New Mexico Quiche and Burning Season

This recipe combines beef for breakfast, in a kicked up quiche recipe that induces green chillis and queso fresco. It is one of the BEST quiches around.

Burning Season

This time of year, in the Flint Hills of Kansas is what is known as burning season. As a Texan and New Mexican, neither Arturo or I grew up burning pastures. So, this concept was foreign, at least to me, when we moved here almost 11 years ago.  However, I have come to appreciate and respect this season, and you have never seen anything prettier than pastures that are coming back to life after a good burn. It truly does look like the hills of Ireland.

Fire is Important to the Flint Hills

Without it, the rich green prairie that we know today would disappear in just a few short years. Burning pastures is an effective way to control weeds and the Western Red Cedar population. Without prescribed burning, the prairie we know today would be changed to a forest and the grass that ranchers graze millions of cattle on a year would no longer exist.

The interesting thing to me is that fire in the Flint Hills has been around since the Native Americans inhabited this area. They observed that the migrating buffalo were attracted to the fresh green grass after a fire started from a lightning strike. With that observation, they began to start their own fires to encourage the lush green grass to grow. This intentional use of fire changed the ecology of the Flint Hills over thousands of years. The ecosystem has adapted to routine burning.

Burning a pasture is not something that ranchers just go out and do.   There is planning of when to burn, preparation for a safe burn and consideration for the people that live next to the Flint Hills.  Of course, with fire, there is smoke and that smoke will drift.  However, ranchers do all they can to prevent that drift from reaching the urban areas near the Flint Hills. They do this by relying heavily on the Smoke Management Plan. This free online tool shows ranchers how likely it is for the smoke from a prescribed burn to impact areas as far away as Kansas City, Lawrence, Wichita or even Omaha. The plan is a balance between thoughtful ecosystem management of the tallgrass prairie and the comfort of people who have moved into the cities surrounding the Flint Hills region.

Ranchers truly care about the land, the cattle grazing that land and the people living in and around the Flint Hills. So, next time you see the smoke, know that the Flint Hills are being responsibly managed.

For information and more amazing videos and photos please visit the Kansas Beef Council’s website.

Chorizo Beef Sausage

1 lb Ground Beef
2 tbsp. of paprika
1 tbsp. Chili Powder
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp oregano leaves
1 tbsp. tomato paste
½ tbsp. salt

Combine all the seasonings with the ground beef and mix thoroughly.

New Mexican Quiche

8 ounces chorizo beef sausage
8 eggs
½ cup milk
1 (10 inch) pie crust
1 cup frozen breakfast potatoes (cooked) seasoned with ¼ teaspoon chili powder and paprika and one clove garlic
2 whole green chilis, fire roasted, peeled and diced
¼ cup queso fresco
Salt

In a small skillet cook the chorizo over medium heat until browned, break into pieces with a wooden spoon.

In a deep mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk until well beaten.

Pour the egg mixture into the unbaked pie crust.

Evenly spoon the chorizo and potatoes into the egg-filled pie crust.

Top with the green chili and queso fresco.

Bake at 325 for 45 minutes.