It Only Means One Thing…Venison Bourguignon

The days are getting shorter (barely light by 7:00 a.m. and dark not long after 6:00 p.m.), and a chill is permeating the air; this only means one thing:  autumn is here! 

Though we haven’t had to deal with snow yet—knock on wood—winter is quickly rounding the corner to descend on Black Hills area residents.  And when winter hits, it does so with a vengeance.  It grips the region and doesn’t let go.  It holds on, absolutely for dear life, for months…and months…and months.

These sure signs not only mean winter is very close, it also means something else in the Black Hills.  Something even more important to many.  Falls means hunting!  (Add celebratory dance from outdoors men and women who live for this time of year.)

These early autumn days, as I have been writing about much lately, are absolutely beautiful.  The temperatures are superb.  The colors are delightful.  And seasonal food from this time of year is delicious.

I don’t hunt; I hike…and cook.  So these cooler days when my hunting husband and son work to fill my freezer, I look for ways to use the game meat.  The falling temps mean I can take my time in the kitchen, letting the oven warm my house and heart, to slowly make a great meal.

 

I channeled my rural, inner Julia Child and modified a recipe found in a Cabela’s catalogue.  Yes, the same place you can buy camouflage clothes for hunting has some great recipes, especially when I add my add twist.  Here is my Venison Bourguignon.

Venison Bourguignon

1 ½ to 2 pounds venison loin, cut into chunks (elk or moose would also be delicious)

3 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

½ to 1 pound mushrooms, sliced

3 gloves garlic, minced

Flour

½ cup port (sherry, Madeira, or brandy would also work)

2 bottles pinot noir (any region, U.S., France, or other—the second bottle is to drink with the meal; I   used Cartograph’s Sonoma County Pinot Noir for the bourguignon and their Leonardo Julio Pinot Noir for the meal)

2 teaspoons cornstarch

4 tablespoons butter

Olive oil

Salt and pepper (to taste)

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.     On the stove top, heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a cast iron Dutch oven; I used La Creuset cookware. Heat to medium.  Add bacon and sauté until bacon begins to brown. Remove and set aside.

3.      Dry the cubed venison on paper towels.

4.      Brown the meat in small batches in the olive oil/bacon drippings.  Remove and set aside with bacon.

5.      Cook chopped onion, celery, and carrots in the drippings until soft, about ten minutes.  Will not caramelize.  Add the garlic.  Sauté another few minutes.

6.      Add the port.  With a spatula, rub the bottom of the pan so drippings blend into the port and veggies.  Stir well to coat all the veggies.  

7.      Flambé port in pan by tipping up to pool port in the corner of the pan.  Light to burn off the alcohol.

8.      Lightly dust venison with flour.  Return meat to the vegetable mixture in the Dutch oven. Also return bacon.

9.      Add salt and pepper.  The sauce will reduce, so go lighter on the salt.

10.  Add one entire bottle of pinot noir.  If liquid doesn’t cover the meat and veggie mixture, add up to one more cup from the second bottle of wine.  (There should still be plenty of the second bottle to have with the meal.  If worried, grab a third bottle!  Can also add water or beef stock for extra liquid.)

11.  Turn the oven down to 300 degrees.  Cover the stew.  Simmer in the oven for two to three hours.  The wine/port sauce should be reduced and thickened.  If too much sauce reduced, add more wine, beef stock, or water at any point, remembering water may dilute the flavor more than wine or stock.

12.  After the two to three hours, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan on the stove top.  Sauté the mushrooms until begin to caramelize.  Add to the stew.

13.  Melt the last 2 tablespoons of butter.  Add up to 2 teaspoons of cornstarch; stir into a paste.  If reduction sauce is very thick, use less cornstarch.  Add paste into stew. 

14.  Cook in oven ten more minutes. 

15.  Serve!  Can serve with corn bread (which is what I did because I loved the oven going all day) or use the stove top to make a creamy polenta.  Could also boil or mash potatoes for side dish, as well.

16.  Pour a glass of the wine used in the recipe for a natural marriage pairing…and enjoy!

Fall may mean cooler temperatures and beautiful scenery, but in my household, and for many where I live, it means hunting!  Using game meat is a special treat that can be enjoyed on days when much time and joy can be given to the cooking process.

Put on that wool sweater and turn on the oven.  Connect with your inner chef using autumn’s recipes, which are great well into winter. Enjoy the comfort food all season long.

Kul--Kol, Rapid City

Looking for a super kul establishment to feed the body and sooth the soul?  A place to have an awesome cocktail because you want to?  Or better yet, somewhere to have a fabulous dessert because you can? Kol, on the corner of Mount Rushmore and Main in Rapid City, is such a spot.

