 as an essential nutrient has been around for a long time, and yet many are still surprised to hear that meat, particularly derived from grass-fed buffalo, is an excellent source for it. Bison meat is not simply a trend. It’s a real alternative that can make you healthier and maybe even happier. (Remember, you don’t have to resort to fish-oil pills when there’s Wild Idea Buffalo.) Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/40253.php
Fragrant Stir Fried Buffalo
If you are looking to try out a new take on stir fry, then check out this fresh, fragrant, and light recipe. Not only is it good for you, but it tastes delicious!! Serves 4. Approximately 243 calories per serving, (calories calculated with out rice or noodles). Note: The recipe below is not diet food, but it’s good for you, simple and tasty. Adjust vegetables to your preference. Serving with white rice makes for a prettier plate, but wild rice is healthier, (which Dan thinks taste like dirt), so we compromise and do a mix. Rice noodles are also a nice accompaniment. 1 – 1 lb. Buffalo Steak Strips, rinse and pat dry 2 – Tablespoons Sesame Oil 1 ½ – cup White Wine 1 – Tablespoon Lemon Juice 1 – Tablespoon Asian Fish Sauce 1 – Tablespoon Red Curry Paste + to taste 2 – Teaspoons Brown Sugar 1 – Red Bell Pepper, julienned 1 – Red Onion, julienned 1 – Head Broccoli Florets — about 2 cups 1 – Cup fresh Cherry Tomatoes, halved (or) sub ½ cups chopped Sundried Tomatoes 1 – Cup Basil, julienned Mix together white wine, lemon, fish sauce, curry paste, and brown sugar. Over high heat, heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in heavy sauté pan or wok. Add Buffalo Steak Strips and flash sauté for 1 minute. Turning to brown. Remove Buffalo to platter and lower heat to medium. Heat remaining oil in same pan and add the pepper, onion, and broccoli. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add wine mixture and tomatoes. Bring to simmer. Add buffalo back to pan and basil. Quick stir to incorporate. Remove form heat and serve immediately. Serve on rice or rice noodles and garnish with fresh basil leaf and lemon wedge. Wine pairing: 2009 Chateau Les Rouilleres Bordeaux, France A dry red with a light fruitiness, compliments the spice in the dish nicely.
Mushroom & Onion Stuffed Buffalo Blue Burgers
Currently I am going through a Blue Cheese phase. Its rich creaminess with its full flavor calls my name on a daily bases. With this month’s recipe being our annual “Buffalo Burger” recipe, I thought it only appropriate to have it include Blue Cheese. There is nothing new about adding blue cheese to your burger, I needed more originality. So a few weeks ago I was discussing this with Cyd (By the way, Cyd’s back. Yeah!), and she started telling me how she loved onions & mushrooms on her burger but they were always falling off and so she started sautéing them first and stuffing the burger with them. Hmmm – I think she’s on to something. The last inspirational component came while eating a burger in NYC, where they served their burgers on a potato roll, a very nice compliment to the meat. Below are the results of my concoction. I served it to a group from Clemson last night and it was a huge hit!” Cheers – Jill
Today, we know that the bison is considered
A highly nutrient dense food (the proportion of protein, fat, minerals and fatty acids are high when compared to its caloric value.) When compared to other animals from a feed lot, the bison have a greater concentration of iron as well as other essential nutrients. The meat from grass-fed bison can contain up to four times as much vitamin E as feedlot cattle. This potent antioxidant has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. The fat content in bison meat is usually a third of that found in cattle fattened in the feedlot. Because the meat is lower in fat also means that it is lower in calories. A 6 oz buffalo steak can have as much as 100 fewer calories than a steak from a grain fed steer. You could loose up to 10 pounds a year just by switching your main source of meat to grass fed buffalo. Bison is also high in omega-3 fat. Up to sixty percent of the fatty acid content in the grasses on the plains contain omega-3 and are found in abundance in buffalo allowed to graze on the natural grasses. The benefits from a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can not be overstated. These benefits include cancer prevention to lowering cholesterol as well as reducing inflammation. Dr. Kevin Weiland
Thank you for suppling healthy buffalo meat…
Hi, Jilian…thank you for providing my options for obtaining the buffalo products. A next Tuesday delivery, will be fine, this time. Whenever I will be planning a trip to Rapid City, I will try to plan ahead, and pick it up at your place! My health is kind of up and down, and buffalo is the most important main-stay, of my very basic, diet. My local health food store, has trouble with the supply side of their buffalo supplier, and I am trying to find a supplier, upon whom I can rely, on a consistent basis, to have most of my buffalo needs. I will also try to do MY part, and stock the freezer well! Thank you again…I am so far, impressed, by your company, website, and customer service! I hope to be a future long-time customer! Jan.