Sh*t, that's fresh: Chapter 22

Oh, give me a home… 🦬

Apr 15, 2025

Shoulder season is a strange little pocket of time.

One I never really noticed until we spent the better part of a decade living at the base of a ski hill. Now I feel it in my everything.

The gnar’s been shredded.
The light softens and stretches.
And something stirs - a quiet craving for the kind of electricity only a Montana summer can bring.

But with that electricity comes packed trails, tour buses, and the struggle of finding a good parking spot at the lake.

So we took advantage of the quiet and made our way to Yellowstone for Mikey’s birthday.

Full shoulder season itinerary for a weekend at the North Entrance of Yellowstone National Park coming soon.

Landing in a dimly lit dive bar for dinner, I found myself eating a slab of meatloaf made from an animal we’d just admired grazing in the mountains around our airbnb.

Kind of surreal, but also inspiring.

So we came home and immediately put our own spin on Elk Meatloaf - so I could bring a taste of Montana cooking to all of you.

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Here’s what you’ll need to make Elk Meatloaf, too:

for the meatloaf:

2 lbs ground elk
1 lb ground Italian pork sausage
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg, whisked
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt
pepper

for the mashed potatoes:

4 Yukon gold potatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
salt

for the mushroom gravy and garnishes:

2 lbs mushrooms, quartered and sliced
1 1/2 cups pearl onions, peeled
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 tbsp butter
chives, chopped
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

Here’s what you’ll need to do:

We’re going to start by making our meatloaf.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, soak panko breadcrumbs in milk. Set aside.

Melt butter in a pan over medium heat and sauté your diced onion until soft.
Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine elk, pork sausage, soaked breadcrumbs, sautéed onion and garlic, egg, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix gently to incorporate, being careful not to overwork your meat.

Line an oven-proof loaf pan with parchment paper and fill with meatloaf mix.

Bake for about 60 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

Pro Tip: Place loaf pan on a sheet tray to bake, so any juices that drip from your meatloaf collect on the tray rather than dirtying your oven.

Meanwhile, we’re going to make our mashed potatoes - starting by bringing a large pot of water to a boil on the stovetop.

Peel potatoes and cut into small, like-sized pieces.
Add potatoes to the pot of boiling water and cook until fork tender. This should take about 15 minutes.
Drain potatoes and allow them to cool slightly.

Put cooked potatoes through a ricer into a mixing bowl (or give them a good mash).
Add heavy cream and butter.
Stir until smooth.
Salt to taste and set aside.

Once your meatloaf is cooked through, remove from oven and allow to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing into inch-thick slices.

This is when you’ll make your gravy and crisp up some shallots for garnishing.

Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and butter to a pan over medium heat.
Add pearl onions and sauté for about 5 minutes before adding mushrooms. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Once mushrooms and onions are soft and beautifully basted in butter, remove pan from heat and CAREFULLY add Marsala wine to the pan. (You want the pan off the heat so it doesn’t 🔥 flame 🔥 up on you).

Place pan back on the burner and simmer until wine is reduced by half.
Add heavy cream and simmer until thick and unctuous, also reduced by half.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

At the same time, we’re going to make some crispy shallots for garnishing.

Place thinly sliced shallots in a small sauté pan and drizzle with olive oil until covered.
Saute shallots over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until golden - which shouldn’t take long at all.
CAREFULLY remove crispy shallots from the HOT oil and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to cool.

Now it’s time to put together our dish.

Spread a layer of your buttery mashed potatoes on a plate.
Top with a slice of meatloaf, and smother with your gorgeous gravy.
Garnish with fresh cracked pepper, chopped chives, and crispy shallots.

Dig in and enjoy!

I spend a lot of time talking about the food we find on our travels, because, well… that’s kind of my thing. But while we’re on the topic of Montana cuisine, I wanted to share one of my favorite places to eat when we’re at home.

I vividly remember tossing pennies in the stone wishing well at the old Yatson restaurant as a kid.

It was a place my family went for special nights out - back when dinner at a restaurant wasn’t something you did all the time. So hopping in the car, turning up the radio, and walking into a restaurant wearing a clean shirt felt like a pretty big deal.

A penny from my parents made it even bigger.

Closing my eyes, I’d dream as large as I could, and make my wish before being called to our table.

Sometimes I’d linger too long, mesmerized by the layers of coins - both shiny and dull - stacked on the rocks and resting at the bottom of the well, wondering what other kind of wishes were tucked alongside mine.

When I’d finally turn to find my family already seated, the usually anxious kid I was felt no rush. I knew I was safe and among family - at least that’s how a trip to Yatson made you feel.

And still does.

No longer located on the Walking Mall, Yatson now lives on Main Street in the heart of East Helena, Montana.

Kids still come in starry-eyed, and guests regularly walk back to the kitchen to say hi - nodding in thanks and waving goodbye as they go to leave.

And me? Well, I’m now lucky enough to be part of the actual family - having married in after years of being just another wide-eyed kid with a couple shiny pennies and some pretty big dreams.

Funny how some wishes take root in the most unexpected of places. 💛