Specialty Meats and Gourmet

Elk T-Bone Steaks

Elk - T-Bone Steaks - 10-12 oz each, indivudally packaged, this is a New Zealand Elk Product, Frozen $12.95/#.

These are a very popular item for a few local restaurants through the summer, thus we will try to have them in stock all of the time. 

Venison Tenderloin/Loin with Wild Mushrooms Sauce

Venison Tenderloin with Wild-Mushroom Sauce

From

Wild rice is the perfect complement for game.

2  pounds venison tenderloin/Loin
Cooking spray
3/4  teaspoon salt, divided
1/4  teaspoon black pepper, divided
2  (3 1/2-ounce) packages fresh shiitake mushrooms
1/4  cup minced shallots
3/4  cup port or other sweet red wine
1  cup beef broth
2 1/4  teaspoons cornstarch

Preheat oven to 425°.

Trim fat from venison; place venison on a rack coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of venison. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until thermometer reaches 145° (medium-rare) to 160° (medium). Cover loosely with foil; let stand 10 minutes.

Remove stems from mushrooms and discard; slice caps. Place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Add mushrooms and shallots; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and port; cook 2 minutes. Combine broth and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add to skillet; bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Serve with venison.

Note: Beef tenderloin can be substituted for venison.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3 ounces venison and 3 tablespoons sauce)

Cooking Light December 1999

Lavender and Thyme Roasted Poussins

LAVENDER AND THYME ROASTED POUSSINS

As soon as the year's first leaves unfurl, many Parisians start planning their annual pilgrimage to the lavender fields of

Provence

. In this recipe, the lavender may be omitted if desired; however, its aroma and flavor embody a French spring.

2 teaspoons dried untreated lavender flowers
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
1/4 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
4 poussins
1 small lemon, halved
1/4 cup White Wine

Garnish: lavender and thyme leaves

With a mortar and pestle coarsely crush lavender and in a small bowl stir together with butter, thyme, zest, and salt and pepper to taste until combined well. Spoon mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a 4-inch-long log. Chill compound butter, wrapped well in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 30 minutes, and up to 3 days.

Preheat oven to 475° F.

Discard gizzards from birds and trim necks flush with bodies if necessary. Rinse birds inside and out and pat dry. Starting at neck end of each bird, slide fingers between meat and skin to loosen skin (be careful not to tear skin). Cut butter into sixteen 1/4-inch-thick slices and gently push 4 slices under skin of each bird, putting 1 slice over each breast half and thigh. Tie legs of each bird together with kitchen string and secure wings to sides with wooden picks or bamboo skewers.

Arrange birds in a flameproof roasting pan large enough to hold them without crowding. Gently rub birds with lemon halves, squeezing juice over them, and season with salt and pepper. Roast birds in middle of oven 45-60 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of a thigh (be careful not to touch bone) registers 170° F.

Transfer birds to a platter and loosely cover with foil to keep warm. Add wine to roasting pan and deglaze over moderate heat, scraping up brown bits. Transfer jus to a small saucepan. Skim fat from jus and simmer until reduced to about 1/2 cup.

Garnish birds with herbs and serve with jus.
Makes 4 Servings.    Gourmet  April 1997

Dijon Rack of Lamb

Dijon

Rack of

Iowa

Lamb

From

1  (8-rib) lamb rib roasts (3 ½ - 4 pounds), trimmed of excess fat
1  teaspoon salt
3  teaspoons pepper
3  tablespoons olive oil
3  tablespoons Dijon mustard
1  cup fresh herb focaccia breadcrumbs*

Rub lamb evenly with salt and pepper.

Cook lamb in hot oil in a large skillet over high heat 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Place lamb, fat side up, on a rack in broiling pan.

Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 145°.

Remove lamb from oven; leaving oven on. Cover lamb loosely with aluminum foil, and let stand 10 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 150°.

Brush lamb with mustard; cover with breadcrumbs. Return lamb to oven, and bake 4 to 5 minutes or until golden. Cut into chops, and serve.

*1 cup fresh French breadcrumbs may be substituted. Focaccia is a flat Italian bread that can be found in the bakery section of grocery stores.

Note: When Jacques prepares this dish, he prefers to cook the lamb until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 135°.

Yield: Makes 8 servings


Chef Jacques Haeringer

Southern Living November 2002

Bourbon and Brown Sugar Bison/Elk Flank Steak

Bourbon and Brown Sugar Bison/Elk Flank Steak with Garlic-Chive Mashed Potatoes

From

Pork tenderloin will also work in this recipe.

Steak:
1/4  cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4  cup minced green onions
1/4  cup bourbon
1/4  cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4  cup Dijon mustard
1/2  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4  teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 Pounds Bison or Elk flank steak, trimmed
Cooking spray
1/2  teaspoon cornstarch

Potatoes:
4-5  pounds small red potatoes
2  garlic cloves, peeled
1/2  cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/3  cup 2% reduced-fat milk
2 1/2  tablespoons butter
1  teaspoon salt
1/4  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4  cup chopped fresh chives

Garnish:
8  fresh chives, cut into 1-inch pieces

To prepare steak, combine first 7 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; add steak. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 8 hours or overnight, turning bag occasionally. Remove steak from bag, reserving marinade.

Prepare grill.

Place steak on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness – do not grill past medium. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut diagonally across grain into thin slices.

