Flavors Under the Big Sky

On Billings’ Montana Avenue in Billings, Brewmaster Michael Uhrich of Carter’s Brewing and Executive Chef Jeremy Engebretson of Lilac are brewing new flavors. While many think of pairing food with wine, the duo is partnering beer with food, beyond the ballpark hot dogs and mass produced aluminum canned libations advertised with frogs and beautiful women.

Clint Peck lives with the mantra of, “Don’t say whoa in the middle of a mud hole.” Peck left cattle ranching to make wine, fermenting the dream at his Yellowstone Cellars and Winery in Billings, Mont. Tucked in a small industrial space on the West End of town, the winery will produce about 3,400 cases of wine this year.

What is the beef about steak? At the table, with fork and knife in hand, do we really know and appreciate the food before us? In this program, we journeyed to the American Fork Ranch in Two Dot, Montana located under the Crazy Mountains to travel from pasture to plate.

 The 2016 MSU Billings Wine and Food Festival Winemasters Symposium brought together winemakers Marc Mondavi of Charles Krug Winery and Divining Rod Winery along with Joy Merrilees of Shannon Ridge Family of Wines, and Executive Nick Steen of the Northern Hotel. For the symposium, Chef Steen created a menu that partnered with the wines provided by the festival’s winemasters.

On a rainy May 16, 2016 morning, Shane Ryan was inside the back of a Sysco truck, securing product. He was digging through stacks of boxes, and lifting and moving packages himself. As executive chef of “Matt’s in the Market” in Seattle, WA, this is not unusual activity, but on this day he is 817 miles away, in Billings, MT. Tonight he is cooking with Executive Chef David Maplethorpe of The Rex Restaurant Bar and Grill for the annual Guest Chef Dinner for the Montana State University Billings Foundation Wine and Food Festival.