My Great American Road Trip – Wyoming and What I’ve Learned.

I wanted to end big. Wyoming is big. And you know what’s there? Buffalo! I’ve never been to Wyoming, but I yearn to go and see where the buffalo roam and skies are not cloudy all day.

I’ve had a buffalo burger or two in my day, and I basically know how to cook ground beef, so I figured I’d go all the way. Buffalo prime rib. I actually ordered the meat direct from Wyoming! Cooking a prime rib seems so scary, but it’s actually super easy.

The first step is a rub of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and thyme. After a little massage, leave the meat in the fridge to absorb the yumminess.

When you’re ready to cook, low and slow is the way to go (rhyme!). Throw the beast in a 250 degree oven for about 25 minutes per pound (a bit more for a fattier cow). At the very end, up the temperature to 500 degrees for the last 15 minutes for a nice criso . Let the meat rest for about 10 minutes and enjoy the deliciousness.

It was super tasty, but actually, I think that beef prime rib, beef might be better than the leaner buffalo. There were no yummy pan drippings from this guy. I had considered making Yorkshire puddings a whole roast dinner, but in the end, I just had a nice thick slice of meat and the cat and I watched a documentary about my boss, MTT.

WHAT I LEARNED!

It’s interesting to be thinking of this as we celebrate the most American of holidays, and my most favorite one, Thanksgiving.

First and foremost, I learned how to cook. Or at least learned a bit of confidence in my cooking. I can deep fry or slow roast, braise and baste with the best of them. I’ve ordered in a few times in the last few weeks (I didn’t at all in the early days of quarantine) and I have to say each time I did, I thought, I could have made myself a better dinner.

But more than what I learned about myself, I learned a bit about us as a country.

First of all, we are all locavores. The food system gets a bad rap these days, but in fact in a lot of cases, the food we cherish is local to where we are. Buffalo in Wyoming, salmon and filberts in Oregon, seafood in New England, and corn in Iowa. We love the tastes of home and we are loyal to them. I had my Thanksgiving dinner this year with friends from Tennessee and there was no pumpkin to be found on the plate (a carnal sin among my yankee kin), but abundant banana pudding.

Next up – we love our immigrant history. Rhode Island Italians, the Basque in Idaho, Scandinavians and Germans in mid-America, and Mexicans along the southern boarder. We have embraced and absorbed the cooking, and with it some of the culture, of the countries of origin of so many Americans. It is what makes us American.

And above all else we love to gather. Big casseroles, snack plates, and healthy, hearty family meals dominate our food culture.

Having joyously consumed the country bite by bite, I can tell you that if we are what we eat Americans care about each other and our environment.

I’ve never felt so proud of my country!