Chef Lenny McNab
Kessler Canyon Guest Ranch
Serve with Truffle Mashed Potatoes & Grilled Asparagus

Coffee Crusted Cowboy Steaks
Ingredients
2 26-ounce steaks (Chef prefers bone-in ribeye)
Garlic-herb marinade for the steaks
Coffee crust seasoning
Garlic Herb Marinade
2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons finely chopped thyme
1 tablespoon fine chopped garlic
4 tablespoons canola oil
Coffee Crust Seasoning
1/2 cup fine ground coffee
1/2 cup Lawry’s seasoning
1/2 cup white sugar
Directions
1. Mix all ingredients for the garlic herb marinade together and rub into your steaks. Allow them to sit covered for 1-2 hours.
2. Heat your grill to high heat. Place your marinated steaks onto the grill and season nicely. Every time you turn the steaks over, sprinkle some coffee crust seasoning on them to build a nice crust. Lower heat to medium and finish your steaks to your liking.
3. Allow your steaks to rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
The coffee in the spice rub will add a wonderful earthy richness that brings out the natural flavor of the red meat. The Lawry’s adds a nice vegetable flavor and saltiness, and the sugar caramelizes to bring a sweet crunch to the outside.

Truffle Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) expensive butter
1 tablespoon white truffle oil*
1 teaspoon chopped black truffles (optional)*
Salt and pepper to taste
*White truffle oil and black truffles are available at Italian markets, specialty food stores and some supermarkets.
Directions
1. Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling, salted water for about 20 minutes, until very tender. Drain. Return potatoes to pot. Stir over medium heat until excess moisture evaporates, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
2. Add heavy cream, butter and truffle oil. Mash until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in chopped truffles, if desired. Transfer to bowl and serve.

Roberts County lies in the northeast part of the Texas panhandle, its 924 square miles of high, lonesome emptiness occupied by fewer than 1,000 hardy and independent souls. Some of the most extreme weather on the planet – tornadoes, drought, blizzards – can be found there.

It is also a place where the whims of man – mortal dreams writ both large and small – are often shattered upon the face of nature’s unyielding anvil. But there is one dream that, through sheer force of will, has not only refused to shatter but has grown into something unmatched in this world.

That dream is Mesa Vista Ranch, and the force of will that relentlessly forged it into existence belongs to T. Boone Pickens, who 42 years ago set out on what many through a Quixotic fool’s quest: to shape and mold this harsh, abused landscape into a quail-hunting paradise the likes of which had never before been seen, to dare bend unyielding nature itself into his own unique vision of perfection.

Some said it couldn’t be done. And then T. Boone Pickens went out and did it.

Author: Fred Minnick

Chef Lenny McNab
Kessler Canyon Guest Ranch

Filet of Elk
Ingredients
2 5-ounce center cut elk filet mignons
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Directions
1. Crank up the grill as high as it will go.
2. Mix together the garlic, thyme, pepper and oil. Rub the filets thoroughly with the mixture. Let them sit out until the grill gets really hot.
3. Place filets on the grill, lightly salt and cook until just above rare. Remove from the grill and place in refrigerator until completely cooled.

Mushroom Duxell
Ingredients
1 pound button mushrooms
1/2 small white onion
1 tablespoon fresh garlic
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 cup heavy cream
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
Directions
1. Use a blender to finely chop the mushrooms, onions, garlic and thyme. Remove from the blender and put into a stockpot or small saucepan. Add the cream and a pinch of nutmeg.
2. Cook over medium-high heat until it begins to evaporate and starts to become very, very thick. Stir occasionally. Don’t let burn. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. When finished, place in refrigerator until completely cool.

Mallard Foie Gras
Ingredients
A few nice pieces of mallard duck foie gras
A little flour
Salt & Pepper
Vegetable Oil
Directions
1. Cut the foie gras about 3/4 inches thick and about as big as a good size money clip.
2. Salt and pepper each piece and coat with flour.
3. Put a pan on high heat and allow it to get hot. Add a touch of oil followed by the foie gras. Sautéing the foie gras should take only about 20 seconds per side. If left in the pan too long, it will render down to nothing but fat.
4. Remove the lightly browned pieces from the pan, place in refrigerator until completely cool.

To Assemble Filet of Elk En Croute
Ingredients
A sheet or two of frozen puff pastry (thawed)
Egg wash made from 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon of water
Grilled elk filets, cooled
1 recipe Mushroom Duxell, cooled
1 recipe Mallard Foie Gras, cooled
1. Take a good size (8-inch square) piece of thawed puff pastry and place it on your workstation. Lightly coat the pastry with egg wash.
2. Place one piece of cooled foie gras into the center of the pastry.
3. Place a couple spoonfuls of cooled Mushroom Duxell on top of the foie gras.
4. Place the cooled grilled filet on top of the Mushroom Duxell.
5. Wrap the pastry around the mixture tightly but gently making sure not to rip any hole in the pastry.
6. Place stuffed pastry on a greased sheet pan and brush with more egg wash. Lightly salt the top with kosher or sea salt.
7. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and place onto plate of demi-glace and grilled asparagus. Dribble little drops of balsamic vinegar and truffle oil around the plate and serve.