Don’t have a probe thermometer handy to judge your meat’s level of doneness?  Experienced chefs often test steak doneness by feel.  As meat cooks it firms up (cooking protein causes it to tighten and expel moisture), so if you’ve felt enough steaks, you can tell how cooked they are by how they spring back when …

(serves 4-5) These kabobs have a nice beefy flavor that fades in and out with the heat of the marinade.  Have your guests drizzle on more aioli if they wish to tone down the spice. Ingredients: 2.3lbs (1 pack) thawed bison kabobs  ½ cup fresh cilantro ½ cup fresh parsley Chilies (we used 1 dried …

(because he asked nicely, I gave Nyoki some raw beef) Tri Tip Beef Satay (makes 6 appetizer servings) Wine Pairing: Reisling from Rheingau, Germany or Clare Valley, Australia This satay sauce has a pronounced lime flavor blended with garlic and a tiny bit of heat from the jalapeno and pepper.  The sourness of the lime …

Marinated Venison Kebabs with Cranberry Gastrique  (serves 4-5) These venison skewers are paired with roasted sherry vinegar shallots and sauteed wild mushrooms with butter and garlic.  The hedgehog mushrooms will be nice and buttery with a hint of garlic, the venison will have a slight sourness from the vinegar coupled with a fruitiness from the gastrique.  …