Bison Roast with the Most - Backwards Bison "Saltimbocca" (Kind of)

It has been awhile since I have been fortunate enough to come into contact with a truly delicious cut of meat.  Enter the Bison Roast that I found at the Fred Meyer in Wood Village.  AWESOME!  Usually I am stuck with ground bison.  Not that I am complaining, because it is delicious as well, but it kind of leaves you limited on preparation.  I mean there is only so much you can do with ground meat. The funniest part about the whole thing was that the Bison roast was cheaper per pound than the Beef was.  Oh yeah!! 

This roast was the perfect size, only about 1 1/2 lbs.  The only issue with Bison is that it is extremely lean.  Lean meat tends to be a little on the tough side unless you cook it to death in liquid. I really wasn't in the mood for a Bison Pot roast. Thus it was going to need some extra fat to keep it moist and tender.  That was when I decided on covering the whole thing in Prosciutto.  Of course, Prosciutto goes awesome with Sage.

This led me to the whole idea of Saltimbocca in reverse.  (Meat wrapped in Sage and Prosciutto instead of Sage and Prosciutto rolled up in meat)  Since I have already made Saltimbocca with Bison before, I knew the flavors would play well together.  Now, I just need to find another roast, cause I NEED to make this again!

Backwards Bison "Saltimbocca"

1 Bison Roast (I had a Bison Sirloin Roast of about 1.6 lb)
Olive Oil
Sage Leaves
Several sliced of Prosciutto
Cracked Black Pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, then grab the Bison roast (ain't it pretty?)

Cut off any twine.

On a washable cutting board, lay out 3-4 sliced of Prosciutto, overlapping slightly, then top that with a few Sage Leaves.

Place the Bison Roast on the Prosciutto "mat" and lay sage leaves over the whole roast and season with Pepper. (The prosciutto is plenty "salty" so no extra salt is needed)

Begin wrapping the mat up the sides of the roast.

Lay more prosciutto slices over the top and (since it's a little sticky) press the seams together to completely encase the meat.

Secure the whole thing (to be on the safe side) with new twine.

Place in a roasting pan, drizzle with Olive Oil (just "Light" or "Pure", not Extra Virgin or it will smoke too much) and cover with foil.

Roast for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil, reduce the temperature to 275 degrees and insert a probe; continue toasting until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees (medium-rare-ish)

Remove the roast from the oven, re-cover with the foil and let rest on the counter for 10-15 minutes at which point the roast should be between 155 and 160 (medium)
Remove the foil and slice.......

Enjoy the taste of America!!!

Mangia!!
~~

BakeSpace Coast to Coast Saltimbocca "Jumps" the Pond

Awesome news!!! The Coast to Coast Cook-Off has jumped "the Pond" and gone global. In honor of this event, the Coast to Coast cook off has henceforth been renamed as the "International Taste Tour". YAY!!!!!! After all food is the international language. How many cultures around the world consider "breaking bread" to be a significant "ritual"?

The chosen dish for this BakeSpace International Taste Tour was Saltimbocca (Jumps in the mouth). I LOVE Saltimbocca alla Romana, but I tend to follow a very traditional recipe when making it. Since the purpose of the coast to coast cook off is to personalize the dishes we are preparing, I had to really work on this one... Let's face it, I usually put an "Italian" or "Mediterranean" spin on dishes, that is kind of my signature. It was going to be a little difficult to put my normal spin on something that was already Italian.

To make matters worse, I am an avid user of Browned Butter, which is standard to the dish, so I was even denied my "ace in the hole"; my "tour de force" as it were. Yes, this was going to require some massive mental rumination. I was beginning to feel like Winnie the Pooh, sitting here just tapping my head and repeating over and over... "Think, Think, Think, Think, Think". What could I possibly do to place my signature on a classic dish such as this?

Well, I like to use Panko in place of regular bread crumbs... but I don't think it would react well to the braising. (sigh)

Saltimbocca, in the classic sense is veal, so I suppose I could use chicken, but that's really not very "me". Then it hit me... I was raised on alternate forms of red meat. There wasn't a whole lot of cow cooking going on in my household growing up... Lamb, Cheven, Elk, Venison, & Rabbit for sure, but not really a lot of Beef and especially not Veal... OK, NOW I was getting somewhere, but it was not without it's issues.

Goat is impossible to find in San Diego; Lamb I could have probably done, although the cost of non-ground Lamb here is ridiculous at best. Elk? Yeah right, in this town? Let's get real. LOL Not happ'nin any more than Venison or Rabbit... ;) I would be better off combing Balboa park for a Opossum.

