A couple friends that join us regularly for meals have asked for several years "what's next?", "where are we going from here?", "how are you going to top this?" Ie: each meal has gotten better and better. They are prompting me to take it to the next level....so I did :-) I decided that we ought to try Buffalo steaks. One of the friends said he'd pay for the meat since I usually do and would be doing all the work this time. Sounded good to me!! The decision was made to do Ribeyes. Ordered the meat last Monday, it got here Thursday, and we did dinner Saturday. As soon as I opened the box, I was blown away!! Incredible array of meat (I ordered a LOT more than just the steaks for our dinner) and the packaging was done in a way that bespeaks true professionalism. They took great care to ensure everything would be perfect upon arrival....and it was. Since this was intended to be a special meal, I decided to pull out all the stops. This was made easier since I didn't have to shell out the money for the steaks, and that was a pretty hefty chunk of cash :-) Disclaimer: a couple of the early pics in this post are a bit fuzzy. I just got the new phone and forgot to take the plastic cover off the camera lens. OOPS!! The pics are all thumbnails so you can click on them to enlarge.
Here are the steaks defrosting
Started with an appetizer plate with home made spicy Summer Sausage, Andouille, and 3 exotic cheeses that my wife got
Also had a veggie plate with spinach dip for appetizers
Portabella mushrooms with stems removed, cleaned out the inside, and lightly brushed olive oil on the outside.
Plate full of home made bacon lightly fried and chopped up
Fill mushrooms with bacon
Add shredded Parmesan cheese
Top with fresh parsley straight from our little garden
A couple links of my Habanero Cajun sausage defrosted and ready to go on the smoker
Bison steaks sprinkled with a little Cajun Blackening season on both sides. I wasn't trying to blacken the steaks, I just love the flavor
A nice salad to go along with dinner
Steamed a big batch of long grain wild rice then stirred in fresh chopped broccoli and cheddar cheese sauce. First time I've ever done this but it won't be the last. It was really, really good!! Everybody loved it.
'Shrooms on the grill over the middle burner, which is not lit. Right and left burners going so they will cook with indirect heat
Steaks after the flip
A platter full of Bison deliciousness!!
Sausages smoked, sliced, and ready to eat
Mushrooms done
Money shot!!
One a little closer to see the steaks better
My buddy Rick performing his mandatory outdoor concert after dinner. He has been playing guitar for a LONG time and is really good. Here he is doing "Radar Love" by The Golden Earring. We usually do the concerts pool-side but they were calling for heavy rain so we stayed on the patio. At this point, everybody is pretty much comatose anyway :-)
Somehow I've managed to put together a few nice meals in the past but this one takes the cake. It'll go down in the history books as the best to date. The steaks were absolutely amazing as was the service I received from the company I ordered them from. Quality was outstanding and the flavor was off the charts. It had a deeper, richer flavor than beef but not all all "gamey". I think I'd take this over beef any day, and I'm a beef lover of the highest degree. Add some good friends and great side dishes, you have a perfect setting. Overall a fantastic time with our best friends and the best food we've ever experienced....and to think I still have a bunch of Buffalo and Elk meat in the freezer....hee hee hee. We may be doing this again real soon :-) Note: Not sure where to post this one. It could be in the sausage forum but it's about more than just sausage. Doesn't really belong in the game meat forum because it's not wild game. It's all ranch raised and pasture fed just like beef. I'll leave this one to the moderators to figure out :-)
A bunch of happy campers in Lago,
Robert
Here are the steaks defrosting
Started with an appetizer plate with home made spicy Summer Sausage, Andouille, and 3 exotic cheeses that my wife got
Also had a veggie plate with spinach dip for appetizers
Portabella mushrooms with stems removed, cleaned out the inside, and lightly brushed olive oil on the outside.
Plate full of home made bacon lightly fried and chopped up
Fill mushrooms with bacon
Add shredded Parmesan cheese
Top with fresh parsley straight from our little garden
A couple links of my Habanero Cajun sausage defrosted and ready to go on the smoker
Bison steaks sprinkled with a little Cajun Blackening season on both sides. I wasn't trying to blacken the steaks, I just love the flavor
A nice salad to go along with dinner
Steamed a big batch of long grain wild rice then stirred in fresh chopped broccoli and cheddar cheese sauce. First time I've ever done this but it won't be the last. It was really, really good!! Everybody loved it.
'Shrooms on the grill over the middle burner, which is not lit. Right and left burners going so they will cook with indirect heat
Steaks after the flip
A platter full of Bison deliciousness!!
Sausages smoked, sliced, and ready to eat
Mushrooms done
Money shot!!
One a little closer to see the steaks better
My buddy Rick performing his mandatory outdoor concert after dinner. He has been playing guitar for a LONG time and is really good. Here he is doing "Radar Love" by The Golden Earring. We usually do the concerts pool-side but they were calling for heavy rain so we stayed on the patio. At this point, everybody is pretty much comatose anyway :-)
Somehow I've managed to put together a few nice meals in the past but this one takes the cake. It'll go down in the history books as the best to date. The steaks were absolutely amazing as was the service I received from the company I ordered them from. Quality was outstanding and the flavor was off the charts. It had a deeper, richer flavor than beef but not all all "gamey". I think I'd take this over beef any day, and I'm a beef lover of the highest degree. Add some good friends and great side dishes, you have a perfect setting. Overall a fantastic time with our best friends and the best food we've ever experienced....and to think I still have a bunch of Buffalo and Elk meat in the freezer....hee hee hee. We may be doing this again real soon :-) Note: Not sure where to post this one. It could be in the sausage forum but it's about more than just sausage. Doesn't really belong in the game meat forum because it's not wild game. It's all ranch raised and pasture fed just like beef. I'll leave this one to the moderators to figure out :-)
A bunch of happy campers in Lago,
Robert
