brown sugar + rosemary crusted bison sirloin
I first became aware of bison as a food source in the early 90s. It was a time when many young adults were looking to the 60s for inspiration. Bohemian ideals, art and music were quite prominent and everyone was searching for some form of peace and identity. Free-spirited teenagers were listening to post-Grateful Dead bands like Phish and the neo-hippie hip-hop stylings of De La Soul. The popular watering hole in town was a little café/crystal shop called Cosmic Connection. Street beat poetry was ascendant and everyone was trying to find enlightenment by ingesting copious amounts of ganja and popping blotter acid like jelly beans. It was in this environment that I truly became open to all things new and exciting, including cuisine.
This was when I first saw the epic movie Dances with Wolves. Like most people my age I was enthralled by the grandiose depiction of the serene lifestyle of the Lakota Sioux. The way they existed in perfect harmony with their surroundings, and their crunchy ethos were extremely alluring to an impressionable youth such as myself in those days. In the movie there was a scene where the Sioux and Lieutenant Dunbar were throwing down a magnificent shindig following an exhilarating buffalo (or “tatanka”) hunt and they were gorging themselves on succulent looking meat. Their dewy faces were smeared with grease from their hard-earned quarry. The images were seared into my brain and stirred a hunger in me every time I thought about them. Bison however, was pretty much impossible to find in South Florida at that time.
Years passed, but I never lost my craving for that elusive tatanka. Then one day I was shopping at my local wholesale club when there it was, my comestible obsession: two pounds of ground bison for a paltry $10 bucks! I quickly snatched up $30 worth and hurried home like a bandit. All we ate for the next week was sweet, sweet bison. I made meatloaves, meatballs, burgers, Bolognese sauce, Cuban-style picadillo, goulash…you name it! It tasted similar to beef, but had a sweeter, more minerally flavor. It wasn’t gamey as I had expected, but had clean, almost verdant notes that left me yearning, and making weekly excursions to buy more–my own version of the great tatanka hunt in the movie. Soon a new and greater hunger came over me, and would not be ignored. My mouth ached for a steak! I would check the specialty butcher shops and hoity-toity organic supermarkets for buffalo steaks, but, sadly, it was either nowhere to be found or so astronomically priced that only someone with the surname “Jobs” could afford it. So, for the time being, my appetite had to remain unsatiated.
Recently I was back home in Miami visiting family when I stumbled upon a gourmet market that specialized in game meats. I went absolutely nuts and hurried inside. Frantically, I scanned the refrigerators jammed with every cut of animal imaginable. As I blew past ostrich patties and elk sausages, alligator tail and whole suckling pigs, I finally found what I had spent so many years searching high and low for: my long fetishized tatanka steaks! There they were–gorgeous little portions of perfect bison sirloins. With bulging eyes and quivering hands, I snatched up an armload and made my way to the register.
I couldn’t wait to get back to my kitchen and prepare these beautiful steaks. I reached into the recesses of my brain, looking for the ideal preparation method. I had long used my trusted brown sugar + rosemary rub on petit filet mignons for special occasions, and this meal was certainly going to be special. Being that it is winter, I knew that this rub would be perfection as the flavor it imparts has always reminded me of Christmas. After avidly researching everything I could about my delectable little morsels, I knew that bison steaks had considerably less fat than beef steaks of the same cut. Since I wanted to get the purest flavor from the meat, I endeavored to precisely sear them to medium-rare impeccability. I anxiously allowed them their obligatory resting period, then finally it was time to eat!
Having spent so long preparing for this moment I braced myself for that first, succulent bite. As I had long fantasized, the taste and tenderness were indescribably exquisite. Toothsome and lush, the savory juices enveloped my taste buds in a delicate, sweet grassiness that lingered on my palette with every conscious chew. Taste can be a difficult thing to describe. But it was safe to say that once I devoured this tender, juicy flesh the taste was to remain forever in my gastronomical memory as rich and transcendent.
brown sugar + rosemary crusted bison sirloin
three 6 oz. bison sirloin steaks
4 tbsp. brown sugar + rosemary rub
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 fresh rosemary sprig
¼ cup light brown sugar
2 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
1 tsp. paprika
¾ tsp. granulated garlic
½ tsp. ancho chili powder
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
¼ tsp. kosher salt
Place all ingredients of the brown sugar + rosemary rub into a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Spoon 4 tablespoons of it onto a plate and spread. Press each bison sirloin onto the rub to crust one side of the steaks. Allow the steaks to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to allow the rub to glaze and permeate the meat.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
While the steaks are sitting, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil. When the olive oil is just about to smoke, place the steaks in the pan, crust side down. Sear the steaks for 2 minutes, checking to make sure the brown sugar crust doesn’t burn, then flip the steaks and add the butter + rosemary sprig. Sear for another 2 minutes, basting constantly with the butter.
