RECIPE: Extra Crunch Finger Steaks

Use any of your favorite grassfed/grassfinished beef or bison steaks to make this decadent finger food!  Finger steaks are a play on chicken-fried steak and are an especially big hit with kids.  A lean bison steak lends itself well to deep frying, and you can count on this recipe to be rich, fun, and flavorful.  

Ingredients

• 1 Top Sirloin (or grassfed steak of your choice)
• 2 C buttermilk
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp dry mustard
• 2 tsp paprika
• 3 tsp salt 
• 2 tsp black pepper 
• 2 C all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil, or better yet, rendered pasture-raised pork fat for frying
• Your favorite fry sauce or cocktail sauce, for dipping

Tools

• Dutch oven or deep skillet for deep frying
• Thermometer for testing oil temperature
• Tongs
• Slotted spoon
• Shallow dish
• Large bowls

Directions

1. Trim bison steak of excess fat and any silver skin, and pat dry. 
2. Cut into strips that are about 3-4 inches long and about ½ inch wide.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic powder, dry mustard, paprika, salt, and pepper. 
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, Worcestershire sauce, and half of the spice mixture (save the other half to add to the flour mixture later).
5. Place the strips of steak in the bowl to marinate.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge for 1-24 hrs.  The longer they marinate, the more flavorful and tender they’ll be.
6. Pour oil into a Dutch oven or deep skillet for a depth of 3 inches.  Heat the oil over medium heat until a food thermometer reads 350°F.
7. In a shallow dish, whisk together the flour and the rest of the spice mixture.
8. Line a plate with paper towels. 
9. Dip the steak strips in the flour mixture, then the buttermilk marinade, and then the flour mixture again, making sure steak strips are well-coated. 
10. Gently place the steak strips in the hot oil.  Be careful of splattering!  Cook for 3-4 minutes total, flipping as needed, until the strips are golden brown and crispy on all sides.
    Set them on the paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil and cool.
11. Eat plain or dip in your favorite fry sauce, cocktail sauce, or condiment.
12. Enjoy!