A friend of mine is going on a bison hunt next month. He's offered me some of the meat, but I don't have a grill, and don't even have a iron skillet, which don't work on ceramic stoves. So I'm wondering how I'd cook it. Any ideas for the best flavor?
I gotta think that bison is pretty lean, so whatever you do, you'll likely need to add fat or liquid...or at least not dry it out too much. Now you're on the hook to report back. I've never cooked this before. I'm bison-curious.
LOL, good one @John Brunner . Well, the hunt isn't until mid Sept so it could be Oct before I give it a try. Not to worry about the lean/ needing fat quality. I pretty much don't like any meat that isn't slathered in butter. (Hot dogs and pepperoni may be an exception.)
I started making my own ghee some years ago. There is nothing like a steak seared in screaming hot ghee, with the drippings spooned over the top. I had a brother who hunted, so I would get venison every once in a while. It really had to be roasted with broth in the pan to almost steam it. It also made great sausage.
FWIW: My life-long best friend raised bison for 45 years, finally got out of it in 2018. He processed everything right on his farm. He got a lot more for it than beef -- I'm thinking maybe double per pound, depending on the markets. Exotic restaurants would buy it and get big bucks for a steak dinner. Depending on diet, some animals may have marbling, typically the cows more than bulls. The meat is much like beef and can be used in the same recipes, although as someone mentioned above, it may be lean.
That's interesting. Out my way, folks can process poultry on their own farms and sell it, but beef must go through USDA facilities. A shortage of such facilities causes real issues in the industry, especially for the smaller guys. A farm near me actually gets in line for processing dates before he purchases the calves; in other words, the USDA processing line is longer than the lifespan of the cattle. I believe there are only 4 or so such facilities in Virginia., I would assume that the larger producers run their own USDA-approved facilities.
I've heard some marinate it in buttermilk for a couple hours.Thats what one lady did when she cooked it for us.
This is how it is here in NYS, as I recall the details over recent decades (and this probably isn't exact). For one thing, bison are considered wild game and the rules are different. In the beginning, he took the live animals to a commercial slaughterhouse to be killed, then he brought them back to the farm where he had an approved, inspected cutting room and coolers. At some point (about 25 years ago) he got approval from NYS to do everything on the farm, but then could not sell the meat outside of the state. He didn't care though, as the demand was always more than he could supply. At one time (in the '80s I believe) his herd was around 160. Since then, he's kept it around 75 or so I think, until he got out in 2018.
Coat it with olive oil on all sides, season it up, coat a regular skillet (even Teflon) with olive oil, brown it, and then cook it on very low or low for 4 hours if the steak or roast is 2" or more thick. Don't let it get dry by adding beef broth along. I slice thin (against the grain) and it makes great sandwiches with horseradish spread on the bread or buns and ripe tomato slices. Slow cooking brings out the flavor and makes it tender.
Good point about bison being wild game. That is a sizeable herd! Way more than just a "hobby farm." I can imagine how much he was charging. I bought some steaks from the farm across the street from me. It ain't cheap, but he sells out as fast as it hits his freezer...that includes chicken.
One time in the mid-'80s he called me and asked if I wanted to ride down with him to NYC to deliver some meat. He had a refrigerated trucker that couldn't do it at the last minute so he had no choice but to take it himself. As I recall, there were a few hundred pounds of probably rib sections and short loins -- the most desirable parts. It went to a supplier of exotic meats. I don't know what he got for it, but it apparently was worth a 750 mile round trip and an otherwise wasted day. FWIW, to cook the best cuts from the *above parts, do it just like good beef steaks: A hot charcoal (or gas) grill, sear a few minutes on each side, leaving them rare or medium rare, salt and pepper and you're done. * Ribeyes, Porterhouse, T-bone.