Tatanka

Buffalo. That sacred animal of the Plains Natives, only served as novelty or specialty in present day USA.

I've only had ground bison (buffalo, it's interchangeable, one and the same) in burgers at this place in West Portal and thought it tasted decidedly like beef except firmer, requiring heavier bites and more savoring. I wondered whether bison could take the role of beef in many traditional dishes, and had to test it on myself this week as it was on sale at Whole Foods and looked enticingly firm and red, without an inkling of fat to ribbon through the lean meat.

Pot roast seemed to be the best way to test my theory, and with some baby carrots, celery, onion, italian brown mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, garlic, red wine, mushroom broth, and a good dose of salt and pepper, I was on my way to a fine pot o' tatanka roast. Admittedly, since the meat was so lean, I allocated for extra cooking time at a higher temperature. The result was a tender, lean, hearty, and flavorful roast. I ate it without any grains or accompaniment. It was that good.

Truthfully, bison contains very little gaminess. In fact, lamb possesses more "game" than this animal in full bloom. In my opinion, bison makes for a more healthful and interesting alternative to beef.

With my leftovers tonight, I sliced up the last of the roast, and added more mushroom broth with a little bit of cornstarch to the sauce and vegetables. I then cooked some orriechette pasta and ladled the thick "soup" in with some slices of meat in a very Asian-influenced presentation. Voila: bison stroganoff!