Sunny Monday

I'm midway through a two-week trip home. North Dakota is home, mine and this guy's (left), though for now I'm just a visitor. It's been bitterly cold the past week, barely getting above 0 (degrees F) most days. But today it warmed up a bit, to the 20s and it's sunny outside, so bright with the snow I had to wear sunglasses. I piled on some sweaters and insulated overalls, a Carhart coat, mittens and packs and my dad and I blasted over to the barn on the snowmobile with the dog hot on our trail. The two-year-olds didn't hang around for long after we arrived. They sniffed the air and half ran down the hill despite my attempt to hide behind my dad as we approached the corrals. The other half soon followed, wary of my unfamiliar scent. The furry bunch seemed bigger than I remembered last year's being, with sharp black fully curved horns and thick brown coats. The youngsters, warm in the hay stuffed barn were more curious. They cautiously made way for my dad as he followed the south wall of the barn to check the water tank, softly and reassuringly emitting buffalo grunts. Shortly they settled down and turned their curiosity to me and my clicking camera poked through the steel tube barn gates. Photogenic little fellas.

Portobello Bison Burgers with Celery Apple Slaw

(adapted from the Gourmet Today cookbook)

Burgers:
2 normal-sized shallots or in my case, 6 really small shallots, chopped
1 large portobello mushroom cap and half of stem, trimmed and quartered
2 TBSP + 2 tsp olive oil
1 pound ground bison

Celery Apple Slaw:
2 celery ribs
1/2 cored unpeeled apple
1 TBSP mayo
1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp whole-grain mustard

Accompaniment: 4 English muffins, split and toasted
Equipment: 12-inch heavy skillet

Cook vegetables for burgers:
Finely chop shallots and mushrooms (you can use a food processor or do it by hand). Heat 2 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add mushroom mixture, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to brown and liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool to warm, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make slaw:
Cut celery and apple into 2-inch-long thin julienne (either with an adjustable-blade slicer fitted with 1/8-inch julienne blade or by hand with a knife).

Whisk together mayo, vinegar, oil, mustard, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add celery and apple, tossing to coat.

Cook burgers:
Mix ground bison into cooled mushroom mixture with hands until well combined. Form into 4 (4-inch) patties.

Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook burgers approximately 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare.

Top burgers with slaw and serve on English muffins.

Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo

(Or a Herd of Confused Bison from Upstate New York)

"Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo." is a grammatically valid sentence in the English language, used as an example of how homonyms and homophones can be used to create complicated linguistic constructs.

Click here to read more on Wikipedia.

Bison Tenderloin with Bordelaise Sauce

Make Bordelaise Sauce:

2 cups red Bordeaux wine (or other dry red wine)
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1 finely chopped carrot
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
10 black peppercorns
2 cups bison, beef or veal stock
4 teaspoons arrowroot
1 tablespoon dry Madeira or Marsala wine
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine wine, shallots, mushrooms, carrot, thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns in a 3-quart saucepan, bring to a boil and reduce to 1/2 cup. Add stock and return to boil. Pour sauce through fine-mesh sieve into clean saucepan, pressing on solids. Return sauce to heat and bring to a boil. Stir arrowroot into Madeira in a small cup until smooth and whisk into sauce. Simmer, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened. Stir in salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Roast Tenderloin:

1 (3-pound) trimmed bison tenderloin roast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 350F. Pat tenderloin dry and season with salt. Heat oil and butter in large iron skillet or roasting pan over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Brown tenderloin on all sides (no more than 10 minutes) and season with ground pepper. Transfer skillet to oven (middle rack) and roast until internal temperature registers 120F (25-30 minutes). Transfer tenderloin to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil and let stand for 15 minutes.

Slice tenderloin (1/2 inch slices), spoon bordelaise sauce atop tenderloin slices and serve with peas and onions, roasted or mashed potatoes and leafy greens.

Press: Time Out New York, NY Times blog The Local

Ragged Butte Bison in Time Out NY: "Food markets' rising stars."

Also mentioned in The Local: http://fort-greene.thelocal.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/the-day-edible-and-drinkable-fort-greene-and-clinton-hill/

On Buttes

A butte (pronounced "byoot") is a conspicuous isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top. In some regions, such as the north central and northwestern United States, the word is used for any hill. The word "butte" comes from a French word meaning "small hill"; its use is prevalent in the western United States, including the southwest, where "mesa" is also used. Because of their distinctive shapes, buttes are frequently key landmarks in both plains and mountainous areas. (from Wikipedia)

Buttes of interest:

Butte, Montana (city)

Butte Montmartre (Paris, France)

Fossil Butte (National Monument in Wyoming)

White Butte (highest point in North Dakota)

and of course...

Ragged Butte

Press: Tasting Table New York

The Tasting Table Guide to the Brooklyn Flea:
http://www.tastingtable.com/entry_detail/nyc/1804/Your_definitive_guide_to_Brooklyn_Flea_food.htm