Grilled Bison Steaks

Bison is a rich, lean, grass-fed organic meat that delivers great taste and has fewer calories than beef. Often confused with buffalo (which are from Asia and Africa and not found in North America), bison have a distinctive look, with their huge heads, woolly fur coats and shoulder humps. It is not always easy to find bison meat in the butcher shop, although the situation is improving.

The meat is tender and full of flavour but should not be overcooked as it tends to get quite tough. This red-pepper rouille is delightful with bison steaks and as a dip for oven-baked frites (you can serve it with seafood and chicken, too). As an added bonus, it's also low in calories. For an easy side dish, grill some onions and zucchini. If you can't find bison, use regular beef steaks but cook them for at least two minutes longer on each side.

Servings: 4

Ready Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

4 bison steaks, about 6 to 8 oz (150 to 250 g) each

Marinade

1 tbsp finely chopped garlic

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp honey

1/4 cup olive oil

Red-pepper rouille

2 red peppers

1 jalapeno pepper

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Salt to taste

Method

Trim the steaks and place them in a large dish. Whisk together marinade ingredients and brush the mixture on both sides of the steaks. Marinate them for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours in the fridge. Bring the steak back to room temperature before cooking.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Cut red peppers and jalapeno peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Place cut-side down on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove jalapeno and continue to bake red peppers until their skin blisters. The peppers can also be grilled for about 5 to 8 minutes skin-side down. Cool the peppers slightly and peel off the skin.

Add peppers and garlic to a food processor or blender and purée until smooth. Slowly add oil until incorporated. Stir in parsley. Taste for seasoning, adding salt if needed.

Preheat grill to high. Grill steaks until medium-rare (about 4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness).

Place steaks on a carving board and cut them into thin slices against the grain. Serve with steak frites and rouille on the side.