The holiday season is upon us, and you have probably been invited to a party or are perhaps throwing one of your own. These parties are great, but always bring up the question of “what kind of food should I prepare?” or “what dish should I take?” I know, I have endless possibilities, but when push comes to shove, I also scramble at the last minute to think of something. So here is a very easy dish to take somewhere or to serve at your own party.I have recently made this recipe and call it “bison bites.” You may already be thinking, “Where am I going to find bison?” This is a great question, and one that is easily answered. You can find bison at the String Bean Market in Belmont (how easy is that?). The bison are raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. The bison steak is specifically from the Carolina Bison company. It is a healthy, but pricier, option to beef. (But, hey, it’s the holidays, so splurge a little!)
Ingredients
1 pound bison steak (beef can be substituted)
Cayenne pepper
Salt
Black pepper
Blue cheese dressing (any brand you like)
Blue cheese
Fresh bread
Oil for frying
Red pepper flakes
Cut bread into bite size cubes about ½ inch thick and 1 inch wide. Heat oil in a pan (use enough oil so that bread will float). When oil hits the right temperature (about 350 degrees), add some red pepper flakes to season the oil and to give a little spice to the bread. Fry the bread in batches, cooking until golden (about 1 ½ minutes per side). Drain the bread and set aside.
Combine about 1 ½ cups of dressing with blue cheese that you have crumbled. This needs to be fairly thick so it can be placed on the fried bread (crouton).
Make a rub of cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Rub on steak and grill until medium-rare (about 135 degrees internally). Remove from the grill and let rest for about 5 minutes. Slice the steak thinly, and then cut slices into bite size pieces.
Place a dab of the blue cheese mixture on top of each crouton and top with a slice of meat. Arrange on a serving platter. One pound of meat makes about 100 bite size pieces.
Happy Holidays – Glenn and Glenn
