Happy Holidays - Explore Big Sky

FOOD & Dining
The Corral By
In the fall of 1988, hunters gathered in front of
the The Corral with their trophies and posed for
a photo.
David House, co-owner of Big Sky’s favorite steak
house, looks at the photo today. “That was the best
hunting season ever,” he remembers. Wildfires drove
elk out of woods that year, and proof hangs on the
walls of this cozy old Montana establishment.
Only months before that epic season, David House
and Devon White, both working construction,
purchased The Corral from two Utah couples. “I
wish I had a video tape back then,” says David,
who sits at the bar eating his breakfast of buffalo
sausage and dripping eggs. “The guys drank cheap
whiskey and the girls worked all the time, so we
jumped behind the bar and worked. We had to
duck things that were getting thrown in the bar.”
When David and Devon took over, The Corral
wasn’t known for its cuisine. “We wanted to put out
a good burger and steak, and on top of that we had
endless local support. What did we have to lose?”
Built as a one room log cabin in 1947, The Corral
was a destination for hunters who brought their
horses literally right to the bar. The eight-bedroom
motel was built in 1974.
David House arrived in Big Sky in 1975. “Me and
a couple of buddies moved here when there was
Max Spore, feeding an elk
outside the restaurant, built
the Corral in 1947.
December 24, 2010
Volume 1 // Issue #5
aBBie DigeL
still a gravel road. I was shoveling snow and skiing
every day.” Born and raised in Michigan, House
had never seen so much snow. “It was bottomless,”
he says. “Those were the days.”
The Corral has been through hard times, but David
sees the glass half-full. During 2009, stacks
of applications were flowing in, and he struggled
keeping the establishment afloat, but now there
are signs of hope. David thinks this will be the
best season in years.
This winter, expect to see the bar floating with locals,
Yellowstone Park visitors, and skiers ordering
up local brews or $2.50 bottles. Week nights are
known for the $7 burger and beer special, all you
can eat pasta night, and steak night. The local favorite
is the Steak Corral, a filet wrapped in bacon
and topped with crab and béarnaise sauce, but the
Corral is known for their burgers, all made from
Montana and Colorado meat.
“We’ve had the same meat supplier since we took
over,” explains David. “When you change providers
you can’t keep the same quality.”
The Corral will always draw a colorful crowd.
While the biggest challenge, David says, is maintaining
their high standard of quality and service,
they sure do a darn good job. corralbar.com
(406) 995-4249
Big Sky
Photos courtesy of the Corral
PORk TenDeRLOin
WiTH ROaSTeD gRaPeS
& BaLSaMiC gLaze
4 7oz. pieces of pork tenderloin
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt &
fresh cracked pepper to taste
4 Cups red seedless grapes, stems
removed
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cold, divided
2 Cups Homemade Chicken Stock
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Honey
Preheat oven to 500F. Brush tenderloins
with some of the extra virgin olive oil,
season with salt & pepper. in an oven
proof sauté pan, heat remaining olive
oil & sear pork on all sides until browned.
Remove from pan & set aside. Return
pan to high heat; add 1 Tbsp. butter and
when hot add grapes. Toss to coat and
brown slightly. Return pork to pan with
the grapes and roast in oven approximately
10 min(for medium) Remove pork
and grapes to side dish and keep warm,
leaving juice in pan.
Return pan to burner on high; add chicken
stock, vinegar and honey. Cook over
high heat until reduced to approximately
1 cup. Cut remaining 3 Tbsp. butter into
several pieces and whisk into sauce one
at a time to thicken. adjust seasoning,
add grapes to sauce.
Slice pork into medallions and arrange
on plates, spoon grapes and glaze on
top. enjoy!
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