Buffalo Tips and Caramelized Onions

When cooking with Buffalo - or more correctly, Bison - I usually pull out the Crock Pot or fire up the grill. But the other night I unwrapped what I thought were rib eye steaks and found a chunk of sirloin tip. It was about 6 hours too late to throw the thing into the Crock Pot, and without a scrap of fat, the meat would have turned to leather on the grill.

The quality that sometimes makes Buffalo tough is the same quality that makes it healthy: it has nearly no fat. It is best when quickly grilled or seared and served rare, or when slowly braised or stewed on very low heat. Here's how I managed the sirloin tip:

RECIPE: BUFFALO TIPS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS

1 1/2 lb. Buffalo sirloin, about 1" thick, cut into 1" cubes
1 or 2 large sweet onions (about 1 lb.) sliced 1/2" thick
flour for dredging
salt & freshly cracked pepper
olive oil
Worcestershire sauce

1 cup broth, milk, wine or combination.

noodles, rice or fresh bread

Dry meat cubes with paper towels.
Combine flour, salt and pepper in shallow bowl or pie plate. Dredge meat cubes to thoroughly coat. Shake off excess flour, reserve about 3 Tbs. flour for sauce.

Oil hot iron skillet, heat on medium until a drop of water sizzles. Add meat and let brown without stirring for about three minutes, repeat until well browned on all sides.  Remove to plate, drizzle with additional olive oil and sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce; keep warm.
Add a bit more olive oil to hot skillet. Add onions, reduce heat to medium low and cook onions, stirring only occasionally, until caramelized to taste. Remove to plate with meat and keep warm.

Add about 3 Tbs. olive oil to pan with reserved 3 Tbs. flour. Cook and stir until thoroughly combined with all drippings and brown bits in the skillet, about 1 minute.  Slowly add 1 cup liquid, whisking to smooth out lumps. When slightly thickened, return meat and onions to skillet, stir just to warm.

Serve over Buffalo Tips and Caramelized Onions over noodles, rice or sliced fresh bread.