Easy Family Recipes
Chef Mick's Chipotle-Encrusted Bison with Port Wine Sauce | More Than Gourmet
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Chef Mick's Chipotle-Encrusted Bison with Port Wine Sauce

Description

Chef Michaelangelo (Mick) Rosacci of Tony's Market in Denver created this inspired combination of flavors and textures: tender bison steaks coated with a zesty dry rub of crushed dried jalapeno and spices, grilled, and napped in a silky smooth port wine sauce garnished with sweet tart berries.  Kudos to the chef!

Ingredients

Serves
6-8
For the bison:
  • 6-8 bison or beef tenderloin or rib eye steaks (allow about 8 ounces per person)
  • 3 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 dried chipotle, toasted and crushed
  • 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon whole cumin
For the sauce:
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 3-6 shallots, minced
  • 1 – 1 1/4 cups Port wine
  • 1 1/2 ounces Demi-Glace Gold® dissolved in 1 cup hot water
  • Salt and ground black pepper

  • Fresh berries for garnish

Methods/steps

  1. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels.  Blend the minced garlic with olive oil and rub the mixture on the steaks.  Make a dry rub by crushing the chipotle, black and pink peppercorns, sea salt, and cumin together in a mortar and pestle (or grind them coarsely in a spice grinder or food processor).  Sprinkle the steaks generously with the dry rub and rest them at cool room temperature for 2 hours, if time allows.
  2. While the steaks rest, make the port wine sauce: In a medium saucepan, sauté the shallots in 2 teaspoons of  the butter until soft.  Add the Port and simmer to reduce by 1/2 - 3/4.  Stir in the dissolved Demi-Glace Gold®, simmer to heat through, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Whisk in the remaining butter.  Keep the sauce warm in a thermos until serving time, or reheat it gently over low heat.
  3. Grill the steaks over direct medium-high coals, searing them about 3-4 minutes per side, then transfer them to indirect heat to finish.  Remove the steaks from the grill at 120 degrees internal temperature for rare or 130 degrees for medium rare.
  4. Rest the steaks, covered, on a plate for about 5-10 minutes. To serve, drizzle the steaks with port wine sauce and garnish with berries.

Additional Tips

Notes from Chef Mick:

  • This recipe also works well for other beef steaks and for lamb.
  • The dry rub is based on Tony's Costillas con Chipotle seasoning sold at Tony's Market in Denver.
  • The port wine in the sauce can be replaced with any fruity wine or fruit wine such as cherry or dark berry.
  • Another great sauce for this dish can be made by simmering handful of fresh blackberries or other sweet, ripe berries in More Than Gourmet Red Wine Sauce.  Crush the berries as the sauce simmers, strain the sauce before serving, and try a garnish of crumbled Gorgonzola cheese.

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