Combine reserved marinade and cornstarch in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

To prepare potatoes, place potatoes and garlic in a large Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 30 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Return potatoes and garlic to pan, and place over medium heat. Add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mash potato mixture to desired consistency with a potato masher. Stir in chopped chives. Mound 3/4 cup potatoes on each of 8 plates; arrange 3 ounces steak around each serving of potatoes. Drizzle 1 tablespoon sauce on each plate; sprinkle with chive pieces, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings

Krista Ackerbloom and Cynthia DePersio

Cooking Light September 2002

June Specials 2007

Ask about our FRESH All Natural Iowa Lamb - we currently now have this product available fresh daily in the following cuts: 8 rib racks - Chine and feather removed, 3-3.5# average, cap on - $10.25/#, BRT Loins - Coming from the rear saddle, this product contains 2 loins and 2 tenderloins, trimmed very well, tied, 4# average - $10.85/#, Bone in Loins - a bone in rear saddle, 2 loins, 2 tenderloins, flap meat, average weight of 6-7# each - $7.45/#, Boneless Sirloins - 2/package, trimmed extra well, boneless, each sirloin averages 1.75# each - $6.70/#.  We also have boneless legs, shoulders and sweetbreads available frozen.

• Local Rabbit Hind Quarters - Locally raised, 100% All Natural, 4-5/package, FROZEN ONLY - $6.95/#
• Venison 4 Rib French Racks - New Zealand Red Venison, completely frenched, chine and feather bones removed, racks average 12-14 oz each, FROZEN - $8.75/#
• Foie Gras - A Grade, Bella Blue out of New York, Nice round lobes, 1.5# Average, FROZEN - $32.00/#
• 100% All Natural Grass Fed Ribeye - Australian Raised, Free Range, 100% Grass fed no corn finishing, 9-10# Average with cap removed, FRESH - $8.70/# (Call for other cuts)
• Amish Chickens - Whole, Fresh, All Natural, 100% Vegetarian Feed, $1.15/#
• Venison Ground - Local Organically Riased Red Venison, 1# Packages, Dry Aged on the carcass 21 days prior to processing, 98% Lean - $3.95/#
• Wild Boar Baby Back Ribs - 1# Average per slab, 2 slabs/package, All Natuual Texas Feral Swine - $2.95/#
• Elk T-Bone Steaks - 10-12 oz each, Individually packaged, New Zealand, FROZEN - $12.95/#

Australian 100% All Natural Beef

Attention all Chefs:

The last few months we have been featuring the Greg Norman line of Premium Beef out of Australia - due mainly in part to price but also flavor.  Last month the prices for this line of beef went up close to 80% for most cuts, thus we decided to discontinue the feature and source a new product line.  As of Monday 5/21/07 we have a NEW source for Australian 100% All Natural Beef - The name of the company is The Natural Beef Company.  Their prices and wide variety of products has caught our eye.  Most items are available FRESH, and are cut with the restaurant in mind.  We recently received in boneless ribeyes that are averaging 10-11# each, the cap is removed, and the marbling is good.  They are priced at $8.70/# and will be on the specials list for the entire month of June.

This product as stated before is 100% All Natural - meaning the animals have never received vacinations or growth hormones.  They are 100% Grass Fed, minimally processed, and humanely treated.  If you need any additional information, please feel free to contact us at 800-310-2360 or email us at venisonamerica@sbcglobal.net.

Veal Marrow Bones - Out of Stock

Attention all chefs, we have discontinued our supply of New Zealand Veal Marrow Bones due to the season, and a major halt in sales of this high quality product.  We will pick up this line of product come the end of summer and into fall for changing menus.  Another reason for discontinuing this product is high gas prices have caused a rise in pricing for this product, and now it is not the great deal it was in the past.  We will keep you updated with availability of this product in the future. 

The Happy Gnome - St. Paul, MN

If you are ever looking for a neat place to take the wife but not the kids, the Happy Gnome on Selby Avenue in St. Paul is a great up beat bar/restaurant. 

My wife and I ate dinner there recently and of course I always need to try out the game dishes.  The venison burger is out of this world.  A combination of ground red venison, applewood smoked bacon, and secret spices that Chef Matt refuses to give up, grilled rare and topped with a blue cheese sauce, carmelized onions.  The bun is dressed with all of the fixings and a lingonberry aoli.  I finished my dinner before my wife had 1/2 of hers done.  I have tried alot of the burgers over the course of a few months and nothing stacks up against that venison burger. 

The chef and owner put on a variety of beer dinners throughout the year and all have a variety of game meats worked into the menu.  Prices on the menu are very managable as well as the beer dinners.  This is a hot spot among yuppies and the local college kids, but is well worth the stop. 

Wild Mushrooms and Greens and their Seasons

Here is a comprehensive list of mushrooms and greens and when you can expect availability of them, keep in mind this is a list for product grown and procured in the US only. 

Pricing on ALL wild harvested mushrooms and greens varies according to availability.

Pricing will be updated on this page as we get information and availability of product.

Our source for wild harvested mushrooms is a Minnesota Department of Agriculture certified mushroom expert, while this certification is required by law, it is not uncommon to find unlicensed dealers/foragers active in the market.  Buyer beware!!!!

• Morel - Currently Priced at $21.50/# - These mushrooms are available from April - June/July
• Ramps - Wild Leeks - Done for the season
• Fiddlehead Ferns - Currently Priced at $7.70/# - These are available May - June
• Gold Chanterelle - Available from August - December
• Lobster - Available from August - December
• Hen of the Woods - Currently Priced at $3.45/5 oz package - Available year round
• Porcini - Currently Priced at $35.30/# - Available from September - November and April
• Puffballs - Available in September
• Cauliflower - Available October - November
• Matsutake - Available October and December - January
• Truffles - Depending on Fresh or Frozen and color, they can be available year round and priced from $30-$60 and ounce.
• Black Trumpet - Available  December - February
• Hedgehog - Available  December - February
• Yellow Foot Chanterelle - Available December - February

Feel free to visit our distributors site for packaging, recipes, and facts.  www.forestmushrooms.com