Broadmoor vs. Red Stag Grill: Big on Bison

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WNC Chefs Challenge 2011, Week 8

Wine & Food Festival

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Broadmoor vs. Red Stag Grill: Big on Bison

By Greg Brown

I knew the secret ingredient was going to be satisfying when I saw a rancher in a cowboy hat and Levi’s hunkered up to Cucina24’s bar.

This man who was responsible for the ingredient was not the type to bring a brigade of highly skilled chefs a truckload of kohlrabi or baby endive.

My culinary instincts were right. I was thrilled to hear that the rancher, a former Marine by the name of Frankie King, brought bison from Carolina Bison in Asheville to the eighth round of the WNC Chefs Challenge on Monday night. King’s speech to the diners about the health benefits of the bison stirred my inner nomadic cravings. It was the kind of speech that could motivate a vegan to at least try a bison animal cracker.

Although bison meat is similar to beef, it’s rather quirky to work with. It’s naturally a dark red, almost purple color, which is due to the fact that buffalo meat doesn’t marble, that is produce fatty white streaks through the meat, like beef. This lack of marble makes the meat protein dense, thus it cooks in one-third the time of beef and at lower temperatures. These qualities only added to the challenge.

Chef Stephen Sauer and his team from Broadmoor in Fletcher took this bison by the horns. Their first course was Bison Two Ways. The bison tartar and a bison roulade with ramp aioli and radish salad was an excellent start. Since bison is one of the leanest meats, the decision to make a roulade, which is cooked at a very low temperature in braising liquid, was a fantastic approach. The ramp aioli and radish likewise brought just enough acidity to balance the dish. This course certainly was more enjoyable than host Bob Bowles’ bison jokes. Then again, I’ve never tried to write a bison joke.

The Red Stag Grill team, headed by Chef Adam Hayes, took a more rustic and simplistic approach for its first course. I thoroughly enjoyed the chef’s technique with a braised short rib crépinette. The velvety sunchoke purée provided a wonderful base for the slightly flattened bison sausage to rest on.

The second course had my most- and least-favorite dishes of the night. Let’s start with my favorite. Chef Sauer constructed a seared bison rib eye with pea purée and pork demi-glace, fingerling potatoes, and a perfectly executed Brussels sprout salad with pistachios. This dish blended a hearty course with sophistication. Even though the dish had more than six components, it seemed like it never lost focus on the bison; one ingredient and flavor complemented the next.

While the seared rib eye and the crunchy tempura were great contrasts to each other in Red Stag's buffalo duo, the peas and asparagus ragout seemed like a vegetable afterthought and was overcooked. I believe this is the course that allowed Broadmoor to pull away in the votes.

Perhaps the most difficult culinary conundrum of the night was “how do you make a bison dessert?” That’s certainly something I’ve never asked myself while cruising the aisles at Earth Fare. The strawberry-braised short rib with brown sugar anglaise, cornbread, and basil by Broadmoor was a hit judging from the tables around me. However, my favorite was Red Stag’s brisket bacon chocolate with rice pudding. The saltiness of the meat and the sweetness of the chocolate paired perfectly with the savory rice pudding.

Both competitors had an extremely strong set of dishes. I was truly blown away on their methods and attention to detail. While Team Broadmoor will move on to the next round against Knife & Fork on May 23, The Red Stag team members should be proud of what they put together. I hope both teams return to the Chefs Challenge next year.

MENU
Broadmoor
Chefs Stephen Sauer, Steven Goff, Caitlin McMullan

Bison tartar with a sunny-side up quail egg and pickled ramp
Roasted bison roulade with ramp aioli and radish salad

Bison rib eye with pea purée and pork demi-glace
Fingerling potatoes and Brussels sprout salad

Strawberry-braised short ribs with brown sugar crème anglaise, cornbread, and basil

The Red Stag
Chefs Adam Hayes, Cardiff Creasy, Brian Knickrehm

Braised short rib crépinette, sunchoke purée, and pickled spring vegetables

Buffalo Duo: Tutonka tempura
Seared rib eye fillet with vegetable ragout and paprika spice demi-glace

Bison Brisket Bacon with Chocolate Swash and truffle rice pudding

Next Up
There is absolutely nothing to do in Asheville on Monday, May 2, except for go to the WNC Chefs Challenge. It’s a talent-packed lineup with Bistro at Biltmore – Asheville VS. Pomodoros Greek & Italian Café – Asheville

Buy your tickets at www.ashevillewineandfoodfestival.com

—Greg Brown, chef and comedian
www.laughyourashevilleoff.com

Special thanks to Carolina Bison, www.carolinabison.com

This event is sponsored by Slow Food Asheville. A portion of the proceeds from this event support F.E.A.S.T., a hands-on cooking program that focuses on seasonal, local ingredients and education. F.E.A.S.T. teaches children how to plant, harvest, cook, eat, and enjoy food that is fresh, easy to prepare, affordable, and sustainable.