Buffalo was (and still is) the primary game meat of the American Indians of the Southwest pueblos. They either hunted buffalo or, if they were an agrarian society like most pueblo tribes, they traded corn and other supplies for buffalo jerky and buffalo skins. Originally, there were over 60 million buffalo or bison roaming the continental United States from the Northwest all the way to Virginia. But by the 1920s, they were almost extinct from overhunting, with only 1,200 left. Fortunately, they have been brought back through effort and careful husbandry, and there are many suppliers of buffalo meat today. When planning my fall menus, I always include buffalo and pair it with local New Mexican fruits like our excellent apples from the Velarde Valley. Any high-quality buffalo sausage will work for this recipe, or substitute a game or lamb sausage.

　　

Ingredients

makes 6 tacos

　　3 medium New Mexico green chiles, oil-roasted, peeled, cored, and seeded (page 154)

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　2 Jonathan apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

　　9 ounces buffalo sausage

　　1/8 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, toasted and ground (page 161)

　　1/8 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and ground (page 164)

　　1/8 teaspoon fennel seed, toasted and ground (page 164)

　　6 (5 1/2-inch) flour tortillas (page 16), for serving

　　Garnish: Crumbled goat cheese

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Cut the prepared green chiles into 1/4-inch strips (rajas); set aside.

　　

Step 2

In a heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apple slices and sauté until lightly browned on both sides side, about 3 minutes total (be careful not to burn the butter). Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

　　

Step 3

In a large, heavy skillet, sear the sausages on all sides over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer the sausages to a baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 6 minutes.

　　

Step 4

To serve, cut the links into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle with ground oregano, cumin, and fennel. Combine with the chile rajas and serve immediately or keep warm until ready to serve.

　　

Step 5

To serve, lay the tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping on a platter. Divide the filling equally between the tortillas and top with crema and goat cheese. Grab, fold, and eat right away. Or build your own taco: lay a tortilla, open face, in one hand. Spoon on some filling, top with crema and goat cheese, fold, and eat right away.

　　Tacos by Mark Miller with Benjamin Hargett and Jane Horn. Copyright © 2009 by Mark Miller with Benjamin Hargett and Jane Horn. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.Mark Miller is the acclaimed chef-founder of Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He has started and owned thirteen different restaurants on three continents from 1979 to 2008. He is the author of ten books with nearly 1 million copies in print, including Tacos, The Great Chile Book, The Great Salsa Book, and Coyote Cafe. Mark currently works in International Culinary Consulting and lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.Benjamin Hargett is a travel-loving chef who has cooked in Europe, the Carribean, Mexico, and the United States, where he worked with Mark Miller at the Coyote Café for many years.