Peppered Bison, Roasted Acorn Squash, and Spicy Walnut Spinach

Let's talk about bison, baby.

It is delicious! Leaner than beef, this meat is simple to make and makes me feel like a true hunter/gatherer when I ask for two bison steaks from the butcher at Whole Foods. If you like your beef well done, I would stay away from bison because it gets tough if overcooked. Medium rare to medium is the way to go here.

This is how I got things done:

• clean the skin of your acorn squash, chop off the ends, remove the seeds, and chop into slices
• toss with about a table spoon of melted ghee (it's paleo, see Whole9) and line on a cookie sheet
• season lightly with cumin, aleppo pepper, paprika, and cinnamon
• stick that sexy squash in a 350 oven for 30 minutes, flipping at 15. It is your choice whether to eat the skin or not, depending on the quality of the squash, sometimes it can be a little tough, this time it was good.

Meanwhile....

• Season your bison with (teeny tiny) bit of sea salt and a generous amount of cracked pepper on each side.
• get an OVEN SAFE skillet and get it screaming hot on the stove.
• throw a little fat in the skillet (olive oil is not recommended since it has a lower burn point, i used ghee) and sear the steaks for three minutes on each side
• from there put the skillet in the oven and bake for another 7-10 minutes.
• Finish off the steak with a quick broil for about a minute on each side on high...this is optional but I love the crispy taste this gives.
• be very careful when removing the skillet cause the handle will be hot and will stay hot for a while
• most importantly, let the meat rest before cutting into it for about 3-5 minutes. This will allow the temp to come down a bit and keep your bison steak tender and juicy.

post sear, pre oven

For the Spinach:



Popeye would be proud

• do this part while your meat is resting
• clean and dry the spinach leaves, I used and entire bunch for two people.
• place in a big pan, and turn the flame on medium
• slowly wilt the spinach, tossing frequently
• at the very end, drizzle on some walnut oil (about a tsp), toss in some walnuts, and sprinkle (generously, depending on how much heat you like) with crushed red pepper flakes.

Here is the final result:

I was going to save half of my steak for lunch tomorrow but that didn't happen. It was THAT good.

Sweet dreams RNCF crew!