These recipes come from Black Leg Ranch in rural McKenzie, where six generations of the Doan family have built their lives in the cattle business. The ranch predates North Dakota statehood, having been homesteaded in 1882 by George Doan, and was the first to bring Black Angus cattle to the region. Today, the Doans raise Black Angus and bison, operate a 13,000-square-foot event space called the Copper Jewell Barn and even opened a microbrewery in 2018, which brews a line of craft beer using the ranch’s well water.
What’s better than a burger and beer? A burger with locally raised meat paired with a local brew. Jay Doan recommends pairing Black Leg Brewery’s Bison Beer with the Black Leg Ranch Bison Burger. And, try their 1882 Lager with the ranch’s beef tacos.
Read more about the Doans here.
½ onion, diced
1 lb. Black Leg Ranch ground beef
1 T. Southwest spice blend
3-4 T. achiote paste
4 oz. shredded red cabbage
3 T. chopped cilantro
2 T. avocado mayo
1 lemon
6 flour tortillas
¼ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1½ T. sour cream
Olive oil
In a large pan with a little olive oil, sauté onion over medium heat until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add ground beef and Southwest spice blend, breaking into smaller pieces until cooked through. Add the achiote paste and stir until homogenized. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Combine cabbage and cilantro. Whisk avocado mayo and juice of half a lemon together, then add to slaw and season with salt and pepper.
In warmed tortilla, layer beef mixture, cheese and slaw. Serve with sour cream, more cilantro and lemon or lime wedges.
Pair with Black Leg Brewery’s 1882 Lager.
Recipe by the Doan family, Black Leg Ranch and Black Leg Brewery, members of Capital Electric Cooperative
12 oz. Yukon gold potatoes, cut into ½-inch wedges
2 T. avocado mayo
1 tsp. hot sauce
2 T. classic BBQ sauce
1 yellow onion, 2 T. minced and the rest thinly sliced
1 lb. Black Leg Ranch ground bison
1 T. fry seasoning
¼ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 potato buns
1 T. butter
Olive oil
For the potato wedges, wash and pat dry potatoes, cut into ½-inch wedges and place on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 425-degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Add another sprinkle of salt hot out of the oven.
For the spicy aioli, combine avocado mayo, hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
Thinly slice onion, reserving 2 T. minced onion. In a large pan, melt 1 T. butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until lightly browned and softened, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove onions and set aside; do not clean pan.
In a bowl, combine ground bison, minced onion, fry seasoning, salt and pepper. Form two burger patties, ensuring patties are wider than the buns. In the same pan in which the onions were cooked, add a little oil or melt butter, then fry bison patties, about 4-7 minutes on each side, or to desired doneness. Top burgers with Monterey Jack cheese until melted.
Toast buns. Spread BBQ sauce on the bottom bun and spicy aioli on the top bun. Top burger with caramelized onions and serve with potato wedges.
Pair with Black Leg Brewery’s Bison Beer.
Recipe by the Doan family, Black Leg Ranch and Black Leg Brewery, members of Capital Electric Cooperative
