Bison vs. buffalo. Is there a difference? There is, but in the United States, bison is sometimes called buffalo so usually in the U.S. it's all the same thing. In much of the rest of the world the term buffalo refers to water buffalo, a different but related animal.
The mushroom sauce adds to its earthy flavor and as such I think it is an autumn favorite. The bison steaks I found were not exceptionally thick (about 1-inch) and weighted just about eight ounces each. So they were pretty easy to cook. If you have the sous vide equipment, you can use the device to get the steaks to just about five degrees below your desired temperature (medium-rare usually) and then finish them on the grill. This really is the best way to get any steak the exact temperature.
Today I'm grilling them without sous vide first because they are pretty thin and as such they are easy enough to get cooked consistently from side to side. Really thick pieces of meat benefit from sous vide treatment, as it cooks the meat very evenly. The grill cooks from the outside in and a thick piece of meat will be various degrees of doneness throughout.
You don't really need any recipe for the grilled steaks, other than to season them lightly with vegetable oil and a bit of salt/pepper or other grill spices, before quickly cooking them. Use a very hot grill and let them cook for 3-4 minutes per side if they are 1-inch thick. Test for doneness with a meat thermometer and remove to a serving plate and let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Prepare the mushroom sauce at least one-hour in advance of dinner. The ingredients below do not need to be exact.
Ingredients
1/2 cup Sliced button mushrooms (fresh or canned)
4 ounces butter
small shallot or half a small onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
2/3 cup red wine
1 cup beef broth/stock
1 tablespoon cornstarch
water
Instructions
Place the clean sliced mushrooms in a medium sauce pan with the butter, onion, salt pepper and garlic. Place over medium heat and stir while cooking until the mushrooms release their liquid (about 5 minutes). Add the wine and and let the mixture heat until simmering. Cover and cook at a low simmer for 20-30 minutes, to let the alcohol evaporate and the mushrooms to cook down. Add the beef broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to very low simmer burner, cover and let cook for another 20 minutes or so. Taste and correct seasoning as necessary.
In a small dish, mix together the corn starch with 3 tablespoons of cold water. When well blended, turn up the temperature to medium and pour the cornstarch into the warm mushrooms and stir to combine. Continue to stir until the sauce thickens somewhat, taste and again and reduce temperature to as low as possible and keep warm until ready for serving.
Today I'm grilling a a bison strip steak that is full of favor without being over-powering. People often ask is bison gamey or smelly, chewy or tough. The taste of bison is very similar taste to beef. It has a coarser texture and a slightly sweeter flavor. It does not taste gamey and there is no aftertaste like some game animals such as moose. Further, it is very high in protein (much more than beef) and has half the fat of beef. It is because of this latter issue that you do not want to overcook bison, or it will become tough.
The mushroom sauce adds to its earthy flavor and as such I think it is an autumn favorite. The bison steaks I found were not exceptionally thick (about 1-inch) and weighted just about eight ounces each. So they were pretty easy to cook. If you have the sous vide equipment, you can use the device to get the steaks to just about five degrees below your desired temperature (medium-rare usually) and then finish them on the grill. This really is the best way to get any steak the exact temperature.
Today I'm grilling them without sous vide first because they are pretty thin and as such they are easy enough to get cooked consistently from side to side. Really thick pieces of meat benefit from sous vide treatment, as it cooks the meat very evenly. The grill cooks from the outside in and a thick piece of meat will be various degrees of doneness throughout.
You don't really need any recipe for the grilled steaks, other than to season them lightly with vegetable oil and a bit of salt/pepper or other grill spices, before quickly cooking them. Use a very hot grill and let them cook for 3-4 minutes per side if they are 1-inch thick. Test for doneness with a meat thermometer and remove to a serving plate and let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Mushroom Sauce
This sauce can be used any time you're making steaks or other dishes for which you want a brown mushroom gravy. It tastes equally good on mashed potatoes.Prepare the mushroom sauce at least one-hour in advance of dinner. The ingredients below do not need to be exact.
Ingredients
1/2 cup Sliced button mushrooms (fresh or canned)
4 ounces butter
small shallot or half a small onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
2/3 cup red wine
1 cup beef broth/stock
1 tablespoon cornstarch
water
Instructions
Place the clean sliced mushrooms in a medium sauce pan with the butter, onion, salt pepper and garlic. Place over medium heat and stir while cooking until the mushrooms release their liquid (about 5 minutes). Add the wine and and let the mixture heat until simmering. Cover and cook at a low simmer for 20-30 minutes, to let the alcohol evaporate and the mushrooms to cook down. Add the beef broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to very low simmer burner, cover and let cook for another 20 minutes or so. Taste and correct seasoning as necessary.
In a small dish, mix together the corn starch with 3 tablespoons of cold water. When well blended, turn up the temperature to medium and pour the cornstarch into the warm mushrooms and stir to combine. Continue to stir until the sauce thickens somewhat, taste and again and reduce temperature to as low as possible and keep warm until ready for serving.
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