Trim your own bison tenderloin and save big
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Whether it's served at a romantic dinner for two or roasted whole as the centerpiece of a holiday dinner, bison tenderloin is the classic choice for a special and sometimes over-the-top main dish.
Bison tenderloin is ultra tender, very lean. Just a bit of salt and pepper and grill! The tenderloin filet, which is where the filet mignon comes from, extends to the short loin. A tenderloin filet is a long tubular shape, which is thicker on one end.
Now You can hand cut your filets to your exact specifications and save BIG. Our bison tenderloin is $32.95/lb and ranges from 5 - 7 lbs. Call us to order so we can weigh and dertermine the exact price for you. 1-888-472-9377. Get an extra $10.00 OFF your first order by signing up for our newsletter!
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Where is the tenderloin located?
The tenderloin is located under the long loin and butts against the spine. The narrow end of the tenderloin is the filet part of a T-bone steak; towards the butt as the filet increases in size and diameter it becomes part of a Porterhouse steak.
The tenderloin can be grilled, roasted or fried. It can be made into steaks, roasts or chateaubriand.
The chateaubriand is the king of all roasts. Delicious, tender and worthy of kings…or your family and guests.
Serve a tenderloin roast for Easter
A lesson in bison tenderloin
The narrow end (the last few inches can be grilled whole, or sliced up for a stir-fry.
The small center section is the filet mignon. It is best cut it up into steaks and grilled. This is the tenderest part of the loin, it needs minimal cooking and should be served medium rare with some salt and pepper, and it needs nothing else.
The center section closest to the butt end can be cut into 2 – 3 inch sections for chateaubriand steaks.
How to trim and cut a bison tenderloin
Pat your tenderloin with paper towelling and place on a cutting board
The 3 muscles that make up the Tenderloin
- Large tenderloin – on top
- Thin side muscle runs along the bottom called the chain
- Wing located on the upper left
How to separate the tenderloin sections
Use your fingers and/or a sharp paring knife to carefully separate the different muscles. Now you have 3 pieces of meat.
For the tenderloin: Remove the silver skin. It comes off easily. Just slide the tip of the thin knife under the silver skin so you catch a piece of the silver. Pull the strip of silver skin up and off the tenderloin.
How to make tenderloin steaks
The first steak will be small as it is at the end of the tenderloin.
Cut it off and cut steaks equal in size. You can use a ruler too.
Cut each piece about 1 1/2 “ in length.
Some steaks will be much smaller than others. To make them roughly the same size use the butterfly method
How to butterfly pieces of filet mignon from the narrow part of the tenderloin
- Cut 90% through the meat. Don’t cut all the way through
- Flip the meat open so it looks like a butterfly (or an open book)
- Tie it with a butcher cord. This way it will cook evenly
- The larger part of the tenderloin can be cut in 11/2” steaks.
How to Prepare the Wing
- Peel off the silver skin
- Cut that into more steaks
- If they are small use the butterfly method
How to Prepare the chain
The chain might have a bit more connective tissue and silver skin to remove, But it’s excellent quality meat.
Cut it into pieces and wrap tightly in plastic wrap or zip lock bags to store in the freezer. Makes for great stir-fries. Grind it for the best ground meat.
Bison Tenderloin is A great idea for a special Easter meal.
If you are roasting the tenderloin whole, tuck in the thinner tapered end under itself and then tie the whole tenderloin u so that it is the same thickens all the way around.
Do the same for small steaks
A 2 lb. tenderloin roast is enough to serve 4 to 5 people.
How to best roast the tenderloin
Pan searing it first then finishing it in a low heat oven.
Let it stand at room temperature for about an hour.
Set your oven to 225” Pat the tenderloin dry with some paper towelling
Tie it off with some butcher cord in 1 ½ “ intervals.
In a pan on high heat Bring ½ tbsp. of oil or unsalted butter to almost smoking. Sear on each side. This should take 6-8 minutes in total.
Transfer the roast to a roasting pan, lightly season but do not salt (salt after roasting.
Oven temperature should be 120°C (250°F) – 135°C (275°F)
Insert an electric meat thermometer into the center
Do not cook beyond 70° C or 160°F
Remove from oven when the thermometer reads 3-20 degrees below desired doneness.
