Bison Tri-Tip with Chimichurri

Chef at Open Range Restaurant in Bozeman, Montana, Jay Bentley sears bison or beef patties in a hot pan (plancha) on the grill and adds a hot herbed chimichurri sauce. The recipe is adapted from what is sold in the open range, written by Jay Bentley and Patrick Dillon (Running Press, 2012). For cooking tips, see Plancha Cooking 101, below.
Mix the puree with oil and seasonings in 1 liter. resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate for approximately 24 hours.Remove the bag from the refrigerator about 1 hour before cooking. Meanwhile, place a cast-iron skillet or large cast-iron skillet on the grill and preheat the grill to high heat (450 ° to 550 °).Place the bison on a hot griddle. Cover the grill and cook, turning once or twice, until the meat is dark brown and the instant-read thermometer reaches 130 ° (medium-deep-fried; don't overcook), just 15-20 minutes.Transfer the meatballs to a board, cover with foil and leave for 10 minutes. Slice across the fibers and serve with the chimichurri.Chimichurri: In a food processor, combine 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup chopped parsley sprigs, 7 garlic cloves, 1/3 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves, 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 1/2 tsp each red chili flakes and sea salt, coarsely chopped. While they are being whipped, pour in 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Let the sauce sit for at least 1 hour; or refrigerate for up to 3 days, then bring to room temperature.* Bison can be found in well-stocked butcher shops.Cooking Plancha 101WHAT: The Argentine way of cooking on a hot frying pan (plancha) on the grill. Chef Jay Bentley of Open Range in Bozeman, Montana, has been cooking a la plancha for decades and sharing his tips with us.WHY: Thanks to this, the meat quickly gets a uniform roast, it turns out crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. In addition, drops of marinade remain on the planche, and do not fall on the coals. Grill the salmon, onion and zucchini in the same way.GET STARTED: any cast-iron skillet or saucepan will do; we like the ones from Lodge (lodgemfg.com ). For more planchie recipes, see the Open Range by Jay Bentley and Patrick Dillon (Running Press, 2012; $ 33).Note: A nutritional analysis is provided for each serving with the sauce.