How to Cook Buffalo Sirloin Steaks in an Oven Bag

You can compare buffalo meat to beef, but buffalo meat doesn't marbleize with fat like beef, making it a much leaner red meat option. The low fat content means that it cooks faster and it tends to dry out more than beef. Oven bags work well for baking buffalo sirloin steaks because they keep moisture locked in around meat, rather than roasting the steaks in typically dry oven air. Although the sirloin is one of the tenderest meat cuts, but you should still cook buffalo meat slowly at a low temperature to avoid overcooking and drying.

Things You'll Need

Mixing bowl
Assorted dry spices
Wet marinade
Plastic wrap
Baking pan

Knife
Meat thermometer
Scissors
Tongs

Instructions

Place the buffalo sirloin steak in a mixing bowl and mix well with your choice of dry spices and a wet marinade. Wet marinades are important in ensuring buffalo meat stays moist while cooking. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Even with a moisture-locking oven bag and tender sirloin steak cuts, buffalo meat cooked above 325 F can dry out and cook too fast, which toughens the meat. Move the oven racks as needed to provide roughly 8 inches of clearance for the bag to expand as it fills with hot air, so the bag doesn't touch the oven.
Line a baking pan with a large oven bag; fold the top and sides of the bag over the sides of the pan for easy access. Lay the buffalo sirloin steaks side by side in the bottom of the bag. Pour the marinade from the bowl over the steaks.
Squeeze out the excess air in the bag and gather it closed in your hand. Tie it shut with the twist tie that comes with the oven bag. The bag should not touch the top of the steaks. Poke three or four vent holes in the top of the bag so some air and steam can escape.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until the steaks reach a minimum internal temperature of 145 F, the USDA's safe temperature guideline for beef. Insert a meat thermometer through one of the vent holes and into a steak, beginning after about 20 minutes of baking, and check every 5 to 10 minutes until you have achieved the desired temperature. At 145 F, the meat should be cooked to medium. If you prefer your red meat well done, cook to an internal temperature of 170 F.
Cut the bag open, using scissors or a knife, and use tongs to remove the steaks to a clean serving plate. Allow the steaks to set for at least 5 minutes so the juices redistribute evenly throughout the meat.

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