Cooking up something for state

It’s before noon on a Monday. The sound of oil on cast iron cuts through the air, just like the smell of hot cast iron. Mixed in is the odor of seared meat and the aroma of cooked vegetables and potatoes.

On one skillet is Skyler Wood, making a batch of bacon home fries while, on the other skillet, Kayden Erick puts a sear on a cut of bison tenderloin. Douglass Campbell occasionally steps in between the two, offering some quick advice and bringing them supplies. This could be a scene from an episode of “The Bear,” a popular show on Hulu, or a number of cooking competitions.

It could be, but it’s not. Instead, this was the scene on the morning of February 12 at Saratoga Middle High School with a deadline looming over the three young men for the State ProStart Competition. They have to submit their menu and recipes with photos by February 19 and will be competing on February 26.

Hope Cooper, who is also on the team, wasn’t present that day.

“What they’re doing now is we’re trying to get pictures for the book. When we practice again, we’ll get two eight-foot tables and have their area,” said Cheryl Munroe. “They get to use a speed rack but right now we’re just getting the recipes down so we can get that typed and sent in.”

Munroe, or Mo, is no stranger to this. For nearly 40 years, she taught Family and Career Science in Carbon County School District No. 2 at both Encampment and Saratoga schools. In that time, she advised countless students on their way to the State ProStart Competition including two teams in 2019: one from Encampment and one from Saratoga. Munroe officially retired in 2019 but, much like Al Pacino in Godfather Part Three, hasn’t been able to stay away.

“The kids decided when I came to work in January that they wanted to do this,” said Munroe. “If they’re ready, I’m going to help.”

This meant that, in just a little over a month, Munroe and the three students had to devise a restaurant and a menu with recipes. While this might seem like a lot of pressure on its own, all three students also take part in extracurricular activities, such as wrestling. On this Monday morning, however, they didn’t seem too stressed out about their approaching deadline.

“We actually haven’t really spent a lot of time working together. We all do extracurriculars,” said Douglass. “All of us work in kitchens.”

Douglass grew up in the Hotel Wolf, which is owned by his grandparents, Doug and Cathy Campbell. Skyler currently works at J.W. Hugus & Co and previously worked at the Saratoga Hot Springs Resort and The Grumpy Italian. Kaden works at The Malt. This experience in the kitchen is evident as they move around each other in the tight space that is one of the kitchen zones of the classroom. Nobody is yelling “Yes, Chef” as they prepare each portion of the dish, but they communicate with each other clearly as to when they’re moving with a hot skillet or resting a food item, such as the bison tenderloin.

“It brings out a lot of the flavor, it allows the meat to really absorb everything and it allows that crust to build. If you go to social media influencers, they really like that crust,” said Douglass. “To get that crust, you need to let it rest and get off the heat for the moment. It doesn’t necessarily cool it down. It furthers the cooking process and allows all the flavors to be fully expressed.”

As perfect of a unit as the three young men seemed on this Monday morning, they also have made their fair share of mistakes. One example provided by Munroe is with a homemade beef stock.

“I brought in short ribs from home and we cooked the ribs all day and browned the bones,” said Munroe. “The next day, we simmered the ribs with mirepoix which is 50% onion, 25% carrot and 25% celery and the aromatics.”

Once the broth was done simmering all day, Munroe let it cool before placing it in the refrigerator for the night. When the team came in the next morning, she told them they would need to drain off the stock.

“They did. Down the sink,” said Munroe. “That was our day to mess everything up. You name it, we did it.”

For this Monday, worcestershire sauce is used to provide the salt-based umami flavor which the beef broth would have provided. According to Munroe, a bison oxtail provided by Iron Creek Bison Company will be used to make a bison broth before competition.

With the mistakes out of their way, the three-member team seemed well prepared for making their restaurant—Snowy Range Steakhouse—a reality. At least for the state competition. The menu, according to Munroe, is made up of everything one can find, raise or grow in the Platte Valley.

It starts off with a garden salad with strawberries, blueberries, a strawberry vinaigrette and glazed walnuts. The entree is a butter basted bison tenderloin—from Iron Creek Bison Company—topped with a cream sauce and accompanied by bacon home fries and grilled asparagus with asiago cheese. For desert, a lemon crisp filled with lemon whip cream, strawberries, blueberries and glazed walnuts.

The presentation menu will be a charcuterie board made by Wyoming Artisans owner Marcy Knotwell with the background photo provided by Elizabeth Wood. A novel steakhouse concept, but the team also needs to be ready for if the judges ask about an option for someone who can’t eat red meat. Though it wouldn’t be available, the team has decided on trout.

“We haven’t really discussed a vegetarian option, yet. We had brought it up, though. As of right now, we can do a la carte sides until we get a better option,” said Douglass. “Having worked at the Wolf, you get a lot of vegetarians at a steakhouse.”

“Working at a burger joint, we get a lot of vegetarians, too,” added Kaden.

Soon, all the components of the entree are done. The bison tenderloin has rested and it is sliced party style, showing the crust on the outside and the medium-rare pink on the inside. The cream sauce is drizzled over it, the home fries are placed on the plate and asiago covers the grilled asparagus before a torch is used to melt the cheese.

A truly photo worthy entree which not only feeds the eyes, but awakens the taste buds as well. Once the photos are done, forks are provided for a taste test. The tenderloin and the cream sauce dance on the tongue and are enough to make the mouth water. The home fries are made with golden potatoes and the sweetness of them cut through the char from the cast iron.