Hidatsa Stuffed Sugar

This Native American recipe is seriously delicious. The filling is flavorful, rich in textures and fiber and absolutely wonderful.

Recipe type: Vegetables
Author: Epicurus.com Kitchens
Serves: 6

Ingredients
o 1 sugar pumpkin, 4 to 5 pounds
o 2 teaspoons salt
o 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
o 2 Tablespoons rendered fat
o 1 pound ground buffalo, venison or beef
o 1 medium onion, chopped
o 1 Cup cooked wild rice
o 3 eggs, beaten
o 1 teaspoon crushed, dried sage
o 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cut the top off the pumpkin and remove strings and seeds. Reserve seeds for another use.
3. Prick the cavity with a fork and rub with 1 teaspoon salt and the mustard.
4. Heat fat in a large skillet, add meat and onion and saute over medium-high heat until browned. Off the heat, stir in wild rice, eggs, remaining salt, sage and pepper.
5. Stuff pumpkin with the meat mixture. Place 1/2″ water in the bottom of a shallow baking pan.
6. Put pumpkin in the pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. Add more water to the pan as neccessary to avoid sticking.
7. To serve, cut pumpkin into wedges, giving each person pumpkin and stuffing.

Notes
The Hidatsa are a Native American tribe currently living in North Dakota as one of the Three Affiliated Tribes. The others, Mandan and Arikara are fortunate to have such excellent gastronomes as their companions. This dish is delicious.

Notes: Use a Columbian Squash (resembled pumpkin in appearance and texture of meat) as a substitute if regular pumpkin is not available. Remember to buy cooking, not decorative pumpkins for this recipe.