The Frugal Foodie: Yak, Anyone?  

This morning I got an e-mail from an old friend.  An urban-dwelling metropolitan friend with no kids.  Someone who has ready-access and ample time to dine at interesting ethnic eateries within the city.  Someone who has probably never set foot in Chuck E. Cheese or ordered a Happy Meal.  You get my point. 

As I was reading his description of his recent trip to a Tibetan restaurant, I became a little jealous.  Creamy curry sauces.  Hot-as-hell noodles. An exotic mango-spice drink. And yes, someone at his table even ordered Yak. Not that I’d really want to sample this bovine creature, but I wouldn’t mind knowing I could if I wanted to.  Being over an hour away from anything remotely urban, the restaurants in our mid-sized town serve straight-up beef, chicken, and pork.  Period.  Yak is simply not an option.  The most exotic meat you’ll get here is venison shot by your deer-hunting friend needing to unload the stock in his freezer before his next hunt. 

Suddenly, the Yak represented all things exotic that seemed so elusive to me as a stay-at-home mom.  After I got done moping about my small town life I decided to take matters into my own hands.  I decided to search for something exotic I could enjoy within the restraints of my location and situation. 

After a Google search of “Tibetan recipes” I was now armed with more knowledge of Yak and Tibetan cuisine than my city friend.  Unfortunately, most of the online recipes I found called for lamb, yak, exotic spices and/or other things my local Cub Foods didn’t regularly stock.  I decided to try the first recipe that sounded flavorful yet included attainable ingredients.  This is what I came up with, courtesy of a website called mybindi.com:

Cheese Soup (Churu)

Ingredients
1/2 onion chopped
1/4 tsp each of paprika, ground Szechuan or black pepper
1/4 tsp each of minced garlic and ginger
1/4 lb beef (such as top sirloin) minced
1 jalapeno chili, seeded, finely chopped
1/4 tsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp blue cheese
1 tomato, diced
5 cups water
1/4 cup cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water

Directions
In large saucepan over medium-high heat, fry onion in oil until brown. Stir in paprika, pepper, garlic, and ginger. Add beef, stirring constantly. When almost cooked, add chili.

Reduce to low, add cheese stirring until melted. Add tomato and water. Stir in cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil while stirring. Cook until mixture thickens slightly. Makes 4 servings.

The verdict?  Pretty good.  The combination of blue cheese, sirloin, and jalapeno chilies packed a flavorful punch.  On the flip side, the amount of water seemed to dull down the essence of the recipe, not enhance it.  If I were to make it again I would try adding milk or half and half for a creamier consistency.  If you’re a big blue cheese fan, add even more than the recipe calls for.  I have a hunch it would have tasted a little bit better in the confines of a Tibetan restaurant, but making it at home was a fun way to spice up our household on an otherwise ordinary day.