Call of the Wild
(Page 2 of 4)
September/October 2006
By Ken Hoyt
To make Red Wine Sauce:
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Pour 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium sauté pan and heat for about 1 minute or until the olive oil looks hot and glassy. Immediately add elk trimmings, carrot, celery, onion and garlic; cook over medium-high to high heat until caramel color develops.
Pour red wine into pan and scrape the flavorful brown bits as they become cooked onto the pan. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by three quarters.
Add demi-glace, thyme and bay leaf, and simmer until reduced by three quarters. Pour through a fine-gauge strainer, then whisk in the cold butter and season with salt and pepper.
2nd Place: Grilled Buffalo Tenderloin with Root Vegetables
Chef Jody Denton, Merenda Restaurant
Bend, Oregon
Serves 6
Grill buffalo to an internal temperature of no more than 110°F to 120°F, as buffalo meat contains very little fat and will become tough and dry if overcooked.
•3 cups apple juice
•3/4 cup carrots, peeled and diced into 1/2 -inch pieces
•3/4 cup parsnips, peeled and diced into 1/2 -inch pieces
•3/4 cup turnips, peeled and diced into 1/2 -inch pieces
•2 tablespoons butter
•1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
•Salt and pepper to taste
•2 cloves garlic
•1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
•2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
•1 tablespoon olive oil
•6 buffalo tenderloin steaks, 6 to 8 ounces each
•6 thin slices nitrate-free smoked bacon
•Preheat oven to 375°F.
•In a small saucepot, bring apple juice to a boil and cook until reduced to a syrup. Do not burn.
•Mix carrots, parsnips and turnips with 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 teaspoon thyme. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and place on a baking sheet or in a cast-iron skillet. Put in the oven for about 30 minutes until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown around the edges.
•Place cooked vegetables in a nonstick skillet over high heat and add apple syrup. When it comes to a boil, add remaining butter; stir until it melts in completely. Set aside until ready to serve.
•Mix together garlic, thyme, sage, pepper and olive oil and rub all over steaks. Wrap each steak with one slice of bacon. Season lightly with salt.
•Grill tenderloins over a medium-hot grill until they reach desired level of doneness. Serve with vegetables.
3rd Place: Sautéed Quail Breast
Chef Scott Staples, Restaurant Zoë
Seattle, Washington
Serves 6
This is a simplified version of Chef Staples’ elaborate original. When you want to pull out all of the stops for guests, you can find his restaurant-ready version at NaturalHomeMagazine.com.
•6 quail breasts with skin
•1/4 cup olive oil, or enough to coat quail breasts
•Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
•2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
•1 cup red wine
•4 to 5 tablespoons cold butter
•11/2 pounds fresh spinach, washed, stems and other debris removed