Transfer the pan to the oven and finish to your liking, or 5-7 minutes for medium-rare.
Remove skillet from the oven. Transfer the steaks to a plate and allow to rest no less than 5 minutes before slicing or serving. This dish goes perfectly with my brown sugar sweet potato puree!
brujo notes:
- Check the temperature of the steaks before you transfer to the oven to see how far you are from your desired temperature. If within about 10 degrees F, you may need less time in the oven. Remove from heat about 5-10 degrees under desired doneness as the temp will continue to rise while resting, and rest you must–ideally about 10 minutes.
- Bison has less fat than beef, so cooking beyond medium doneness is not recommended as the meat will become tough. See temperature chart below:
rare: 120-130 degrees cherry red center
medium-rare: 130-135 degrees robust pink center
medium: 135-145 degrees some pink center
- Make sure you remove the meat from the fridge 30-45 minutes prior to cooking to bring to room temperature. This will help with even cooking, and help prevent dryness.
- Only crust one side of the steaks with the rub. The rub is only meant to compliment the natural, almost sweet flavor of the bison, which you definitely want to allow to flourish on your palate.
wine pairing: A nice fruit-forward red like Tempranillo, or a lovely Malbec compliment the bison’s delicious flavors and will add plenty of depth to the dining experience.
spirit pairing: Bourbon, my friends, bourbon! Straight up or on the rocks, the sweet undertones of toffee + honey + butterscotch with that distinctive oaky kick pair beautifully with this dish.
musical pairing: Rawhide – The Dead Kennedys
brown sugar + rosemary crusted bison sirloin
- Total Time: 14–16 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
Description
Sweeter than beef with clean verdant notes, you’ll soon be a bison convert. This savory recipe is quick to prepare, tender and bursting with flavor.
free from: gluten + soy + dairy + peanuts + tree nuts + fish + shellfish
Ingredients
brown sugar + rosemary crusted bison sirloin:
three 6 oz. bison sirloin steaks
4 tbsp. brown sugar + rosemary rub
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 fresh rosemary sprig
brown sugar + rosemary rub:
¼ cup light brown sugar
2 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
1 tsp. paprika
¾ tsp. granulated garlic
½ tsp. ancho chili powder
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
¼ tsp. kosher salt
Instructions
Place all ingredients of the brown sugar + rosemary rub into a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Spoon 4 tablespoons of it onto a plate and spread. Press each bison sirloin onto the rub to crust one side of the steaks. Allow the steaks to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to allow the rub to glaze and permeate the meat.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
While the steaks are sitting, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil. When the olive oil is just about to smoke, place the steaks in the pan, crust side down. Sear the steaks for 2 minutes, checking to make sure the brown sugar crust doesn’t burn, then flip the steaks and add the butter + rosemary sprig. Sear for another 2 minutes, basting constantly with the butter.
Transfer the pan to the oven and finish to your liking, or 5-7 minutes for medium-rare.
Remove skillet from the oven. Transfer the steaks to a plate and allow to rest no less than 5 minutes before slicing or serving. This dish goes perfectly with my brown sugar sweet potato puree!
Notes
pairings:
wine: A nice fruit-forward red like Tempranillo, or a lovely Malbec compliment the bison’s delicious flavors and will add plenty of depth to the dining experience.
spirit: Bourbon, my friends, bourbon! Straight up or on the rocks, the sweet undertones of toffee + honey + butterscotch with that distinctive oaky kick pair beautifully with this dish.
musical: Rawhide – The Dead Kennedys
brujo notes:
Check the temperature of the steaks before you transfer to the oven to see how far you are from your desired temperature. If within about 10 degrees F, you may need less time in the oven. Remove from heat about 5-10 degrees under desired doneness as the temp will continue to rise while resting, and rest you must–ideally about 10 minutes.
Bison has less fat than beef, so cooking beyond medium doneness is not recommended as the meat will become tough. See temperature chart below:
rare: 120-130 degrees cherry red center
medium-rare: 130-135 degrees robust pink center
medium: 135-145 degrees some pink center
Make sure you remove the meat from the fridge 30-45 minutes prior to cooking to bring to room temperature. This will help with even cooking, and help prevent dryness.
Only crust one side of the steaks with the rub. The rub is only meant to compliment the natural, almost sweet flavor of the bison, which you definitely want to allow to flourish on your palate.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 9–11 minutes
- Category: main dish magic
Keywords: brown sugar, rosemary, crusted, bison, sirloin, steak
