EP: 3 Chris Hughes from Broken Arrow Ranch - The purveyors of exotic wild game for restaurants.

Episode 3 of The Tinstreamer Podcast is a companion piece to a Texas Monthy story I wrote that hits their website on Monday 2-26-24. (This podcast is not affiliated with Texas Monthly.) It’s about Broken Arrow Ranch, the Texas based company that pioneered the selling of exotic wild game (venison) to restaurants across the country. In the early 80s, Broken Arrow Ranch founder, Mike Hughes was instrumental in establishing the laws that made it possible to classify and inspect non-native, exotic game for restaurant kitchens.

 

In this episode, I sit down at the Broken Arrow Ranch headquarters, in Ingram, Texas with current owner Chris Hughes and we chat about, harvesting versus hunting, the definition of venison, chef culture, and Napa Valley. And just like in episode 2, the 1980s TV action drama Airwolf enters the conversation. (This episode is helicopter heavy.)  It’s a not a Tinstreamer Podcast unless the great Jan Michael Vincent comes up.

 

The first time I had a Broken Arrow Ranch product was 20 years ago at Abacus, a fantastic fine dining establishment in Dallas. (The restaurant closed in 2019.) Tre Wilcox (he competed in season three of Top Chef) was the executive chef at the time, and he had orchestrated  a culinary masterpiece from one of Broken Arrow Ranch’s flagship products – axis venison. That entrée from 20 years ago was the catalyst that inspired me to pursue this story, and - up until now - I counted it as the best meal I’ve ever had. 

 

Chris had invited me to one of their nilgai (antelope) harvests in South Texas and we talk about that process (this is where the helicopter comes in) and my thoughts on the experience. We close out the show with my current best meal of all time. As a part of the Texas Monthly story, I’d arranged to have nilgai (South Texas Antelope) at Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine in Fort Worth, the following Saturday night. It wouldn’t be an animal from the harvest I observed, (Broken Arrow ages those for 21 days back at their facility) but it would be nilgai from Broken Arrow. The dinner was the most amazing experience of my dining career.

 

Here's a description of that entrée for you foodies out there. It was nilgai tenderloin, sous vide to 127-degrees then rubbed with Dijon mustard, fresh tarragon leaves, thyme white pepper and wrapped in smoked bacon. The meat is then reverse seared to perfection. It was accompanied by a sauce Robert, a white wine and Dijon mustard demi-glace with bacon lardon and more fresh tarragon from the restaurant’s garden. The accoutrements to the entrée complimented the dish perfectly, a parsnip puree, roasted Brussels sprouts and apples that were glazed with a touch of sherry vinegar, honey and caramelized onions.