Almost two years and over a million dollars in the making, Kol is a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant centered around its large and pricey coal-fired oven.  Owner Tony DeMaro (also of Murphy’s, just down the street) has thought of every detail in this new concept for the Black Hills.  From the open, modern space to the warm stone and wood accents, Kol has a wonderful ambiance.  It is just seriously so kul.  A kul place to eat.  A kul place to drink.  A kul place to hangout. 

Kul scenes of the interior of Kol--Rapid's newest restaurant.

Currently, the limited menu boasts one-of-a-kind pizzas made in the beautiful oven.  Other menu items, including appetizers and skewers, center on the idea of dichotomy, choosing between health-food choices that can “fuel the body” or comfort-food choices that can “sooth the soul.”  For instance, when ordering the chicken skewer, you can have it in the balsamic reduction sauce—healthy—or the mushroom cream sauce—comfort.  Then one of four different sides can be chosen.  (I ordered the chicken skewer in mushroom sauce with roasted potatoes and pearl onions—delicious!)  When selecting the shrimp appetizer, you can have the spicy chili sauce—healthy—or lemon, goat cheese stuffed and wrapped with prosciutto—comfort. 

Great food from Kol's coal-burning oven and unique menu.

Even though the menu currently offers fewer items due to the official opening, the food options could be almost endless.  These possibilities will continue to change as Chef Blake (also of Murphy’s) continues to expand the number of entrees until the full menu size is reached.  He will focus on increasing seafood options, including daily specials, and implementing an ever-evolving menu that will showcase his cooking talents and the coal oven’s capabilities. 

HOT!

Though the fare coming out of the huge, room-sized furnace is impressive, other delights are also available.  Salads, such as the apple and endive (apples, endive, pistachios, pistachio puree, feta, and apple vinaigrette), mix sweet and savory for the perfect taste.  Other salads include Beets by Blake, Fig in a Pear Tree, and Spin and Straw.  If none of these pique your interest, there are several soups as well.

Yummy salads.

Although these selections are amazing, make sure to save room for dessert!  Kol also has a very talented pastry chef creating a rotating dessert menu that must be tasted.  On this particular evening, the berry crisp and blood orange tart were both absolutely fantastic.  Though traditional crème brulee was also an option, I had to try the other creative sweet treats.

Delicious desserts.

Though I’ve talked all about Kol’s food choices, it is first and foremost a full-service bar with some of the kulest cocktails ever, in addition to whatever you might want to order.  The White Cosmo mixes elderflower liqueur, lime juice, and white cranberry juice over a stunning orchid flower ice ball.  The Bradshaw features passion fruit, tequila, and lemon juice in a beautiful Champagne flute.  Both of these looked delicious and amazing, making me wish I would have ordered a cocktail to be a kul kid instead of a glass of wine from the list.  My only recommendation of the entire evening actually dealt with wine--quality stemware was the one detail left for Kol to cover, and cover it they did.  Riedel glasses have since been added to the bar.

Kul cocktails.

Rapid City’s newest restaurant, Kol, is oh so very kul.  With an ultra-modern environment that mixes the best of the city and the hills, excellent food that all will find appealing, and drinks that will intrigue any imagination, Kol is the next must-see (and be seen) place to stop.  Go first because you have to. Next because you want to.  And again and again because you can. 

Up to Date--Delmonico Grill

Bruce Barton once said, “When you are through changing, you are through.”  Downtown Rapid City is far from through, as it has shown the ability to make great changes over the last decade.  And I mean great as in great for the city itself.  The evolution to a cultural and upscale small city with an impressive downtown has been so much to fun to watch.  This has been led by city-wide efforts such as Main Street Square, but it has also been due to the work of individual proprietors, like Benjamin Klinkel, chef and owner of two important Rapid restaurants:  Tally’s Silver Spoon and Delmonico Grill.

Chef Benjamin started with Tally’s Silver Spoon, remaking it into an upscale, modern “diner” with great food, wine, and events.  (Read about Tally’s here.)  Then Ben purchased Delmonico Grill from another talented Black Hills chef—Pete Franklin (read about Pete’s latest venture here).  Initially, Ben left Delmonico much like it was, both in its interior and its menu.  Though minor changes had been made with the change in ownership, I still considered Delmonico the best steakhouse in Rapid.  I loved its location and wine list.  I ate there for both lunch and supper, depending on the occasion.  It was a favorite of mine and my family’s. 

Delmonico Grill--helping Rapid City continue to evolve.

Imagine my delight, then, when I heard Chef Benjamin was temporarily closing down Delmonico to gut the building, rework the kitchen, open up the bar area, and modernize the décor.  Any sadness I may have felt over the short-term closure of the establishment was quickly diminished when I thought of the wonderful, new environment Ben and his mother Barb (self-proclaimed interior decorator of the project) were creating.  I was not a bit disappointed!

