Avenue Magazine Calgary

When it comes to local Alberta cuisine, there may be nothing more indigenous than elk and bison, the wild-game meats that sustained First Nations families long before we put cattle on the open range.

While there are still wild elk herds and a few free-ranging bison in the West, the game that’s served in restaurants and sold in local butcher shops is farmed.

The result is a clean and exceptionally lean red meat, and something that’s a true flavour of the foothills when paired with the season’s wild mushrooms and prairie berries.

THE FOOD
Elk and bison are popular game meats with chefs because the steak and roast cuts they provide are familiar, and very similar to beef.
Bison is the closest relative to cattle, and the striploin and rib-eye steaks, and the sirloin tip and shoulder roasts, could easily pass for lean, grass-fed beef on the plate.

Bison, or buffalo as it’s been erroneously called, has a rich, beefy flavour that some people describe as “more like old-fashioned beef” — that is, the kind that ranged on the wild pasture before it became fashionable to fatten cattle in feedlots.

It has a dense texture and slightly sweet flavour when served medium-rare, which it must since the lack of intramuscular fat that differentiates bison from beef causes it to toughen if overcooked.

In fact, bison is raised without growth hormones, antibiotics and animal by-products, and is very low in fat and cholesterol, but dense in protein and iron, so you’ll be satisfied with a smaller portion.

The numbers are impressive. A 100-g portion of cooked bison has 2.42 g of fat, about 22 g of protein, 143 calories, 82 mg ofcholesterol and 3.42 mg of iron. A similar portion of beef has 9.28 g of fat, 211 calories, 86 mg of cholesterol and 2 mg of iron.

Elk is a very lean red meat, too, but it’s denser with even higher levels of protein and B vitamins. A 100-g portion of elk has 3.41 g of fat, about 25 grams of protein, 162 calories, 72 mg of cholesterol and 4.07 mg of iron.

Like bison, elk are raised in a free-range environment, without hormones, steroids or antibiotics. These massive beasts, with their white rumps and barrel chests, are the giants of the deer family.

The Wapiti, as it’s known in the Shawnee language, can reach 800 to 1,000 pounds, so unlike other smaller deer, you’ll find elk venison cuts that are similar to beef, from short ribs and loins to rib-eye steaks.

Since it is raised on ranches and slaughtered under controlled conditions, farmed game meat has none of the “gamey” flavour of wild meat. In fact, most chefs describe the flavour of farmed bison and elk as mild, with a rich and slightly sweet taste that marries well with tart wild berries and fruity red wine reductions.

THE FIND
Luckily, you don’t have to head out into the bush with a shotgun to serve game at home.

Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts (CRMR), which owns many popular restaurants and hotels (including Emerald Lake Lodge, Buffalo Mountain Lodge, Divino, Cilantro and The Ranche), recently opened CRMR at Home (330 17 Ave. S.W., 403-532-0241), a takeout spot featuring its own breads, desserts, stocks, pizzas, sauces, condiments and farm-raised bison, elk and caribou.

You’ve probably never noticed the nondescript little two-storey building next to Cilantro’s walled patio on 17th Avenue, but that’s where to shop for fresh and frozen cuts of game meat, along with CRMR executive chef Alistair Barnes’ game stocks, reductions, meatballs, meat sauces, game pies, plus game sausages and charcuterie from Valbella Meats in Canmore.

Valta Bison’s little shop in Ramsay (703 23 Ave. S.E., 403-237-9667) is the place for fresh and frozen bison steaks, roasts, burgers, sausages (from bison/saskatoon breakfast sausages and bison chorizo, to fresh bison Italian sausage and cheese smokies) and products from other local producers.

Valta Bison also has a meat counter at the Calgary Farmer’s Market (Currie Barracks), and a space at the Sweetgrass Market (5000, 873 85 St. S.W., 403-217-1965). With information about how to cook bison, bison-inspired pottery, rubs, locally made barbecue sauces and specialty products like lean, “Montreal-smoked” bison and tender, house-roasted bison for sandwiches, this is a one-stop shop for this indigenous prairie meat. You’ll even find daily lunch specials like bison chili, bison burritos and barbecue bison on a bun.

Also at the Calgary Farmer’s Market is Wapiti Ways. These Alberta elk producers graze their elk herd near Pigeon Lake, and sell their own steaks, roasts, sausages, plus elk tourtiere, elk gumbo, elk calzone and shepherd’s pie, created by Pigeon Lake chef Tim Wood. Look for lean ground elk burgers, elk sirloin, elk garlic ring, as well as elk antler (which is used for treating arthritis), too.

Several local butcher shops routinely carry game meats, including: Second to None Meats (2100 4 St. S.W., 403-245-6662 and 14, 7400 Macleod Tr. S.E., 403-252-9924), Bon Ton Meat Market (10, 1941 Uxbridge Dr. N.W., 403-282-3132) and Gour-Mart (64, 7930 Bowness Rd. N.W., 403-288-4696). Game ranchers say it’s important to know the source of the meat when you’re buying game to guarantee consistent quality.

THE FIX
The rich and meaty flavours of bison, venison and elk work best with intense sauces. Anything with wild blueberries, currants or saskatoon berries naturally compliments the flavours of game, and it marries well with woodland mushrooms, juniper berries, rose hip jelly and Port reductions.

Since bison and elk are much leaner than beef, both are a little trickier to cook. While a highly marbled beefsteak can survive overcooking to well-done, you won’t be happy if you cook game meats past medium (155°F) — the results will be dry and tough.
Rare (135°F) or medium-rare (145°F) is preferred for both elk and bison steaks, cooked quickly on high heat on the grill.

Larger steaks or roasts should be cooked at lower heat (275 to 325°F), low and slow, to medium-rare (145°F). Roasts should also rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

At Valta Bison, round roasts are rubbed with Diamond Lake seasoning rub and roasted, uncovered, with a little water in the pan at 300°F, to an internal temperature of 145°F, then wrapped in foil, chilled thoroughly and sliced thin for roast bison sandwiches.

Elk is even leaner than bison, and should be cooked slowly on medium heat, too. Craig Armstrong of Wapiti Ways says steaks shouldn’t be cut too thick, and must be cooked on medium heat (around 350°F) for only three to four minutes per side, to a maximum internal temperature of 130°F. Cook elk roasts, covered with a little red wine or water, at 325°F. And always let the meat rest, to allow the juices to settle, before serving.

Like beef, both elk and bison come in tender cuts for grilling and roasting, and less-tender cuts for braising. These specialty meats have a premium price tag — about $33/kg for elk sirloin steak and approximately $31/kg for a “baseball” sirloin bison steak — so make sure you protect your investment by cooking low and slow, and never past medium-rare.

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