BUT, what I DID find was a Bison steak... I know, shock of shocks. I have only seen it ground up until this point. But the shocks keep right on coming, cause what really floored me, is that is was cheaper than Lamb... So YAY and Hooray!! Bison is good... Sweeter than domesticated bovine, more mellow in flavor, and as a bonus, it's actually low in cholesterol, which kind of compensates for all the Browned Butter, right? AWESOME!

And so it was ... Bison was the meat I used... a decidedly American spin on an Italian classic... Now THERE is some irony for ya... LOL Oh, I decided to do a rolatini configuration instead of layering or folding.... For all my BakeSpace buddies out there, this recipe is located Here In My Kitchen.

Saltimbocca ala Bisonte

1 lb Bison Sirloin

8 slices of Prosciutto di Parma
10 - 12 Fresh Sage Leaves; depending on size
2 oz AP Flour; for dredging

6 TB Browned Butter; Divided
6 oz dry White Wine; I used Orvieto this time (A dry blended wine with trebbiano grapes similar to Sauvignon Blanc, or at least this one was)

3 oz Veal Stock (when using veal scaloppini I will sometimes use Chicken stock, but this really needs veal stock)

Kosher Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
(optional) 1 1/2 TB of Heavy Cream

Using a Super-Sharp knife (I used my American Angler filleting knife instead of my Shun Gokujo, cause the blade is a little longer)

Fillet the sirloin to reduce the thickness and create cutlets.

Place one cutlet between two sheets of waxed paper or in a zip lock baggy and pound in lightly with a meat mallet to 1/8 inch thickness, making Scaloppine (singular).

Be gentle.

Lay down Prosciutto and 2 - 3 Sage leaves;

Roll the scaloppini (pl), (this is rolatini) and place on a plate and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour covered with plastic wrap. (this will help the rolatini hold their shape when searing)

While your waiting, go ahead and make Browned Butter. (You need about 8 TB of unsalted butter to make 6 TB of Browned Butter)

Heat 3 TB Browned Butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.

Dredge the rolatini (pl) in flour to coat,

Shaking off any excess.

Grab a clean plate and warm it slightly in the microwave, set it on an empty burner.

Sear the rolatini on all sides until lightly browned.

Transfer to the warm plate.

Pour the spent Browned Butter from pan (But don’t wipe the pan!)

Place back over medium-high heat and add the remaining 3 TB Browned Butter.

When butter is hot, deglaze with Wine and scrape fond from the bottom of the pan,

Then add the veal stock and salt and pepper to taste. (Be stingy with the salt, cause the prosciutto is REALLY salty already)

Place the rolatini back in pan and simmer until sauce is reduced by half and the rolatini are heated through; about 10 minutes (I occasionally spoon some of the pan liquid over the rolatini)

Transfer the rolatini to a clean plate,

Add the 1 1/2 TB of Heavy Cream, if using, to the sauce and cook 1 minute more.

Strained the sauce if you like. (This is optional)

Spoon sauce over top and serve with Sage to garnish.


All in all, I was extremely pleased. I was worried at first, about rolling the bison, but I ended up with the perfect touch of pink all the way through. Yes, so pleased that I ate 2 pieces... ;) Who needs a vegetable, isn't that what the sage is for?

And what Taste Tour would be complete without all of my talented "beeps" (BakeSpace peeps) and their inspired interpretations of this Classic Italian Dish. Even better is that, thanks to DD who totally rocks by the way, we now have a visual representation of where everyone is located.

Simply click on the map above for a full sized rendition, providing pictures, recipes and locations of all my beeps' creations.

For those who have subscribed via email... Here is a quick rundown.... of all the other inspired renditions of Saltimbocca from across the globe.

Dajana from Baker's Corner... Somewhere in my Kitchen, in Emilia-Romagna (Italy)

Sheryle from Cookiebaker's Corner in Ohio

Pamela from Pamela's Place 2 in Indiana

Matt from Outlaw Gourmand in California

Cathy from The Dutch Baker's Daughter in Minnesota

Spryte from Spryte's Place in Pennsylvania

Danielle from Cooking for my Peace of Mind in California

Moni From Alaskan Dermish in the Kitch in Alaska

DD from DDPie's Slice in Indiana

Michele from My Italian Grandmother in New Jersey

They are all so wonderfully inventive and diverse, I am sure there is a Saltimbocca here to suite everyone's taste!!

Mangia!!
~~

Jump in the Mouth - Saltimbocca alla Romana

This dish is traditionally made with Veal Scaloppine (Scalloped veal - Thin sliced veal, dredged in flour and pan fried in butter and olive oil), however, when one eats veal it seems to elicit frowns from a lot of people. I am sure this is, at least partially, due to the misconception that Veal is a "baby" bovine. Well, yes… it is… but I personally would not want to bounce this baby boy on my knee since he weighs about 475 lbs. Why do I keep saying boy and he? Most Veal is produced from male dairy cattle, usually Holsteins, since they are obviously not capable of dairy production. This gives the dairy “farmer” another source of income, stemming from what would otherwise be a liability or sold cheaply for Dog Food. The second reason for the PETA march, when Veal is on the menu, is the somewhat dubious origins of Veal in the U.S., I am speaking of "crating".

