BISON-SHIRLEY-SHAZAM!!!

Last week I had a fantastic Facebook exchange with Shirley Wolfe. She had posted on her FB wall about that night's dinner she had created: Bison Kabobs. She said they were a huge hit, and I knew I had to have the method she used for them.

So the conversation commenced, and included lots of her other friends also asking for her recipe; since I was the most tenacious, she entrusted me with her secret!

This is the result of her coaching and my interpretation, I promised I'd do it and post it by Monday. Hope she approves (as well as her good friend Phil)... if either of them provide adjustments, I'll be grateful and will update my recipe on the blog.

Bison Kabobs on the grill

Bison Kabobs on the Skewer Rack

METHOD AND MORE PICS AFTER THE JUMP...

Here's the basic recipe with some method pictures, compliments of my exclusive and long-suffering photographer Jake.

Shirley’s Bison Kabobs

Recipe makes six kabobs

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lbs Ground Bison
• 6 Garlic Cloves – Crushed
• 8 Green Onions – Minced
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Garam Masala
• Salt and Cracked Pepper
• Hungarian Paprika (smoked is nice too)

Method:

Heat olive oil in sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté garlic until soft (watch carefully, garlic cooks fast and burns easily.) Reduce heat to low and add green onions sauté until the onions are heated...

Sauteed garlic and onions

...then add the  Garam Masala, heat just until the spices are fragrant, remove from heat. 

Garam Masala stirred into the garlic and onions - heated until fragrant

Next, press the bison into a flat disk and spread the sauté mixture on top, add some salt and cracked pepper and fold into the meat until well incorporated...

Bison with spice mixture ready to fold

Once meat is mixed, roll into sausage shapes, and dust with paprika....

Bison Kabobs rolled and ready to grill

I skewered mine, but it's not necessary, I just like the way they looked on the skewers...

Skewered and ready to grill

Simply grill or sear them in a heated skillet until done. I turned them a couple minutes on each side to get the cool grill marks. 

For dinner, I also did Israeli Couscous seasoned with Za'atar, and a simple salad of mixed baby cucumbers, red and yellow bellpeppers, and red onions. I seasoned the salad with Temecula Olive Oil Company's Olive Oil with Persian Lime (Fajita Frenzy), and their White Balsamic with Honey. 

Bison Kabob on a bed of Israeli Couscous

This meal was a HUGE hit, and super easy to prepare! 

Embellishments:

This is a Mediterranean inspired recipe. The bison is a very friendly, flavor adaptable meat. Use your imagination.

1. Replace Garam Masala with a mixture of Madras Curry, or a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, thyme, sesame seeds, etc.
2. Another fun spice mixture you could use is Za’atar.  This is wonderful Middle Eastern spice mix. I used this spice to flavor the Israeli Couscous I plated my kabobs on.
3. Add some crumbled feta, but if you do, watch the other salt you add. 

The most important thing is HAVE FUN!!!