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When done remove from oven and let stand covered for 2-30 minutes before carving
Grilling tenderloin
- Cut into steaks into desired thickness and grill. (See grilling chart)
- Salt steaks after cooking
- Thinner steaks can be pan-broiled 2-3 minutes per side
What is the difference of cooking bison compared to beef?
Even though you can really use bison to replace beef in almost any recipe, there is a difference in how you prepare it. Remember that since bison is leaner (and healthier!) it cooks quicker and you are able to cook at a lower temperature.
Buffalo/Bison steaks and burgers are at their very best when done rare or medium (with a pink center). Your meat thermometer should reach 135°F (57ºC) for rare, 145°F (62ºC) for medium rare, or 155° F for medium.
If you oven broil your buffalo/bison, try moving the oven rack a notch lower than you normally would and check on their progress a few minutes sooner than you normally would. You’ll be rewarded with a juicier piece of meat.
If you grill your buffalo/bison, we suggest doing so over medium hot coals at a distance of from four to six inches. Again, a little extra care will reward you with a much juicer meal.
When roasting buffalo/bison, we suggest that you follow the creed “lower and slower.” Lower your oven temperature to cook the meat more slowly. It will shrink less, thereby retaining more natural juice. To be sure that it is done to your liking, we suggest using a meat thermometer – it’s an inexpensive reusable insurance policy.
LOWER AND SLOWER
lower the oven temperature to cook the meat slower
The rich red color of the buffalo/bison meat is indicative of the higher levels of iron and the lack of marbling (fat). Both of these are GOOD things and are probably among the reasons that you purchased buffalo/bison meat in the first place.
A great tool to use is a meat thermometer. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to use.
Consider also the thickness of the steak when grilling. A thicker steak will take longer to cook than a thinner cut. For more information on steak
For thicker steaks
- 1 inch thick – Rare: 6 to 8 minutes, Medium: 8 to 10 minutes
- 1 1/2-inch thick – Rare: 8 to 10 minutes, Medium: 10 to 12 minutes
- 2 inches thick – Rare: 10 to 12 minutes, Medium: 14 to 18 min.
The biggest mistakes when it comes to cooking a steak or roast to a certain temperature is timing it rather than using a meat thermometer
If you’re serious about cooking or even if you’re just serious about keeping your expensive roast from overcooking, you should absolutely own a meat thermometer. Every cook should have one and use one – and if you’re not a cook, you should definitely have one!
The range of prices are cheap – to expensive and everything in between. There are so many to choose from. Prices range from a few dollars to over 100$. It pays to shop around.
Cooking Bison Steaks Indoors – and on the grill - Guideline
How to prepare bison on the stove using a hot skillet.
Preparing bison steaks to fry is very easy. Before cooking remove the filet mignon steaks from the fridge and let them sit for about an hour at room temperature. Just remember that they need less cooking time than beef because they are very lean. When frying up bison filet, watch the minutes. Better yet, use a timer. A rare to medium-rare cooked meat is delicious, succulent and juicy. A well-done steak is not!
If you follow these easy directions you will have a perfect steak every time. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes; See the chart for exact time for each size and cut of meat. Once you have fried the meat for the allotted time. Remove to a plate and let it rest for a few minutes. The steak continues to cook during this time. It is important to let it sit for at least 5 minutes. Then…eat!
Follow the cooking times depending on your steaks thickness
Preparing steak in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 500°F. Let them sit for about an hour at room temperature. After preparing the meat for cooking, put it in a roasting pan and roast the meat. Check the time chart for oven cooking. Bison needs less cooking time than a fattier cut of meat such as beef or pork.
Bison tastes best when grilled rare or medium (still pink in the centre) so avoid overcooking.
Important not to overcook tenderloin
Tenderloin is lean and one of the most ender cuts of all. The lack of fat means that overcooking will result in dry, tough meat that tasted like liver.
Let it rest
For steaks let them rest about 5 -8 minutes
For roasts let the meat rest after taking out of the oven. Set is aside in a warm plate to rest a few minutes for steaks and about 20 minutes for whole tenderloins. The juices of the meat will reabsorb and redistribute making for an even more delicious meal.
