# Bison Brisket



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I don't think there's a tougher cut of North American big game meat than bison brisket. You literally can't stick a fork in a bull bison brisket; have to use a knife to move the meat around before it's cooked. :mrgreen:

The briskets on an adult bull bison are a little smaller than the briskets on a domestic cow and have little fat. Bison brisket can be prepared the same way as beef with a couple minor differences.

I trimmed up an 11lb bison brisket, saving the best part of the point and flat for smoked brisket. The balance, about 5lbs mostly from the flat, will be used for corned beef.

Just look at the gelatinous goodness in that meat: 


A brine solution was made from three 15 oz cans of beef broth mixed with 2/3 cup of a product called Fab B. About 1 cup of the brine was pumped into the brisket. The balance of the brine and the brisket were placed in a Ziploc bag and the meat was marinated overnight.

Trimmed up brisket, about 6lb worth:


For Fab B flavor enhancer see: http://www.theingredientstore.com/generalstore/product_details/888.htm

And look here, among a bajillion other BBQ forums: http://www.bbq-4-u.com/forum/f9/fab-b-9665.html

In preparation for the rub the brisket was removed from the brine, rinsed in cool water and then patted dry. Any leftover brine was saved for later.

I use the same brisket rub on elk and bison as on beef. The only difference is liquefied beef fat is smeared on the bison brisket before the rub is applied. Any vegetable oil will do if you don't have beef tallow.

I prefer not to smear oil on beef brisket before smoking because it minimizes the amount of smoke that penetrates the meat. Elk and bison brisket on the other hand is so flavorful and so lean I go with less smoke flavor and a softer bark:


Rub used:

*Big Bad Beef Rub:*
6 tbsp - ground black pepper
4 tbsp - table salt
2 tbsp - granulated white sugar
2 tbsp - onion powder
4 tsp - mustard powder
4 tsp - garlic powder
4 tsp - chili powder
2 tsp - cayenne powder


Smoking:

The briskets were smoked at 200°, dampers closed, for 2 or 3 hours using a mix of mesquite and hickory sawdust. The dampers were opened and the meat was cooked another hour or two without smoke until the internal temp was 145°.

The brisket was removed from the smoker and placed in an aluminum foil roasting pan. A can of beef broth was added to the leftover brine and then poured over the smoked brisket. About 1 cup of the beef fat was smeared all over the top of the brisket. Then the it was covered with aluminum foil and placed back into the smoker.

The brisket was cooked for about 8 more hours (overnight) at 225° ±. At this point the meat internal temp was around 170°. The brisket, still sealed-up, was placed on a towel in an ice chest cooler and let "rest" for 2 hours. The internal temp of the meat should rise 10° while "resting" in the ice chest. 185° is OK for wild game brisket, especially if it's from an old bull bison. Any thing less than 160° and big game brisket might be chewy.

It's done:


Separate the flat from the point and serve.

The point was cooked to perfection for sandwiches and the flat was a little overdone, a little crumbly - nothing unusual any time the point and flat are cooked together:


I'm tellin ya, this is really tender. Mrs goob is eating it without her teeth in:


:mrgreen:


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

ugh I need to get another bison! That looks way too tasty!


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Wow, that looks amazing!


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## SCtransplant (Jul 31, 2015)

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

Looking pretty dang yummy. My Treager is feeling left out.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*Corned Bison Brisket*

The rest of the bison brisket was corned for 30 days. Cooked half of it in the oven and the other half as a corned beef n cabbage meal.

Here's how to make *Corned Bison*:

*Meat:*
Any big game will work. Use the big roasts off the shoulder or rump. Trim off the silver skin and most of the fat. A trimmed elk or moose brisket works well.

*Brine:*
5 to 6 lb brisket
6 tbsp - Morton's Tenderquick cure
1 tsp - garlic powder
3 tbsp - pickling spice
1/3 cup - brown sugar
2 1/2 quarts - water

*Curing Instructions:*
Mix cure, garlic & sugar with ½ qt of water in a pot and bring to a boil.
Add the other 2 quarts of water mix well and set aside to cool.
When cooled, inject about 1 to 2 cups of the solution into the roast.
Put the meat and the rest of the brine solution in a 1 or 2-gallon Ziploc bag.
Make sure all of the air is squeezed out of the bag.
Store in a 40° fridge for 30 days.


Remove the meat from the bag, rinse, and then drain. Half of what is cured is going in the oven, the other half will be corned bison n cabbage. Save 1/2 cup of the cure and add it to the baking pan before covering with foil:


*Simmer:*
Place the pickling spice in a bag made from a 6" x 6" piece of cheesecloth.
Put the cured meat and the spice bag in a pot and add enough water to cover the meat.
Simmer for 1 hour, change the water and then simmer for 2 hours more or until the meat is tender.
Drain and rinse the meat. Save the spice bag.

Use the corned meat and the spice bag in your favorite corned beef recipe 
or: 
Refrigerate overnight and then slice deli thin for sandwiches, just like from the Deli.

*Bake:*
Cook in a 250° oven, tightly covered, until the internal temp is 185°:


oh boy


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Corned bison, kraut, n Swiss...no rye bread. I'll get by:


Hey, that's homemade sauerkraut:


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Goob, you are my hero.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*thank you*



GaryFish said:


> Goob, you are my hero.


It's rye bread tomorrow man, even if I have to drive to Park City to get it. :grin:

.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*Where's the bread?*

breakfast:


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*I'm tryin' to overeat with healthier foods.*

Lactic acid fermented sauerkraut is good for your digestive system

I'm tryin' to overeat with healthier foods.



Still no rye bread. :neutral:

.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Yeah!!!! Rye bread!!!


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Now that is a samwich:!::!: That bowl of kraut looks awfully good.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*good batch of sauerkraut*



Dunkem said:


> Now that is a samwich:!::!: That bowl of kraut looks awfully good.


Thanks. The kraut is 116 days old. It has been in the 5L fermentation crock on the counter top the whole time. Crisp and no mold; not that mold is necessarily a bad thing for sauerkraut.

.


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## Methew (Dec 13, 2017)

You seem to be an expert on the kitchen it looks amazingly delicious. What oven you use for cooking. I'm in process of choosing my first one and found this list https://diligentchef.com/best-36-inch-gas-range/. Could you recommend something from it?


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

My mouth is watering. Looking good.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Smoked wild bison brisket with turnips, sweetcorn and fresh horseradish all from my garden. Apple juice from my MacIntosh apple trees.


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

It’s great to see that Goob’s Gourmet Grill is still the finest establishment in Evanston!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

CPAjeff said:


> It’s great to see that Goob’s Gourmet Grill is still the finest establishment in Evanston!


Thank you.....making beef tallow today.


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