Ideas for Bison Chuck?
So I have this 3 pound, bone-in bison chuck roast that I want to cook, slice, and use for sandwiches for a few days. It's sitting in a simple brine (salt water and Dr. Pepper) as we speak. Current plan is to sear and slow roast at 275 or so until it hits 140. Any ideas for seasoning? A rub, maybe? How to avoid toughness with meat this lean? Unfamiliar territory for me. TIA.
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8 Comments:
Avoid toughness by not cooking past medium/medium rare, just as you would a beef round eye.
Garvey at 11:19AM on 06/12/08
After you remove it from the brine, lard it with garlic thyme butter, using a flavor injector syringe. Make a rub using leek greens, black and white pepper corns pulsed in the blender, then mixed with coarse salt. Pat the exterior very dry, then apply the rub. Sear in smoking canola oil, then roast.
simon at 11:56AM on 06/12/08
Just talked to someone about braising bison "hump." He was told the same thing (don't go about 140F), and thought it was ridiculous, but he tried that (taking it to 140)--said it was like trying to cut through a brick.
He ended up braising for 20 hours, covered @ about 300F (if I am recalling correctly) to break down all the connective tissue. He said the end product was amazing. I'll point him to the site here and see if he has anything to add.
maxwell_h at 12:41PM on 06/12/08
If the bison is truly bison (and not milder, fattier beefalo), it'll appreciate a berry-based sauce. Chokecherry sauces are popular in the Dakotas (because chokecherries and bison happen to be local ingredients), but you could probably do the same trick with blueberries, sour cherries or huckleberries.
missginsu at 12:49PM on 06/12/08
@maxwell_h; "Braising the hump". I kind of like that phrase.
RichardCrystal at 1:18PM on 06/12/08
Thanks maxwell, sounds amazing. I'll definetly try the long cook next time. Simon, love the leek greens in a rub idea, never would have occurred to me.
Turned out that the brine worked great, super tender after only 3 hours of cooking. I even overcooked it a little - center by the bone was probably at medium. Went with a coffee/ancho thing for a rub. Looks like I've got a new favorite roast to play with.
TruckBoatTruck at 3:23PM on 06/12/08
No prob! Try it with a pork roast if you prefer, it's awesome that way. I have one of those cast iron stove top smokers. Whenever I roast a bone-in pork roast, I use that rub, then smoke it with hickory. It's delicious and makes an excellent crust.
Glad your method worked out, makes me want to try it.
simon at 10:53AM on 06/13/08
When playing in the future...
There is a restaurant in Austinburg, OH that features Bison pot roast...
thewrighttaste at 2:22PM on 06/13/08