Bison Steak?

[MaggieTheCat]

I have recently been experimenting with bison. I found out that our local HEB carries both ground bison and bison steak, and I've tried the ground in place of ground beef in stuff like chili. So far my husband and I enjoy it quite a bit, so over the weekend, I picked up some bison steaks, and I'm looking for a good way to prepare them.

First off, we don't have a grill. I can pan fry them or broil them. I know it is said that a broiler is like an upside down grill, but I don't have a whole lot of experience using it like that -- I've never made steak under the broiler. I have done burgers and bratwurst under the broiler, though, and it does seem to work pretty well.

I'm debating whether I want to marinade them or not. I don't know how chewy they will be if I don't, but on the other hand, I don't want a marinade that will completely overwhelm the flavor of the meat.

So, does anyone have any good recipes or suggestions?

[Cookie]

I have not personally worked with bison, but I have eaten it in the ground form and learned of some things to remember when preparing the steaks. Because bison is VERY lean, some people actually inject a bit of fat to conduct the heat through it. It is generally served rare because it will get very dry and tough otherwise. Annnnnd that's the extent of my knowledge. I'd love to learn what you find out!

[ArcticChicken]

Never cook it past medium-rare unless you like a tough, chewy steak, of course.

[MaggieTheCat]

Well, I decided to go ahead and marinade them since from what I've read, low-quality bison steak can be pretty tough. And I dunno what kind of cut this is...it just says "Bison Steak." I'm pretty sure it's not tenderloin, t-bone, or ribeye, which leaves sirloin or something else, and either way I think it would benefit from a marinade. I'll let you guys know how they turn out tonight.

[Rapscallion]

When I was a butcher, the word 'steak' meant 'slab of meat without bone in it', so it could be anything, really.

This was UK, though, and that's very regional in its application of terminology in that field, and your mileage may therefore vary.

Rapscallion

[Sliceanddice]

i know nothing about making them but my knowledge says you should-
mariante which your doing
pan cook firt 4 minutes on each side in a pan you can stick in the oven
the broil at high broil temp for your oven in the pan for 8 more minutes.

unless they are very thin this should give about medium rare or less and give you nice crust all around

also pan cooking first will allow you to add some fat to the mix without injecting it.

[draggar]

Get a grill.

[MaggieTheCat]

Get a grill.

Yeah...if our apartment complex allowed them, we would. But we'll be able to once we move into the new house!

[Cat]

When I was omni, I LOVED Bison...so tasty. Never had steaks, but I had a few burgers (and still recommend them)

[AdminAssistant]

When I was omni, I LOVED Bison...so tasty. Never had steaks, but I had a few burgers (and still recommend them)

Apparently there are several places in town that serve buffalo burgers, but I haven't had the chance to try it yet.

[MaggieTheCat]

Well, the bison steaks turned out pretty good! They were pretty tough and chewy, though. I think I overcooked them. I took sliceanddice's suggestion and seared them in a fry pan over medium high heat for about 2-3 minutes per side to brown them, and then broiled them (with my oven rack on the second to lowest shelf in the oven) for about 10 minutes, flipping them part way through. They were medium-well done, which is generally how I like my steak anyway. They tasted good and were still pretty moist and juicy, just kinda chewy. Next time I won't broil them as long. I would really like to find some bison ribeye or tenderloin steaks...like I said, I think this was sirloin or some other lower quality cut, so I bet a higher quality cut would be really good.

[Jester]

If you don't have a grill, and can't have one where you live, you might want to invest in a grill pan, one of those flat pans with "speed bumps" that basically act as a grill for the stovetop. Just a thought.

If you can't won't do that, cook the bad boy up in a skillet. And for goodness sake, don't broil it after that, unless you like an overcooked, tough, chewy piece of meat.

Sure, you prefer medium well. I get it. But try cooking the bison to medium rare in your skillet (or your stovetop grill). Give it a shot. If you don't like it, cook it more to your temp the same way. But don't broil it. That merely dries it out.

[42_42_42]

Do you have a cast iron skillet? You can make a pretty darned good steak on the stovetop in a cast iron skillet.