These two main factors have caused delicious dishes like Veal Piccata to be set aside in favor of modified dishes like Chicken Piccata. Which is all well and good, I love Chicken Piccata, however, Veal is deliciously tender and should not be cast aside due to exaggerated claims, being denied it's rightful place in traditional dishes. Don't be afraid to inquire about the source of the veal. If the source is questionable, don't buy it. It's that simple. Trust me, if you knew what happened in the Cattle Feed Lots, which produce 80 some odd percent of the beef on the market, questionable veal practices would be the least of anyones worries. I encourage you to read the Mad Cowboy by Howard Lyman.

On a happier note... Veal crates were banned in 1990 by the UK and in 2007 by the EU, to be completely phased out in Western Europe by 2012. Yet another agricultural issue in which the U.S. is always behind, especially when the “almighty dollar” is involved, right along with the continued use of rBST/rBGH (Canada, the EU, Australia and New Zealand have all banned its usage). While I am on a tangent about recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone, it is produced by genetically tampering with E. Coli bacteria. Doesn't that “bake your noodle”?

There is hope for the United States’ current unenlightened agricultural practices though. The AVA (American Veal Association) has announced that they are instituting a 10 year plan to phase out the practice of veal crating. Although, I have a sneaking suspicion this is only due to the laws already passed in Florida, Colorado, Arizona and Oregon. These same laws also protect pregnant sows from being boxed. They don’t, however, criminalize the caging of egg laying chickens like California’s Prop 2, just passed in November of 2008.

Personally, I think the AVA is missing a GREAT marketing opportunity. The words “FREE RANGE” are extremely popular right now, labeling everything from Chicken and Eggs to Cheese and Coffee Beans. (Yes, cheese wheels are freely rolling around the hillsides of France while coffee beans are scampering through the rain forests of Guatemala - brings a tear to the eye doesn't it?) There is no reason the calves could not be allowed to, at the least, walk around a pasture, then simply slap a “Free Range” sticker on it and charge twice the price! It all sounds lucrative to me and a lot more humane. But then again, I am not a Veal farmer.

All kidding aside, since I AM one of those people who try to buy “Free Range” and “Organic” as my budget allows. Let me make it abundantly clear... I do not agree with crating in ANY way shape or form. As a consumer, I make my voice heard by purchasing veal from a reliable source, supporting those farmers who follow ethical animal rearing practices. My recently purchased veal does not originate from the states. It is a product of Canada, thus it was group housed, not "Crated".

I did notice that it was cut improperly though… Veal cutlets/scaloppine should be cut across the grain, otherwise it curls when cooking. Originally I had planned to make this in a layered configuration, but since my Veal is messed up, I went ahead and folded it (If I had rolled it, then it would be Rolatini).

Saltimbocca alla Romana

4 Veal Cutlets

4 slices of Prosciutto di Parma
4 - 8 Fresh Sage Leaves; depending on size
2 oz AP Flour for dredging

4 TB Browned Butter; Divided
4 oz dry white wine; I used Pinot Grigio

2 oz Chicken Stock (or better yet, veal stock)

Kosher Salt to taste

Black Pepper to taste
(optional) 1 TB of Heavy Cream

Place one veal cutlet between two sheets of waxed paper and pound in lightly with a meat mallet to 1/8 inch thickness… Be gentle.

Lay down Prosciutto and 1 or 2 sage leaves and fold the veal;

“stitching” the flap down with a toothpick.

Heat 2 TB browned butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.

Dredge the scaloppini (pl) bundles in flour to coat,

shaking off any excess.

Place them in the heated pan and sear on all sides until lightly browned.

Transfer to a warm plate.
Pour the butter from pan (Don’t wipe), place back over heat and add the remaining 2 TB browned butter.
When butter is hot deglaze with Wine and scrape fond from the bottom of the pan if necessary, then add the chicken stock and salt and pepper to taste.

Place the scaloppini back in pan and cook until sauce is reduced by half and scaloppini are heated through.

Transfer veal to a clean plate,
Add 1 TB of cream to the sauce and cook 30 more seconds.
While the sauce is cooking, remove the toothpicks and place on serving plates.
Spoon sauce over top and serve

with seared Brussels sprouts or lightly steamed potatoes tossed with Olive oil.

Mangia!!