By CINDA CHAVICH

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 - and some hunters will put wild game in their freezers every fall - 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 strip loin and rib eye steaks, sirloin tip and shoulder roasts, could easily pass for lean, grass-fed beef on the plate.

Bison, or buffalo as it’s been erroneously named, has a rich, beefy flavour that some people describe as “more like old-fashioned beef” – that is, the kind that ranged on wild pasture, before it became fashionable to fatten cattle in feedlots. It has a dense texture and slightly sweet flavour when served medium rare, as it must be – the lack of intramuscular fat is what surely differentiates bison from beef.

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, 143 calories, 82 mg of cholesterol, 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; while 100 grams of lean chicken clocks in at 7.41 g fat, 190 calories, 89 mg of cholesterol, and 1.21 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, 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 800-1,000 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.

Because 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 described 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) has recently opened CRMR at Home, a take-out spot featuring their own breads, desserts, stocks, pizzas, sauces, condiments and farm-raised bison, elk and caribou. You’ve probably never noticed the nondescript little two-story 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 is the place for fresh 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 (CFM), and a space at the Sweetgrass Market. With information about how to cook bison, bison-inspired pottery, rubs, locally-made bbq 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 – bison chili, bison burritos and bbq bison on a bun.

Also at the CFM is Craig Armstrong of 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 and elk antler for treating arthritis, too.

Several local butcher shops – from Second to None Meats to Bon Ton Meats, Venture Meats and Gour-Mart – routinely carry game meats. But game ranchers say it’s important to know the source 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 saskatoons  seems to naturally compliment the flavours of game, and it marries well with woodland mushrooms, juniper berries, rose hip jelly and Port reductions.

Because bison and elk are much leaner than beef, both are a little trickier to cook. While a highly marbled beef steak can survive overcooking to well-done, you won’t be happy if you cook game meats past medium (155F) – the results will be dry and tough.

Rare (135F) or medium rare (145F) 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 (275-325F), low and slow, to medium rare (145F). Use an instant-read oven thermometer to test the internal temperature, and let roasts rest for 20-30 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 300F, to an internal temperature of 145 D (65C) 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. Armstrong says steaks shouldn’t be cut too thick, and must be cooked on medium heat (around 350F) for only 3-4 minutes per side, to a maximum internal temperature of 130F (55C). 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.

While farmed game should never taste wild or gamey, Armstrong says you can improve any wild meat by marinating it in whole milk (not skim milk) for 20 minutes.

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 or a “baseball” sirloin bison steak – so make sure that you protect your investment by cooking low and slow, and never past medium rare.

This Urban Forager column appeared in Avenue magazine in November 2009