Archive for February, 2010

Feb. 28, 2010

We had four inches of snow AGAIN last weekend, but it’s melted in the last few days, uncovering a change in the feel of the air, and the scenery this time.
 
It’s the last day of February and now there’s evidence that spring is on it’s way.
 
First clue: Instead of frozen ground we’re getting mud, meaning that the ground is thawing and starting to warm up.
 
Second clue: Yesterday afternoon I could hear geese very loud outside, so I stepped out on the porch to see them flying low in the sky- flying strong and hard – going north.
 
Third clue: Then I saw the buffalo were up close to the fence so I ducked back inside to grab the camera. And what were they doing? Sniffing and searching the ground for the first blades of green grass in the pasture. The grass is starting to grow again.
 
Fourth clue: The buffalo really look scruffy now because their winter fur is loosening up and ready to come off. Winter is on it’s way out if the buffalo don’t need their “winter coats” anymore.
 
Yep, spring is on it’s way here on the Kansas prairie!

Feb. 19, 2010

“I’m gonna miss that smile” was the song’s theme that was played at my uncle’s funeral on Wednesday.
 
My uncle died last Saturday after a ten-year battle with cancer, so it wasn’t a surprise death, but none the less sad for the family to see the youngest brother of my father say good-bye to life.
 
Dick was a cowboy, both in life style and work, and that was the theme of his funeral in Oklahoma and the burial yesterday here in Kansas. Even the cowboy preacher that conducted the service was laid back and informal, telling stories of Dick’s family, and giving comfort…in a quiet country way.
 
As we drove south through the Oklahoma prairie to the little town where the funeral was held, I could imagine what this countryside looked like more than a century ago before the Land Rush. It would have been grass, wildlife, and an occasional human passing through the scene. It just fit the quiet man and his lifestyle.
 
It was fitting that Dick was laid to rest back in the prairie country cemetery where his ancestors were waiting for him. They came from Sweden for this country prairie, and never left. Dick got the chance to come back to the land he loved too.
 
“We’re gonna miss his smile…”

Feb. 11, 2010

We’ve added two new items to our product list this week- Flat Iron steaks and shanks, so here’s information about both, and a recipe for each.

 

I prepared both of them recently (yes that’s my buffalo dinnerware in the photo) and we really enjoyed the unique flavors and textures. The flat iron isn’t your typical steak but more like a flank in its versatility. I thought the shank meat was very rich and buttery in flavor, with a roast meat texture.

 

Buffalo Flat Iron Steaks

 

These buffalo steaks, cut from the chuck or shoulder of the bison, is gaining in popularity because it’s one of the most affordable of the steak cuts, and because you can do so many things with it.

 

It has a very rich meaty taste and plumps up when it cooks. I recommend you marinate this steak to tenderize the meat.

 

While almost any marinade will work, an acidic one, like red wine, apple cider vinegar, or cranberry juice, will give your taste buds a  ”zing” and will also tenderize the meat.

 

Using a combination of orange juice, soy sauce and rice-wine vinegar will give your meal a more Asian flavor.

 

You can experiment and come up with a different flavor each time you use a flat iron steak. Then serve it whole, or slice thin for Mexican fajitas, Chinese stir-fry or whatever you want to pair it with.

 

 

Smoky Hill Bison buffalo Flat Iron Steaks

3/4 cup red wine
1/3 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Place bison steaks in a resealable plastic bag. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over steaks. Seal bag and allow steaks to marinate in refrigerator for 4-8 hours.

 

Preheat grill for medium heat. Remove steaks from bag and discard marinade. Place buffalo steaks onto grill and cook for 4-6 minutes per side. Before serving, allow the steak to rest for a few minutes and then slice against the grain to serve.

 

Note: This time of year I cook steaks in a skillet on the stove. Cover the skillet with a lid or piece of aluminum foil to keep the moisture in and cook on medium low.

 

 

Buffalo Shanks for Osso Bucco

 

I had heard of Osso Bucco, but I did some research on it when we decided to offer this cut.  It’s an Italian phrase and literally translates as “bone’s hole”. 

 

This section of shank has a cross section of bone in the middle of it that has an ample amount of rich marrow in the center. When cooked, the marrow melts into the sauce leaving an open whole in the center, thus the name osso buco. 

 

It’s actually very good, but you do have to cook it a long time to make the meat tender and give the marrow time to melt.

 

1-2 lbs of Smoky Hill Bison buffalo shanks

1 cup seasoned flour (see Note below)
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups chicken stock, plus more if needed
2/3 cup white wine
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 sprig fresh rosemary
8 medium garlic cloves, crushed and peeled

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Dredge the shanks in the seasoned flour. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shanks and brown on all sides.

 

Transfer them to a large casserole dish.

Add the stock, wine, parsley, sage, rosemary, and garlic to the casserole. Bake for 2 hours.

 

Reduce the heat to 300 degrees F and bake, basting the shanks occasionally to keep them tender and moist, and adding more stock if necessary, until the meat is tender and falling from the bone,

4 to 6 hours longer. Serves 6 to 8.

 

Note: To make seasoned flour, combine 1 cup flour (a quick mixing flour such as Wondra works best) with 1 teaspoon each garlic salt, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried basil, and freshly ground black pepper.

 

If you’d like to try these new items and recipes, please place your buffalo meat order today so we can ship it on Monday or Tuesday of this coming week.

Feb. 7, 2010

The Super Bowl is now over and I hope you enjoyed the game. I watch for the commercials. I thought that most of them were aimed at 20-35 year old males and their lifestyles, which is probably the typical TV football watcher.
 
I was watching for the Budweiser draft horse team commercial. This year’s ad was about a little longhorn calf that ran long the fence with a colt on the other side. Then it goes forward to three years later and the adult longhorn plows through the fence to join his horse friend that prances by pulling the famous wagon.
 
I then thought…okay, how would that work with a buffalo instead of a longhorn?
 
From experience, I know that a bison calf can bond with another animal if raised together. But it would be a quick “tuck the legs and jump to clear the fence” before you could blink and the buffalo would be way ahead of a prancing horse team…