New and improved interior of Delmonico.

The ambiance was improved even more with live music.

To say Delmonico Grill’s new interior was impressive was an understatement.  Sleek, modern, and dramatic decorations were in place of the former art décor-inspired sconces and pictures on the walls.  The lighting was hip industrial.  The new art on the wall was creative and unique—a cow’s head and bone art installation covered one wall with a cow’s hide seating area below.  Super.  Super.  Cool.

Super, super cool artwork installation and seating area.

At the end of the long room was a visible and sizable bar.  The center of the space housed one-of-a-kind round tables perfect for larger groups.  Serving stations were hidden in between these distinctive tables, making service to the entire restaurant easy.  The whole environment was edgy yet comfortable, classy yet quaint.  As we sat down, we noticed many customers dressed up; not over dressed, just looking nice for an excellent meal and night on the town.  The instant we stepped inside, I loved the ambiance Ben and Barb had created. 

Center row of round tables with hidden service stations.

Industrial lighting.

Wine storage across from the bar area.

Newly updated kitchen.

As for the menu, some of my favorites still made their appearances, like the Kona-encrusted ribeye…my mouth is watering just thinking of it.  The amazing French onion soup was the same, as was the excellent wine list.  Added to these entrees were other rotating options.  I had the squid ink risotto; however, it was a hard choice from the many other tasty delights available, including seafood and lamb.  When time for dessert came, we purposely didn’t finish the large ribeye so we could have the house classic--crème brulee, and we were again not a bit disappointed.

Delicious Kona-encrusted ribeye with seasoned butter and grilled vegetables.

Unique entrée of squid ink risotto and scallops.

One aspect of Delmonico that did not change was the excellent service.  Ben’s mom Barb met us at the door.  No one realized I was there to blog about the experience—I hadn’t contacted anyone before hand—so I can truly say we received wonderful, friendly treatment just because that is what Delmonico’s staff is all about.  Barb had a friendly conversation with us when I inquired about the decorating inspiration.  (Ben worked with an architect on the floor plan he had in mind, and Barb got to have her way with the rest of the interior—though Ben may have a different story!)  Our server was amicable and capable.  Our salads and wine came according to perfect timing.  The entrees were flawless, and the dessert ended an excellent experience. 

More of our perfectly timed and served courses:  salad, wine, and dessert.

Downtown Rapid City has changed—definitely for the better—over the last decade.  The city itself has been the instigator of some of that change; however, individual business owners like Chef Benjamin Klinkel have also led the charge to evolve Rapid into a small city worth visiting.  It is filled with cultural activities, great food, and cool establishments.  The updated Delmonico Grill is yet another example of the new environment of Rapid; the upscale and modern setting prove that Rapid is not through changing yet!  I look forward to witnessing the continued evolution.

Choc-a-Lot--Chocolate Pot de Creme

One of the best parts of entertaining with food and wine is creating pairings that are truly amazing.  Even better is when one can entertain with these amazing pairings that are surprisingly easy!  Here is one of my favorites that others will think took much time and effort, yet you will know was incredibly simple and quick--chocolate pot de crème.  Pair it with a tawny port and a fantastic dessert course is made.

Chocolate Pot de Crème

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. sugar
Dash of salt
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. instant coffee
1 tsp. rum liquor (you can use cognac or brandy too)
¾ cup hot milk
Raspberries
Whipped cream
Add all ingredients except for the hot milk in the blender; slowly add the hot milk. Cover the blender to prevent splattering and mix well. Pour into demitasse cups or small ramekins. Refrigerate until set.  Double recipe for a larger group.  Garnish with real whipped cream and fresh raspberries. 

Delicious chocolate pot de crème.

Pair with any tawny port; this was the recent port I opened for a class.

This delicious but delightfully simple dessert will make you look incredibly impressive to your guests.  No need to let others know exactly how easy this was.  Pour the port, enjoy the chocolate, and look like the entertainer of the year! 

(I can not take credit for this recipe myself.  It came from Kirsten Hollenbeck, a wonderful chef I formerly taught classes with at Someone's in the Kitchen.  Thank you for the recipe, Kirsten!)

Frankly My Dear…That Was Delicious--Juniper, Rapid City

Accomplished British chef and cookbook author Delia Smith said, “Food is for eating, and good food is to be enjoyed... I think food is, actually, very beautiful in itself.”  I couldn’t agree more.  Over the course of the last five years, Rapid City has become a hub in the Black Hills for restaurants producing beautiful food, not only for the eyes, but for the palate as well.  Though the restaurant business is perpetually changing in this area, one personality has remained a constant—Pete Franklin.  His arrival in the Black Hills in 1999 ignited his long and evolving career here.

