Wild Game: Grilled Buffalo Tenderloin with Root Vegetables Recipe

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Grilled buffalo tenderloin with root vegetables, created by Chef Jody Denton, won the Wild About Game Cook-Off's second-place award. Photo By Susan Seubert

Grilled Buffalo Tenderloin with Root Vegetables
Serves 6

Grill buffalo to an internal temperature of no more than 110°F to 120°F, as buffalo meat contains very little fat and will become tough and dry if overcooked.

3 cups apple juice
3/4 cup carrots, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup parsnips, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup turnips, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 buffalo tenderloin steaks, 6 to 8 ounces each
6 thin slices nitrate-free smoked bacon

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. In a small saucepot, bring apple juice to a boil and cook until reduced to a syrup. Do not burn.

3.Mix carrots, parsnips and turnips with 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 teaspoon thyme. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and place on a baking sheet or in a cast-iron skillet. Put in the oven for about 30 minutes until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown around the edges.

4.Place cooked vegetables in a nonstick skillet over high heat and add apple syrup. When it comes to a boil, add remaining butter; stir until it melts in completely. Set aside until ready to serve.

5. Mix together garlic, thyme, sage, pepper and olive oil and rub all over steaks. Wrap each steak with one slice of bacon. Season lightly with salt.

6. Grill tenderloins over a medium-hot grill until they reach desired level of doneness. Serve with vegetables.

Buying Buffalo

The National Bison Association’s “Certified American Buffalo” seal assures customers that the meat they’re buying comes from producers who adhere to a USDA-audited program. This guarantees that the meat can be traced to the ranches of origin, and that animals were never given growth hormones or fed low levels of antibiotics or animal byproducts.