January 2006
Here's a recipe for success. Take two great chefs, one famous TV journalist. Check out the beef that's happening at Prairie Grass Cafe.

Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook, Ill. is now serving a new generation of beef-open range, prairie grass-fed beef from Tallgrass Beef Company in Sedan, Kansas. "It's delicious beef," said noted chef Sarah Stegner, co-owner of Prairie Grass Cafe . Tallgrass Beef Company is owned by distinguished television news journalist Bill Kurtis who raises cattle on his ranch in southeastern Kansas. Tallgrass also works with other cattle ranchers who adhere to the company's standards.



The move to this special grass-fed beef signals a new commitment among the restaurant community to offer sustainable beef that is great tasting. Currently, Prairie Grass Cafe is using Tallgrass Beef for its signature Shepherd's Pie, New York Strip and Filet of Beef offerings.

Prairie Grass Cafe has actually been looking forward to adding the Tallgrass Beef to their menu since the restaurant opened last year. "We knew from the beginning that prairie grass-fed beef was going to be part of the restaurant's beef program," said co-chef/owner George Bumbaris. "We named the restaurant Prairie Grass Cafe partly in anticipation of this. We simply had to wait until the first Tallgrass Beef herds were ready." Added Stegner, "Now that the time is here, we're receiving rave reviews about the beef. It's really exciting."



Scouring the Country for the Best Beef
"I'm excited for Prairie Grass Cafe because now they are on the vanguard of an emerging revolution in American beef," said Kurtis. "The development of this new beef stems from the same reason that America's top chefs prefer cooking with natural foods - they taste better and they are healthier."

"It's a throwback to nearly 50 years ago, before the switch to grain fed beef," said Kurtis. "In the days before cattle were fed corn and other grain-based products, all cattle grazed on the open range, eating the natural, indigenous grasses that grew in the region. Beef was healthier and certainly more flavorful back then."

Grain fed beef became popular because there was a surplus of corn and the cattle fattened quickly on a corn-based diet. "Unfortunately, the cattle were also fed antibiotics and hormones to increase their rate of growth and to compensate for deficiencies in the grain-based diet," Kurtis explained.

Kurtis began his foray into the beef business when, after a decades-long, award-winning television journalism career, he decided to return to his Kansas roots and bought a ranch in southeast Kansas. "My first question was 'what can I grow here?'" he said. He embarked on an investigative journey through which he discovered that the region's cattle mimic buffalo-in their natural state, they graze on the open-range, eating the native prairie grasses.

In deciding to raise cattle on his ranch, Kurtis realized he had to solve the dilemmas that had caused the beef industry to move to grain-based diets in the first place-the cattle needed to fatten up quickly and be tender and delicious. He also needed to produce a product that could overturn the maligned reputation of beef as an unhealthy food.

Kurtis and his team of agricultural specialists scoured the country from Montana to Mississippi in search of genetic strains of cattle that retained their flavor and tenderness, and grew quickly, on an all-natural, grass-only diet. They tested a wide range of cattle and identified several "tallgrass" varieties that are particularly suited to an open-range, prairie grass-only diet. These are the cattle that he is raising on his ranch in Kansas and this is the beef that is served at Prairie Grass Cafe.

"I found this beef to be delicious and extremely tender," said Kurtis. "It's great that it is comparable in Omega-3 to salmon. The steers are free ranging and are not fed any growth hormones or antibiotics."

Kurtis also points out that the beef is good for the earth-the open range grazing of the cattle is good for the soil. "It may take longer to raise these cattle and it may cost more, but we are very confident beef lovers will have no problem paying a bit more for this delicious beef experience."

Shepherd's Pie (Prairie Grass Café Style)
Serves Four
Ingredients
2 lbs Tallgrass chuck eye roll cut into 1 inch chunks, fat and singue removed
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
2 T. olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 T. chopped garlic
1 cup chopped fresh skinned and seeded tomatoes
1 cup carrots peeled and large dice
1 cup celery large dice
1 teaspoon Fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem
3 cups chicken stock (unseasoned)
3 cups demi-glaze
4 pc Bay leaves
1 cup blanched rainbow chard

Season the beef with salt and pepper. Sear the meat in olive oil in a large hot pan over medium high heat. Stir occasionally until the meat is browned on all sides. Remove the meat from the pan and sauté the onions until tender. Add the garlic, carrots, and celery. Return the meat to the pan. Add the chicken stock and demi. Cover and cook slowly until the meat is tender. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add the swisschard and place in an oven proof crock

For the topping:
Ingredients
4 cups potato pure
¼ cup parsnip pure
1/8 cup butternut squash puree
2 T. whole butter
1 cup chicken stock
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Method:
Mix together the above ingredients. Divide into 4 portions and spread on top of the braised meat.

For more information or to make reservations, contact Prairie Grass Cafe at (847) 205-4433 or visit the website at www.prairiegrasscafe.com. For more information about Tallgrass Beef Company, please visit the website at www.tallgrassbeef.com.

Written By: Jeremy Emmerson

	Chow Mag
	Back To The Home Page