Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [84]
INGREDIENTS:
⅓ cup whole-grain Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons prepared mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
2 pounds ground bison chuck
¼ cup bottled steak sauce, such as A1
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 scallions (green and white parts), sliced
¾ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 slices sharp cheddar cheese
6 hamburger buns, split
DIRECTIONS:
Mix the mustard, mayonnaise, and horseradish in a small bowl.
Heat a grill for direct medium heat, about 375°F. Using your hands, mix together the bison, steak sauce, oil, scallions, salt, and pepper in a bowl until well blended; avoid overmixing. Using a light touch, form into 6 patties no more than 1 inch thick.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Grill the burgers directly over the heat for 6 to 7 minutes for medium-done (about 150°F on an instant-read thermometer, and slightly pink in the center), flipping once. Put the cheese on the burgers 1 minute before they will be done. To toast the buns, grill them, cut-side down, directly over the heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
If serving the burgers directly from the grill, serve on the buns. If the burgers will sit, even for a few minutes, keep the burgers and buns separate until just before serving.
BISON RIBS
Fire-Roasted Bison Ribs with Anise Molasses Glaze
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Although they conjure up images of the untamed Wild West, bison are now domesticated animals raised in every U.S. state. As bovines, their meat tastes similar to beef but lighter because it contains less fat, cholesterol, and calories. The leanness of bison means it can easily dry out on the grill. Brining the meat helps tremendously by allowing the muscle fibers to hang onto more moisture throughout cooking, which keeps the meat juicy. Bison ribs are big, similar to beef back ribs (dinosaur ribs). But they’re more delicate in flavor, so we’ve shown some restraint here, some Asian self-control, by soaking the ribs in orange juice and pairing them with an aromatic rub featuring fizzy Szechuan peppercorns, star anise, and cloves. A buttery molasses glaze lacquers the ribs as they come off the grill.
INGREDIENTS:
2 racks bison ribs (about 4 pounds)
2 cups Orange-Anise Brine
5 tablespoons Szechuan Anise Rub
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the ribs and brine in a jumbo (2-gallon) zipper-lock bag and press out the air. Seal and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.
Remove the ribs from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brine. Sprinkle the ribs with ¼ cup of the rub and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
Light a grill for indirect medium-low heat, about 300°F. Brush and oil the grill rack. Put the ribs on the grill away from the heat over a drip pan filled with ½ inch of hot water. Cover the grill and cook until the ribs are browned, tender, and have shrunken away from the ends of the bones, about 1 to 1½ hours.
While the ribs are grilling combine the molasses, ketchup, vinegar, remaining tablespoon of rub, and pepper in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, brush all over with the molasses glaze.
Remove the ribs to a platter and let stand for 10 minutes. Cut into 1- or 2-rib sections and serve with any remaining glaze.
BEEFALO RIB-EYE STEAK
Beefalo Rib-Eye Steak with Wild Mushroom Butter
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
A beefalo is a cross of domestic cattle and bison, which was developed in the 1960s. Although a hybrid species, beefalo are not sterile like mules. They typically inherit the bison’s production advantages–they can forage for feed and produce meat with little or no available grain–and the cattle’s docile nature and manageability. Buy beefalo direct from farmers at farmers’ markets or through farmers’ Web sites (such as www.jcfarms.com and www.blackcanyonfoods.com). Beefalo is quite lean, so cook these rib-eyes rarer than you would a beef steak. If you