South Dakota’s Date of Statehood – November 2nd, 1889
There is nothing more American than a cheeseburger, except maybe a cheeseburger made from Bison! This uniquely North American animal is a delicious, lean source of protein for your cookouts! Add on some fresh asparagus and South Dakota’s own state dessert, a kuchen (which is German for cake but is more like a coffee cake or Danish,) and you have a yummy taste of the South Dakota wilds!
Tips and Tricks
- When making your burger patty, press your thumb into the center, leaving an indention. This will help the meat stay a disc instead of becoming a ball when the meat starts to contract during cooking.
- If you are trying to limit your beef consumption, there are several non-beef burger alternatives:
- Turkey Burgers
- Turkey burgers are one of the most popular and flavorful non-beef burger options. Cook it like a regular burger by adding spices, sauces, and toppings to make it taste like a real burger. Plus, turkey burger meat can be purchased pre-ground to save time when preparing tasty burgers.
- Turkey offers these health benefits:
- Good source of protein
- Rich in vitamin B6
- Low fat content
- Salmon Burgers
- Salmon is one of the most nutritionally well-rounded burger alternatives available. Salmon offers a variety of health benefits if you are maintaining a low fat diet. You can enjoy salmon burgers as a fillet or combine shredded salmon with vegetables, aiolis, and flavorful spices.
- Here are some benefits that salmon provides:
- Fights inflammation with omega-3 fatty acids
- Promotes cardiovascular health
- Supports healthy blood pressure with potassium
- Bison Burgers
- Bison burgers are beginning to sky-rocket in popularity due to their lean meat. Bison meat promotes better heart health and provides essential vitamins and minerals like iron and zinc. Bison burgers can be cooked like any regular beef burger and topped with lettuce, tomato, mayo, ketchup, mustard, or any other toppings of your choosing.
- Learn more about the benefits of bison meat:
- High protein content
- Contains less fat and calories
- Provides Omega 3 fatty acids
- Chicken Burgers
- This lean and low-fat protein is an excellent alternative to beef. When purchasing chicken for burgers, do not buy pre-ground chicken. Instead, choose boneless, skinless chicken breasts and use your own meat grinder for better texture.
- Chicken has the following health benefits:
- Contains cholesterol-reducing vitamins
- Supports bones and teeth with phosphorus
- High protein content
- Pork Burgers
- Pork is a great source of protein, and it is particularly well suited for pairing with sweet and tangy flavors. Try grilling pork burgers and topping them with barbecue sauce or Asian sauces like hoisin and teriyaki.
- Here are some benefits of pork:
- Supports immune system with zinc vitamins
- Great source of iron
- Promotes brain function with B12 vitamins
- Turkey Burgers
Bison Cheeseburger
Serves 4
- 1 lb. Ground Bison
- 4 Slices of Yellow American Cheese
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 4 Hamburger Buns
- Lettuce, Tomato, Pickles, Mayonnaise, Ketchup, Mustard, Onions, as desired.
Step 1: Oil the grates of your grill lightly with vegetable oil. Heat the grill to High.
Step 2: Once the grill is lit and is heating up, divide the ground bison into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a patty that is approximately 1/2-inch thick. Press your thumb into the center of each patty so the burger will keep its shape on the grill. Sprinkle each side of salt and pepper, as desired.
Step 3: Once the grill is hot, add the burgers to grill, close the lid, and grill for 5 minutes.
Step 4: After 5 minutes, flip the burger, close the lid, and grill for 4 minutes.
Step 5: After 4 minutes, lift the lid, add the cheese to each burger, close the lid, and grill for 1 more minute. These will be medium-rare to medium.
Step 6: Once the burgers have reached at least 160 degrees, remove them from the grill, place them on the buns, and top as you wish.
Garlic Roasted Asparagus
Serves 4
- 1 Bunch Fresh Asparagus, rinsed and the woody ends snapped off
- 3 Large Cloves of Garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 Tbs Olive Oil
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Freshly Ground Pepper
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Step 2: Place the cleaned and prepared asparagus spears into a large zip-top bag. Add the olive oil, garlic slices, salt, and pepper to the asparagus. Close the bag and gently manipulate the contents until the asparagus is thoroughly coated in oil and seasonings.
