Hidatsa Stuffed Sugar Pumpkin

1 Sugar pumpkin, 4-5 pounds
2 t Salt
1/2 t Dry mustard
2 T Rendered fat
1 lb Ground buffalo, venison or beef
1 Medium onion, chopped
1 c Cooked wild rice
3 Eggs, beaten
1 t Crushed, dried sage
1/4 t Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Cut the top off the pumpkin and remove strings and seeds. Reserve seeds for another use. Prick the cavity with a fork and rub with 1 teaspoon salt and the mustard. 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. Stuff pumpkin with the meat mixture. Place 1/2" water in the bottom of a shallow baking pan. 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. To serve, cut pumpkin into wedges, giving each person pumpkin and stuffing.
Spirit of the Harvest