Laura Avery talks with the Fruit Detective, David Karp, about his favorite citrus. David recommends Clementine Algerian mandarins (tangerines) sold by Bob Polito. Also great right now are cocktail grapefruit sold by North San Diego County growers Armando Garcia and Peter Shaner.
Kathy and Ken Lindner of Lindner Bison explain how being sustainable is not limited only to producers. Consumers also need to eat more than just prime cuts of animals so that these creatures aren't wasted. There is much, much more to an animal than steaks and fillet mignon. Here are a couple of their recipes for products from bison that you wouldn't normally use.
Ken's Grass-fed Bison Biscuits
made with grass-fed bison kidney tallow
This recipe has been in the Linder family for over 35 years. During this time, they've made it using vegetable shortening, butter and even margarine. Without a doubt, grass-fed bison kidney tallow results in rich, light biscuit.
- 2 cups flour
- 4 tsps baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup rendered grass-fed bison kidney tallow (at room temperature or warmer)
- 3/4 cup half & half
1. Measure flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl. Mix well.
2. Cut in the bison tallow thoroughly, using the tines of a fork, until the mixture looks like meal.
3. Stir in almost all the half & half. If the dough is not pliable, add just enough half & half to make a soft, puffy, easy-to-work dough.
4. Round up the dough on a lightly floured board. Knead lightly about 1/4 minute. DO NOT OVERWORK!
5. Roll the dough out about 3/4" thick. Cut into 2" by 2" squares, or use a cookie cutter to make similarly shaped rounds.
6. Place on a non-stick cookie sheet, in a pre-heated oven at 400ºF. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until just golden brown on top.
Rendering grassfed bison kidney fat into tallow (for use as a wonderful natural shortening in all of your favorite recipes)
- 1-2 lbs. grassfed bison kidney fat, ground or cut into small chunks
Tools
oven-proof casserole dish
screen for straining (we use a fry pan spatter-proof screen)
dish for setting the rendered kidney fat (tallow)
1. Preheat oven to 250°F.
2. Put fat into oven-proof dish.
3. Place into oven, uncovered for about 40 minutes or until the fat has melted. ( The fat will be a clear yellow and separate from other meat residue, called "cracklings".)
4. Remove from oven and separate fat from cracklings by straining through a screen or strainer.
5. Allow fat to set at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
6. Break apart, place in plastic bag to store.
7. Place in freezer until ready to use.
IMPORTANT
When rendering the fat, do not allow it to actually cook. It should be just hot enough for the fat to melt in order to separate it from the 'cracklings.'
Music break: Tea For Two by George Barnes & Carl Kress