Step 3: Arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet and pour the oil and garlic over the spears.
Step 4: Place in the hot oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, turning the asparagus halfway through the cooking time.
Step 5: Serve hot.
South Dakota Apple Kuchen
Serves 8
Crust
- 1 Package Rapid Rise Instant Yeats
- 1/8 Cup Lukewarm Water
- 1 Egg, beaten
- 3/4 Cup Milk
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/8 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 3 1/4 Cups All-purpose Flour
- 1 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
Filling
- 1 Egg
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/2 Cup Milk
- 1 1/2 tsp All-Purpose Flour
Topping
- 1/4 Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Flour
- 2 Tbs Margarine Melted
Make the Crust
Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together the 1/8 cup of lukewarm water, yeast, and a pinch of flour. Set the yeast aside for 10 minutes or until the yeast starts to foam.
Step 2: In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to just a boil over medium-high heat. Once small bubbles appear and there is a film on top of the milk, remove it from the heat.
Step 3: Add the 1/2 Cup sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/8 cup of vegetable oil to the hot milk and whisk together until the sugar is fully dissolved. Then, add the beaten egg and stir to thoroughly combine. Set this aside until the temperature drops to 115 degrees.
Step 4: Once the milk mixture drop in temperature to 115 degrees, add it to the yeast. Add the flour and mix until a soft dough is formed.
Step 5: Place the dough in a large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise in a dark, warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Step 6: Once the dough has risen, divide it into 2 equal portions. Take 1 portion of dough and freeze it for later. Grease a deep-dish pie pan. Take the other portion of dough and roll it out into a 1/4-inch thick circle so that it covers the bottom and most of the side of the pie pan. Set this aside in a warm, dark place for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Make the Filling
Step 7: In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream and milk. Heat the diary on medium heat until the liquid just starts to bubble and then remove it from the heat.
Step 8: In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, flour, and egg together. Slowly pour in the hot milk, whisking as your pour. Once everything is combined, pour the mixture pack into the saucepan and return it to medium heat.
Step 9: Cook the custard, stirring constantly, until the mixture is quite thick, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from, the heat and set aside.
Make the Topping
Step 10: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar. Then, pour the melted butter into the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
Step 11: Once the dough has risen for 15 minutes in the pie pan, it is time to put the kuchen together. Place the thinly sliced apples directly onto the dough in a single layer and press them gently down.
Step 12: Take 1 cup of the custard filling and pour it over the apples. Use a rubber spatula to spread this out evenly.
Step 13: Take the topping, which will have the consistency of wet playdough, and pinch off little pieces and dot the top of the kuchen, covering as much of the custard as possible.
Step 14: Once assembled, place the kuchen in the hot oven and bake for 40 minutes or until the custard is set and the topping is a golden brown. Check about halfway through the cooking time to see if the edges are turning a dark brown. If so, cover the edges of the kuchen with foil to prevent burning.
Step 15: Once baked, allow the kuchen to cool completely before cutting and serving.
Fun Facts about South Dakota: 1. South Dakota Has More Shoreline Than Florida. Winding rivers with crystal clear water and glacial lakes fill the South Dakota landscape, which means the Mount Rushmore State actually has more miles of shoreline than the Sunshine State. 2. Clark, South Dakota is home to the world famous Mashed Potato Wrestling Contest. 3. “The Price is Right” host Bob Barker is a famous native of South Dakota. 4. Mitchell is the home of the world’s only Corn Palace, which is made of 3500 bushels of corn. 5. Wild Bill Hickok was killed in Deadwood, South Dakota in 1876 and is buried in a cemetery there. 6. One of largest and most complete skeletons of a Tyrannosaurus Rex on Earth was excavated near Faith, SD. 7. Lemmon is the world’s largest petrified wood park, with fossilized remains of life from 50 million years old.
Edible U.S. 