Bison Tomahawk Chops
In this episode of Wild Game Kitchen, I’m sharing a simple trick for getting the most out of your marinade—char the meat first, stick in the marinade for 24 hours, then finish it low and slow over an open fire. It’s the best way to treat a luxury cut like Bison tomahawk chops, served with a classic Tuscan bread salad and roasted eggplant topped with Calabrian chiles and ricotta cheese.
Bison Tomahawk Chops with Charred Eggplant
Ingredients
Bison Tomahawk Chops
- 1/3 cup all-natural Japanese soy sauce
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons minced shallots
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup minced fresh chives
- 2 bison tomahawk chops, at least 2 inches thick
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Roasted Eggplant
- 4 eggplants (Japanese or Italian globe eggplants work well)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup ricotta
- Minced chives, for garnish
- Minced parsley, for garnish
- Mint leaves, for garnish
- Italian chile oil, for garnish (recipe below)
- Lemon juice, for garnish
Instructions
In a mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, Worcestershire, mustard, shallots, pepper, parsley and chives.
Prepare a grill for high-direct cooking. Rub the bison with vegetable oil and blacken on both sides very quickly on high hot fire built right up to the top of the grate. Remove from grill. They should be charred on the exterior and cold in the middle.
Immediately pour marinade over the meat and refrigerate for 24 hours. I will often times do these in zip-top bags, so I don’t have to turn all the time, but if you need to place these on a tray no problem, just turn every few hours. The charred crust soaks up the marinade and helps it penetrate the meat.
Remove bison from fridge and let come to room temp while you make the eggplant and bread salad.
Charred Eggplant
Cook over high direct heat for about 5 minutes a side, let rest, slice and serve with the bread salad and eggplant.
Prepare a grill for high direct heat cooking. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Brush with olive oil and season with salt. Place them skin side down and roast until the skin is completely charred and the eggplant is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
When they come off the grill, top each eggplant half with a scoop of ricotta. Garnish with chives, parsley and mint leaves. Drizzle with the chile oil and lemon juice.
Italian chile oil
- 1/4 cup hot red chiles, minced (Calabrian work well)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried chile flakes
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
Sauté hot chiles with the minced garlic and dried hot chile flakes in a tablespoon of olive oil for a few minutes until glassy. Then add the remaining cup of olive oil and lower heat to the LOWEST setting possible to maintain a temperature of about 175-200 degrees. Sometimes I put the pot in the oven at that setting. Let cook/steep for a few hours and remove. Cool and place in a jar. Store in fridge.