Franklin arrived in the Black Hills after having worked in restaurants for years.  His initial food service-related job was as a dishwasher when he was fourteen.  This sparked the flame that would become a life-long passion.  His first restaurant here was Mad Mary’s Steakhouse in Spearfish in 2001.  Then he opened the Sunset Grill.  Next was Delmonico Grill in downtown Rapid in 2007.  During this time Pete also opened the new building and concept of Manchegos, also downtown.  In 2012, Pete sold both of these businesses and took a short break. 

However, in 2013 Debbie Michealree of Catered Two Productions and Uncorked in the Canyon Lake area was incredibly busy with her daytime catering business and nighttime restaurant business.  Pete stepped in to cook at Uncorked in the evenings so Debbie could focus on the catering aspect.  Then, the duo decided to split the same kitchen and run their businesses separately but together.  In February of 2014, Debbie focused on catering only, using the kitchen during the day.  Pete’s Juniper became the evening business. 

Juniper at Uncorked...a partnership made in the kitchen.

Running two full-time endeavors out of the same space is challenging at times,  but Pete’s love for the beauty of food and the Canyon Lake neighborhood have made it all worth it.  His goal after reopening in this space is to be ever-evolving while filling the needs of this part of town.  His regular menu is always changing, using seasonal ingredients and flavorful combinations.  Pete also strives for a certain level of consistency in service and food, even if the food options are ever-changing. 

To help reach this goal, Pete recently unveiled his Saturday Prix Fixe menu—a four course meal that is different every Saturday night.  No other menu items are available that evening, just the Prix Fixe.  Wine recommendations are given for these courses, but customers can still choose other options from the wine menu.  This menu is different every Saturday, so no two weekends will be the same. Pete hopes to have these menus posted online two to three weeks in advance so patrons can plan ahead.

Beauty is found in the environment, food, and service of Juniper.

I was fortunate to visit Juniper on the first Saturday of the Prix Fixe option.  It was a wonderful experience all around, from course one to the final sip of our dessert wine.  This evening was proof that Pete Franklin has met all of his goals at Juniper.  The food was beautiful, unique, and amazing, while the service was top notch.  From start to finish, Pete’s years in the hills and his appreciation of food was evident.

Course one:  lobster bisque—this large bowl of soup was filled with flavor, topped with truffle oil, and finished with slight spice.  Our table took the wine recommendation from Server Matthew and paired the soup with the Chateau Marjosse 2013 white Bordeaux.    This was a great pairing.  The wine muted the spicy note while being a nice light wine to start the meal. 

Lobster bisque and white Bordeaux.

Course two:  prosciutto wrapped chicken breast stuffed with Taleggio on top of tomato-olive salad.  This was a light yet filling course.  The combination of the flavorful chicken and spring-like salad was perfect.  We also paired this with Matthew’s recommendation of the Marjosse, the same wine as the first course.  The wine actually seemed sweeter when paired with the savory flavors in the chicken, tomatoes, and olives.  This was another great pairing, yet an interesting demonstration of the same wine going well with two different food options.

Marjosse white Bordeaux and stuffed, prosciutto-wrapped chicken breast. 

Course three:  herb encrusted pork loin with caramelized apples, fennel, and haricot vert with fresh green beans.  This was paired with another wine endorsed by our server, the Cristom Willamette Valley 2010 Pinot Noir.  (Those of you who know me know how I feel about Oregon and Willamette Valley noirs.)  Another special pairing, the earth, mint, and red fruit of the wine was wonderful with the savory pork and slight sweetness of the apple. 

Cristom Willamette Valley Pinot Noir to pair with the roast pork.

Course four:  caramelize pear in red wine reduction sauce with mascarpone cream.  This dessert was wonderful without being too sweet and rich—a perfect way to end a delicious meal.  I tried this with the last few sips of my Pinot Noir, and really it was a better pairing than one might think.  However, the real pairing and second part of dessert came when the glasses of Chateau Doisy Vedrines Sauterne arrived.  It was a nice pairing with the dessert (as a port would have been as well), but the last few drinks of the Sauterne on its own were also incredibly special, like silk in a glass.

Caramelized pear in red wine reduction sauce.

Sauterne--silk in a glass.

 Pete Franklin proves that good food should be enjoyed for its beauty and its flavor.  His many years in the Black Hills have led him to know the area and what his patrons want.  He is not afraid to risk and try new endeavors, as shown with his Prix Fixe menu and the unique idea of sharing a kitchen with another business.  Pete’s goals of an excellent and evolving menu to meet a neighborhood’s needs show he understands the joy of excellent food.  He has definitely had a part in creating Rapid City as the culinary hub of the Black Hills and in increasing the beauty of Black Hills’ cuisine.