Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Eric Akis: Bison low in fat, high in flavour

Bison, it seems, could be called “the other red meat,” with a reference to beef, just as we deem pork, with a reference to chicken, as “the other white meat.

akis.jpgBison, it seems, could be called “the other red meat,” with a reference to beef, just as we deem pork, with a reference to chicken, as “the other white meat.”

In fact, on the Canadian prairies, long before there were cattle ranches, it was the red meat of choice, providing sustenance for the native population.

The Canadian Bison Association (canadianbison.ca) says prior to European settlement, an estimated 10 million bison roamed the prairies. But by the end of the 19th century, due to largely unrestricted hunting, they were almost extinct.

Luckily, thanks to decades of hard work by conservationists, the small herds that remained were finally protected and grew in size and then some. There are now more than 250,000 bison on Canadian farms, ranches and public lands.

Bison became a sustainable food source again, and that’s good news if you’re interested in meat that’s nutritious, high in protein, iron and omega-3 essential fatty acids, and also delicious.

One person with a taste for bison is Jennifer Bain, author of Buffalo Girl Cooks Bison (TouchWood Editions, $29.95)

“To me, bison tastes like great meat. I say that as someone who grew up worshipping beef, but later realized I loved the fat in something like a rib steak more than the actual meat,” Bain said. “Bison has virtually no fat, so it’s intense and slightly sweet. They say you need to eat less bison to be full and satisfied — but I still haven’t learned to control myself.”

Bain is the Toronto Star’s food editor, and that made me wonder how she became sufficiently acquainted with these majestic animals to attain the handle “buffalo girl.” The last time I checked, there were no bison ranches near Yonge and Bloor Streets.

It turns out Bain has been living a double life for the last while.

The man she married a few years ago runs a bison ranch in southern Alberta, near the village of Foremost. Bain say she now lives and works in Toronto and holidays at the ranch. Her husband, Rick, works at the ranch and holidays in Toronto.

“He always comes bearing suitcases full of meat. We own a lot of freezers,” Bain writes in her book.

Reviewing the 100-plus recipes in this photo-rich 240-page book, it’s clear that she has discovered delicious ways to cook that meat.

To help you do that, too, she has smartly divided the book into user-friendly chapters dedicated to ground bison, steaks, roasts, ribs and shanks, sausages and odd bits, such as bison tail, liver and tongue.

The book’s recipes also provide dishes for every season. For example, for winter, she suggests you try southwestern braised bison short ribs, which has a rich, deep sauce flavoured with Mexican chocolate, coffee, red wine and Tex-Mex seasoning.

For spring, she suggests you try the book’s bison achari kebabs with Indian cucumber and tomato salad. “I know cucumbers and tomatoes are available year-round thanks to greenhouses. But it feels like spring when you start craving a crisp, cold, vegetable salad,” Bain said.

When testing recipes for bison, Bain says she can’t think of any flavours that really didn’t work, but there were some that worked particularly well.

“A good salt and freshly ground black pepper work beautifully with bison. Chipotle is a great match with bison if you’re slow cooking ribs or a pot roast,” Bain said, adding that she was also surprised at how well Thai red curry works with bison.

Buffalo Girl Cooks Bison also offers great cooking tips, such as how to tell when ground bison is cooked and how best to prepare a bison roast for the oven. As for her top tips, she says don’t cook bison steaks past medium (and really, medium-rare is best) and invest in a good meat thermometer, which will take the guess work out of cooking to desired doneness.

In Bain’s book, you’ll also learn how bison are raised and prepared for market, read about other bison ranchers, and learn why bison are also called buffalo, despite “true buffalo” being native only to Africa and Asia.

If you purchase Buffalo Girl Cooks Bison, available at most book stores and online, you’ll find the bison needed for the recipes at some supermarkets and butcher shops.

You can also buy Vancouver Island-raised bison from Island Bison, a ranch located near Courtenay. To learn how and about their home-delivery option, visit islandbison.com.

 

Bison Achari Kebabs with Indian Cucumber and Tomato Salad

This recipe is from Buffalo Girl Cooks Bison (TouchWood Editions, $29.95). Author Jennifer Bain says she has a soft spot for Debu Saha, an Indian chef from Toronto who now works in Quebec City. Bain says he created this wonderful recipe for her.

Achari means pickle, and this dish gets an intense, unusual undertone from mixed Indian pickle.

Makes: four servings

 

For the salad

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 small red onion, chopped

1 medium field cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

8 mint leaves, chopped

• handful cilantro leaves, chopped

• juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp chaat masala spice mix (see Note)

1 tsp cumin seeds, roasted and ground

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, cucumber, mint, cilantro, lemon, masala spice mix and cumin.

 

For the bison

1 lb portion bison tenderloin (or other tender, boneless steak), cut into 1-inch cubes

2 Tbsp finely chopped mixed Indian pickle (see Note)

2 Tbsp plain yogurt

1 Tbsp ginger paste

1 Tbsp garlic paste (from a jar)

1 1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic

1 1/2 tsp pure chili powder

1 1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp black onion seeds

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 Tbsp pure maple syrup

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the bison, pickle, yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, fresh garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, black pepper, onion seeds, oil, and maple syrup. Mix well by hand. Refrigerate, covered, for six hours to overnight.

Thread the meat onto four short skewers. (If you use wooden skewers, soak them for at least one hour in water before you start cooking.)

Barbecue directly over high heat on an uncovered, oiled grill until lightly charred on the outside and still rare to medium-rare inside, about two minutes per side.

Alternative method: Cook in a lightly oiled, non-stick grill pan over medium-high heat for the same length of time.

Serve the kebabs alongside the salad.

 

Eric’s Note: Mixed pickle is sold in jars in the ethnic-foods aisle of many supermarkets.

Look for chaat masala spice mix at Indian food stores, or at supermarkets that sell a wide range of Indian-style foods. If you can’t find it, you could try another type of masala (a mix of ground spices) in this recipe.

 

Bison Steaks with Rosemary Oil and Smoked Salt on Buttery Leeks 

This recipe is from Buffalo Girl Cooks Bison (TouchWood Editions, $29.95).

The author of the book, Jennifer Bain, said this dish is inspired by the classic Bistecca Fiorentina from Tuscany, a T-bone simply seasoned with good-quality salt, cooked over wood coals, served rare to medium-rare, and garnished with aged balsamic vinegar.

 

Makes: Two servings

 

2 bison tenderloin steaks or other bison steaks, each about 2.5-cm thick

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

3 leeks, white and light green parts only, washed, dried and diced

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

• kosher salt

• freshly ground black pepper

• extra-virgin olive oil for the steak

• aged balsamic vinegar, for drizzling

• flaky smoked sea salt

Let the steaks stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to one hour. Pat dry with paper towels. Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Rub with oil.

Heat a large, cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 15 to 30 minutes. Add the steaks. Cook for four minutes, until a nice crust forms on the undersides. Flip. Cook for about three minutes for medium-rare, or to desired doneness. Transfer to a cutting board. Let the steaks rest, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the leeks. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring, until soft and buttery, about 10 to 15 minutes.

At the same time, in a small skillet over low heat, warm the 2 Tbsp of olive oil and the rosemary sprigs for 10 minutes to infuse the oil with flavour.

To serve, divide the leeks between two plates. Place a steak on each leek pile. Garnish each with a drizzle of rosemary olive oil, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, a rosemary sprig, and a sprinkling of smoked salt.

Eric Akis is the author of the hardcover book Everyone Can Cook Everything. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.

eakis@timescolonist.com