Bison is a very healthy alternative and very easy to cook. Much like other lean meats – chicken, pork tenderloin, etc. – bison can really benefit from marinades and brines. I smoked a 3 lb bison roast and started by putting it in a brine.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 dark beers
- 1/4 onion chopped
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp black pepper
- 1 Tbsp salt*
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
Mix all ingredients together in a ziploc bag and add bison roast. Brine for at least 12 hours.
*If you are not using a rub, add a second Tbsp of salt. I have noticed in the past that if I use both, it tends to be too salty, so I cut back on the salt in the brine.
Get your smoker up to temp at 225°.
Take the bison from the brine, give it a quick rinse and pat dry. I used yellow mustard as a binder for the rub and added just a bit of my go-to rub for a little extra flavor.
Because the bison is very lean and there is no fat cap, I added some thick-cut bacon on top before putting it in the smoker. Keep the water reservoir full. Expect about an hour per pound, You want a finish temp of 150° and you don’t want to go over, or it could be dry.
Be sure to tent the meat under foil and wait 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving to give the juices a chance to redistribute throughout the meat. You can see that mine is more medium-well(160), than rare. And that made it more dry and a little tough. Take it out at 150°, really… don’t wait!
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