Buffalo Roast, "The Experience"

[AlaskaJack]

For several years I've been enjoying Buffalo steak when it is available here in Anchorage. Sweet, tender and yummy T-bones and rib steaks....

Well, yesterday I picked up a 2# bottom round Buffalo roast. Lightly seasoned along with several quartered potatoes... into a baking bag it went!
Internet "recipes" indicated that I should cook at ~275 deg until internal temp was ~150 deg. So I did all that, then around two hours later and with much anticipation from my growling tummy.... it was too tough to eat! So I boiled it for 2 hours last night, then for close to 3 hours this morning!! Fork tender at last!!

[Kurt (Indiana)]

Mmmmmm, Buffalo meat. One of my favorites. At one time, we could buy Buffalo burgers and hot dogs in my home town but it didn't last too long. The (good tasting) buffalo meat went ther way of the "natural casing" Nathan's hot dogs. If they taste too good, no one (locally) likes them. Go Figure..
Your recipe sounds like it worked out OK!! Sounds kind of like cooking a brisket. I'll have to try it next time we get some buffalo meat in town.
BTW, my wife wouldn't eat it because the buffalo is so "ugly". The cows and bulls (of course) are really cute

[AlaskaJack]

Kurt,

I don't recommend my recipe... ... I ended up giving the roast to my dog, as the 5 or so hours of boiling wasn't the answer!! Think I'll stick with the steaks.... I know how to deal with them!!

[Laredo]

Buffalo is typically leaner than beef or lamb.

For a roast like that you want a braising liquid in the baking bag.
Or marinate the roast beforehand.
Dean, the Cast Iron Master, has a great roasting technique for prime rib. I can't imagine it not working for buffalo.

Here is a Technique, not a recipe, for marination:

Lazy Marinating:

Buy lean meat to provide 6 oz per person
Buy appropriate size ziploc bags (hard to go wrong with frakkin' huge!)
Put (rinsed!) meat in ziploc and pour over Italian (or any vinaigrette-type) salad dressing.
Squeeze excess air out of bag, seal, and refrigerate 2-4 hours; turn over, refrigerate 2-4 hours.

For beef/lamb/venison (and therefore probably also buffalo) use 1 cup marinade per pound of meat. A 12-oz bottle store brand "house Italian" or "zesty Italian" dressing will handle 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, for instance. For the 3 1/2 lb of boneless beef ribs in the fridge I plan to use 1 1/2 pints of marinade.

You can pan-fry or slow-roast these meats. If you are cooking in an oven, cover the meat and add a little braising liquid or baste occasionally as it cooks.

[AlaskaJack]

Laredo,

Thanks for the tips. It'll be a while before I work up the courage to try another "bottom round" or any other of those less desirable cuts.... I generally go with the rib roasts which work out great for me! Or pot roasts which also seem to turn out nice and tender.

[Laredo]

Alas, I cannot anticipate the need before the first incidence of, shall we say, "learning experience."

I can only offer help for the next time ...


One of my favorite tricks was learnt away from home: venison should soak overnight in real buttermilk (enough to cover); if you want to really enjoy the venison, change the buttermilk and soak it another hour or so afterward.

WARNING: I have not tried this with store-bought buttermilk, only with home-made (growing up on an Ozark farm with Jersey cattle, we made -- and yes, we sold! -- fresh butter every other day!).

[Ira]

yummy T-bones and rib steaks....

Oy...here we go again.

[dmb90260]

yummy T-bones and rib steaks....

Oy...here we go again.

What?? You prefer Manatee? I guess it might have a natural saltiness.

[AlaskaJack]

yummy T-bones and rib steaks....

Oy...here we go again.

So here we go where? Are you teh vegan?
(not that there's anything wrong with that)

Edit: Oh... just saw your post Re: the smoker.... guess you aren't vegan!