Sous Vide Bison Rump Roast
October 16, 2014 • Meat & Poultry, Technique, Tools
You may or may not be a food geek like me, but chances are you’ve experienced a cut of meat, that while cooked to the desired temperature, was just not edible because it was so tough. Before sous vide techniques, healthy cuts of meat like lean bison or game meat could only be cooked low and slow in a braising liquid until tender. I’m a fan of braised meats, for sure, and you’ll find lots of recipes for them on this site. But wouldn’t you love to be able to enjoy one of these tougher cuts of meat cooked to medium rare, but still perfectly tender? Well, that’s why you need a Sous Vide Supreme machine.For starters, the FCC requires that I tell you I was given a sous vide machine for free in exchange for blogging about it and creating recipes. But what the FCC doesn’t know is that I was actually ready to buy a machine after tasting the incredibly tender short ribs at IFBC 2014 prepared by the Sous Vide Supreme team. So yes, they gave me a machine, but these are my opinions and my experience cooking with it. You start by sealing the food in a vacuum sealed bag. You need to remove all of the air so the packet is immersed and doesn’t float in the machine.The machine is preheated to the desired cooking temperature – about 134 degrees F for medium to medium rare meats – in my case a bison rump roast. This is what’s key about sous vide cooking: the temperature never goes higher than this, so your food never overcooks. You cook it long enough to get tender (12-14 hours, I found, is good for my 2-inch thick roast), but not too long to become mushy.When you remove the meat from the cooking pouch, you’ll find it’s cooked to an even temperature from edge to edge, something you simply cannot achieve in an oven, on the stove, or on a grill, where the outer layer is basically charred and it becomes increasingly more rare towards the center.The Sous Vide Supreme guidelines say to season with a light touch, since you’re not losing any seasoning to a pan or water. I used my Porcini Rub, lightly, and it was perfect. I’m working on some other recipes to try: lamb shanks, salmon, and eggs in the shell, and I look forward to sharing them with you. I’m like a kid in a candy shop with this thing!
- 1 2-inch thick bison rump roast, about 2 pounds
- 2 teaspoons dry steak rub of your choice
- Gently sprinkle the dry rub on all sides of the roast and then seal in a vacuum sealer, making sure to remove all of the air. Preheat the sous vide machine (about 130 degrees for rare, 134 degrees for medium rare). Place the sealed pouch into the machine in the rack according to machine directions. Cover and let cook for a minimum of 12 hours, and a maximum of 14-15 hours. If desired, sear the roast in a very hot skillet before serving (I didn't feel the need to do this and just sliced it and served it with the cooking juices poured over the meat.)
Comments
7 Comments • Comments Feed
Stephen says:
Hi Michele,
I just bought a bison brisket. My plan was to use my sous vide machine at around 135 for 72 hours. Once done, use indirect heat from my kettle grill (mix charcoal and wood) for ~3 hours to finish and form a little bark and flavor. Does the sous vide temp and time seem reasonable?
June 20, 2017 at 11:20 am
Michele says:
That time seems a little long – the meat will become mushy after awhile (which I unfortunately experienced once at a wedding). I think more like 12-15 hours is plenty!
June 24, 2017 at 5:54 am
Stephen says:
Thank you Michele.
July 12, 2017 at 10:34 am
Bill evelyn says:
Why not sear it before cooking?
October 20, 2017 at 12:03 pm
Michele says:
A lot of people sear meat AFTER they sous vide it – give it a try!
October 23, 2017 at 6:21 am
Carrie says:
most of my reading suggests searing before for the flavor it brings to the whole process and then a quick sear after if desired to make it look pretty.
February 21, 2021 at 2:18 pm
Michele says:
Yes Carrie you can certainly do that – I’m a little lazy about those steps so don’t always include that!
February 21, 2021 at 2:33 pm