Jennifer Bain - Buffalo Girl Cooks Bison

Heres my spin on Latin American empanadas but made with frozen puff pastry instead of homemade dough. These savory turnovers are a meal in themselves when served with a salad on the side. They taste even better with Chimichurri Sauce ().

1 (14 oz) package frozen puff pastry

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

medium yellow onion, finely chopped

large carrot, peeled and finely chopped

stalk celery, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

8 oz ground bison

cup chopped pitted black or green olives

1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and diced

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Defrost the pastry as per the package instructions, either overnight in the fridge or on the counter for 2 hours. Separate into 2 blocks.

On a lightly floured surface using a floured rolling pin, roll out each block into a 12-inch square. Cut each square in 4. You will have 8 pieces.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 8 minutes to soften. Add the bison. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until it is just cooked through. Remove from the heat. Stir in the olives and egg. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide the bison mixture evenly over the puff pastry pieces (about cup for each). Moisten the pastry edges with water. Fold the dough over the filling to make triangles. Press firmly and pinch to seal the edges.

Place the puffs on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the pastries are browned and puffed, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Makes 8 puffs

It takes years to finesse your perfect burger. This is mine. The small, loose patties and squishy white buns remind me of the burgers I grew up on, but the smashing technique is something I learned from three Toronto restaurants. My love of mustard-grilled patties comes from the secret menus at In-N-Out Burger in the United States and the Burgers Priest in Toronto. Secret sauce is, of course, a nod to the famous Big Mac sauce, the recipe for which is floating around the Internet. For an even simpler version, mix Thousand Island dressing with a little yellow mustard. If you love fried onions, make a double batch to have on hand for the week.

FRIED ONIONS:

2 onions (yellow, white, or red), chopped or halved and thinly sliced

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

SECRET SAUCE:

3 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 Tbsp ketchup

2 tsp sweet green relish

tsp granulated sugar

tsp white vinegar

CHEESEBURGERS:

1 lb ground bison

Kosher salt

Prepared yellow mustard

4 slices cheddar

4 small, soft white hamburger buns (such as Wonder), warmed in the microwave

4 slices tomato

4 small leaves green leaf lettuce

Ketchup

Place the onions in a large nonstick skillet. Drizzle with the oil. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring often, until the onions are nicely browned, about 25 minutes.

For the sauce, in a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, sugar, and vinegar. (Makes about cup.)

You can refrigerate the onions and sauce until needed. When youre ready to eat, put the onions and 2 tablespoons of sauce (or more/less to taste) in a small skillet and warm over medium heat. Or microwave until warm. Or stir together and serve cold.

For the burgers, heat a large cast-iron or heavy skillet (or the flat side of a cast-iron griddle if you have one) over medium for at least 15 minutes.

Divide the meat into 4 equal portions and gently form loose (not compacted) balls. Sprinkle the tops with salt. Squirt a generous dollop (about 2 teaspoons) of mustard on each ball. Place the balls 2 at a time in the hot skillet, mustard sides down. Cook undisturbed for 1 minute.

Using two metal spatulas, crisscrossed to give you leverage, quickly flatten each ball with a firm smash to form patties that are 4 inches in diameter and about inch thick. Cook for 2 minutes. Carefully flip the burgers, using one of the spatulas to scrape up any crusty brown bits with the meat. Top each patty with a cheese slice. Cook until the burgers are no longer pink inside and their juices run clear, or until a digital thermometer reads 160F, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Place 1 patty on the bottom half of each bun. Top each with saucy onions, tomato, lettuce, and ketchup (in that order). Cover with the top halves of the buns.

Makes 4 burgers

This is my all-time favorite fancy burger. Its from executive chef John Butler, who fills the cafeteria at St. Josephs Health Centre (stjoe.on.ca) in Toronto with all kinds of glorious meals. When I visited for a story, he made these burgers. I loved them so much I put them in my first book, Toronto Star Cookbook: More Than 150 Diverse and Delicious Recipes Celebrating Ontario (Appetite by Random House, 2013). Here they are again. I cant get enough of them.

1 large egg

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb ground bison

cup fresh bread crumbs

cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 small red onion, finely diced

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 long red chili (about 4 inches), seeded and minced

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp grainy mustard

Finely grated zest from 1 lemon

6 thin slices smoked Gouda or other smoked cheese

6 buns, toasted or warmed if desired

6 leaves green leaf lettuce (optional)

6 slices tomato (optional)

Red Pepper Relish (optional, see )

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg and oil. Add the bison, bread crumbs, parsley, onion, garlic, chili, Dijon mustard, grainy mustard, and lemon zest. Mix thoroughly by hand, massaging the ingredients together. Divide into 6. Roll by hand into balls, and then flatten by hand into -inch-thick patties. Place the burgers on a baking sheet and cover with plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let them firm up.

Heat a lightly oiled large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add the burgers, in batches if needed, and cook for 5 minutes per side or to desired doneness. Top each burger with a cheese slice for the last minute of cooking. Burgers should be cooked to 160F.

Alternately, heat the oven to 350F. Sear the burgers for 1 minute per side in a lightly oiled ovenproof skillet, and then place the skillet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the burgers are cooked to 160F or to desired doneness, adding the cheese for the last minute of cooking.

Place 1 patty on the bottom half of each bun. If desired, top each with lettuce, tomato, and Red Pepper Relish to taste. Cover each with the top half of the bun.

Makes 6 burgers

I adore this easy relish from John Butler. Its perfect with bison burgers, but this makes a big batch, so use it lavishly wherever you like.

5 red bell peppers, finely chopped

4 jalapenos, seeded and minced

2 tart apples (such as McIntosh or Northern Spy), peeled and chopped

1 cups cider vinegar

1 cups granulated sugar

1 Tbsp kosher salt

cup chopped cilantro

In a medium saucepan, combine the bell peppers, jalapenos, apples, cider vinegar, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium. Briskly simmer until thick and reduced to about 4 cups, about 35 to 45 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the cilantro. Refrigerate until cold before serving. This will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.