Bison has made a big comeback from near extinction. Ironically the newfound interest in the consumption of bison plays a big part in its resurgence. Therefore the more you see bison offered on menus, the more of a chance bison farmers will keep raising and caring for them.
I share below with you my recipe for a Bison Filet Mignon. This dish is exquisite and it’s proof that bison is as elegant and, in my opinion, definitely more tasty than the best filet mignon you’ve ever had!
American Bison Filet Mignon, Wild Rice Griddle Cake, Chocolate & Vanilla Bean Sauce
Ingredients:
- 6-8oz. – bison filet. ( Tied lightly with butcher twine to keep its shape.)
- baby bok choy (recipe follows)
- Minnesota Wild Rice Griddle Cake – one box
- 3 – bud chives, cut approximately 2 inches from bud end. (blanched for garnish )
- Chocolate and Vanilla bean sauce (recipe follows)
Bok Choy:
- 2-3 – Baby Bok Choy – Cleaned and pulled apart from stem
- 1 – Shallot – sliced into thin rounds
- 1 tablespoon – orange juice
- 1 tablespoon – soy sauce
Procedure:
- Blanch the bok choy in boiling salted water for 1 minute, then shock in an ice bath. Drain and lightly squeeze as much water out from the bok choy as possible and proceed.
- Heat a saute pan with about 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Toss in the shallots saute until lightly colored. Then add the bok choy and toss through.
- Add the soy sauce and orange juice. Toss well
- Cook over a medium heat to obtain a light syrup consistency . Do not overcook.
- Season with salt, pepper and sugar to create a balance.
Note! The soy sauce is salty so be careful when seasoning with salt
Chocolate – Vanilla Bean Jus
- 1 shallots
- 1/2 green apples
- 1 fig
- 1/8 cup sherry vinegar.
- 1/4 cup port wine
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1 vanilla beans
- Chopped unsweetened chocolate (to taste)
- 2 cups – beef stock
Procedure:
- Sauté shallots and fruits, lightly dusted with sugar
- Deglaze with vinegar; reduce by ½
- Deglaze with port; reduce by ½
- Deglaze with red wine; reduce by ½
- Cover with beef jus
- Add vanilla bean
- Simmer to proper consistency,(to coat the back of a spoon)
- Whisk in chocolate
- Strain; adjust seasoning.
Bison Procedure:
- Tie the bison filet, season with salt and fresh ground black pepper and sear off on all sides. Place in a 400 degree oven and cook 5-7 minutes to obtain a perfect medium rare do not cook more than medium rare the meat will become to tough. Bison is best rare to medium rare.
Tip: 1) Learn more about the resurgence of American Bison here
2) Read my Huffington Post article Holy Cow! There’s a Bison Farm on Long Island