Tips for Cooking
Bison
There are many misnomers out there about bison being a very difficult
meat to cook. Fact is, a good quality piece of bison is far from
impossible...in fact, with just a few considerations, bison meat
can be cooked to perfection by the novice cook.
The two tips
about cooking bison boil down to these: LOW and SLOW. If you
remember this about cooking bison, you can't ruin it!
Bison is lean
and that is great for your health and physique! Accordingly,
it is important to remember that in the kitchen. Try not to cook
it to well done or overly done ! Here are other tips that you
should consider when cooking bison:
Steaks
Although tender cuts (tenderloin, loin steaks, rib steaks) do
not require it, for best results marinate steaks in marinade
of your choice before cooking. Grill over a hot flame only to
sear and seal. Transfer to the cool side of the grill for 6 to
15 minutes depending on thickness, turning frequently. Do not
cook past medium 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Bison meat has
a tendency to continue to cook even when it has been removed
from heat.
For Char-Broiled Bison Steak - Rub
your favorite cut of steak with a combination of a little garlic
salt, cooking oil, ground black pepper and lemon juice. The lemon
will make it tangy, and gives a zippy flavor
* Do not use a fork to turn steaks, this punctures the meat allowing
the juices to escape. Lesser quality bison steaks are not recommended
for grilling unless they have been marinated.
* Steaks recommended for grilling/barbecuing include Rib Eyes,
T-Bones, and New York Strips. Cooking time is important in order
not to overcook your steaks. Total cooking time will depend on
the thickness of the steaks: 1" thick-rare: 6-8 min med:
10-12 min 11/2" thick - rare: 10-12 min med: 14-18 min 2"
thick - rare: 14-20 min med: 20-25 min.
Roasts
For tenderloin, loin roasts, rib roasts, top sirloin and sirloin
butt, preheat oven to 275 degrees F (140degrees C). Place
bison in a shallow roasting pan. Brush lightly with oil. Roast
until meat is about 10 degrees F below the desired temperature.
It is recommended that it be cooked to rare (130 degrees F, 55
degrees C) or medium rare (160 degrees F, 70 degrees C). Remove
meat from the oven and cover lightly with foil. The meat will
rise 10 degrees F while sitting. After 10 to 20 minutes, enjoy!
For roasts from lower cuts (sirloin tip, cross rib, inside
round, outside round flat and eye of round), brown roast
at 500 degrees F (260 degrees C) for 30 minutes, reduce heat
to 275 degrees F (140 degrees C) and add 250 to 500 ml. liquid
to the pan, cover pan or cover roast with foil, and cook to medium
rare (145 degrees F, 63 degrees C) or no more than medium (160
degrees F, 70 degrees C). Slice roast at right angles to the
grain, or for thin roasts, cut diagonally across the grain.
For Prime
Rib and Loin Roasts:
(suggested minimum size: 4½ lb. for prime rib roasts,
3 lb. for loin.)
· Remove roast from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to preparation.
· Turn on top broiler for oven. Place roast fat side up
on a rack in an open roasting pan. Deeply insert meat thermometer.
Put roast 2 to 3 inches under the broiler, and broil for about
5 minutes or until top fat browns.
· Reduce heat to 275°F, place roast in the middle
of the oven and cook until thermometer registers 135°F to
140°F for rare, or 145°F to 150°F for medium rare.
Once desired doneness is reached remove roast from oven. Longer
cooking is not recommended for these cuts.
· Remove thermometer from roast. Cover roast loosely with
aluminium foil and set aside. Let stand for 20 minutes before
carving. (Internal roast temperature will rise marginally at
this stage but level of doneness will not be affected.)
· While roast is standing, make gravy by first blending
2 to 3 tbsp flour with drippings in roast pan. Over medium heat,
add enough stock or water from boiled vegetables (usually 2 to
3 cups) and whisk continuously at low boil until gravy thickens.
· Remove aluminium foil from roast. Carve roast to desired
thickness and serve with gravy and vegetables.
Ground (burger)
Bison patties do not shrink as regular beef hamburger does. They
also take less time to cook. If the grill or pan is too hot the
patty may stick. Bison burger is foolproof when added to recipes
such as chili or meatloaf.
You may use bison
in any recipe that calls for beef -- there are no limits! Everything
from burgers on the grill, to marinated steaks, meatloaf, spaghetti
sauce, stir frys, barbeques, hot dishes & casseroles -- even
tacos can be made with bison! It is a wonderfully versatile,
tasty meat.
The main rule
of thumb is that it takes about 1/3 less cooking time on lower
heat than recipes using beef. As for stews and chili, the meat
will cook faster, but there isn't much adjusting needed because
it is such a slow cooking process. If you think your meat may
become too tender, par-boil or partially pre-cook the vegetables
before adding to your recipe.
Safe handling
of bison
Handle bison meat the same as any other type of meat. After selecting
your meat, place it in a plastic bag to contain any leakage that
could cross contaminate other foods. Refrigerate immediately
and use within 3 to 5 days, or freeze. Continuously frozen bison
will be safe indefinitely, but anything frozen loses flavor after
about six months. The safest ways to defrost bison are:
*in the refrigerator
*in a bowl of cold water
*in the microwave
Never defrost on the counter or in other locations. To defrost
in cold water, leave the meat in its airtight pakaging. Submerge
the package in a bowl of cold water, changing the water every
30 minutes so it continues to thaw.
Preparing
bison
Since bison is very lean, it will cook faster than other red
meats. In general, bison should be cooked using lower heat (325
F). Braising or other moist cooking methods are recommened for
bison roasts and steaks. Just remember not to overcook bison.
How to Prepare
Prime Rib and Loin Roasts:
(suggested minimum size: 4½ lb. for prime rib roasts,
3 lb. for loin.)
· Remove roast from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to preparation.
· Turn on top broiler for oven. Place roast fat side up
on a rack in an open roasting pan. Deeply insert meat thermometer.
Put roast 2 to 3 inches under the broiler, and broil for about
5 minutes or until top fat browns.
· Reduce heat to 275°F, place roast in the middle
of the oven and cook until thermometer registers 135°F to
140°F for rare, or 145°F to 150°F for medium rare.
Once desired doneness is reached remove roast from oven. Longer
cooking is not recommended for these cuts.
· Remove thermometer from roast. Cover roast loosely with
aluminium foil and set aside. Let stand for 20 minutes before
carving. (Internal roast temperature will rise marginally at
this stage but level of doneness will not be affected.)
· While roast is standing, make gravy by first blending
2 to 3 tbsp flour with drippings in roast pan. Over medium heat,
add enough stock or water from boiled vegetables (usually 2 to
3 cups) and whisk continuously at low boil until gravy thickens.
Remove aluminium foil from roast. Carve roast to desired thickness
and serve with gravy and vegetables.
-- Oren and Connie