50 ways to eat your bison (well, not 50, but a lot)!

Did you know that a bison quarter-pounder burger has only about 124 calories with only 6 grams of fat and 17 grams of protein?

Did you know that bison are raised outdoors in their normal habitat and eat their natural diet?

Did you know that bison are a tremendous source of lean protein?

Did you know that bison is full of energizing B vitamins, selenium (which fights inflammation), zinc (which supports a strong immune system), and iron?

Did you know that shoppers at the Collingswood Farmers’ Market are fortunate to have Buck Wild Bison selling their wonderful bison meats every week?  Every week!

 

 

So….

That’s all good…but what does bison taste like?  Is is good?  How do I cook it?  Will my kids eat it?

Bison tastes similar to beef but it is leaner, lighter, and more luscious!  How can it be all that?  It just is.

Because bison meat is so lean and finely marbled, the cook must be slightly cautious when cooking.  Use a lower temperature and a shorter cooking time than when cooking beef.  Or, as my husband would instruct…”pay attention”.  Don’t throw that steak or burger on the grill and walk away!

Bison is a great alternative to beef, chicken, or fish.  It’s lower in fat than all three!

Try a “brick” (of ground bison)….or a pack or burgers or a steak, a sausage, a roast or…..

You can substitute BISON for any beef dish your create.

Simple instructions on how to GRILL a bison burger:

Cook burgers over no higher than medium heat to prevent the patties from drying out.  For a gas grill that would be 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  A charcoal grill has reached the correct bison grilling temperature when you can hold your hand about three inches above the grate for four or five seconds.

GRILL 1/2 inch ground bison patties with the lid down for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until an instant read thermometer registers 160 degrees Fahrenheit (a good internal temperature for all your bison cooks).

Recently I made BISON BURGER CHEESESTEAK SLOPPY JOEs.  That is a mouthful of a recipe title and it was a delicious mouthful of bison ground meat.

Ingredients:
onions, mushroom, and red peppers chopped small and fried in olive oil.
ground bison ( 1/4 pound for each)
snowflake (or soft rolls)

Directions:
1.  Fry up your vegetables (add or subtract your favorite ingredients…be creative)!
2.  Form your patty.
3. Place your patty on a medium hot griddle or in a frying pan.
4.  Fry on each side for 30 seconds.
5.  Break up the patty with a spatula.  Add vegetables.  Continue chopping all ingredients together.  Add cheese.  Chop some more.

 

 

6.  Scoop up and slide onto a soft roll.  

 

REVERSE SEAR COLD GRATE GRILLED BISON RIB EYE
Also recently husband and I enjoyed a bison rib eye steak which he cooked using the Reverse Sear Cold Grate method (if you are interested you can find video on YouTube).  Essentially you cook the steak on the indirect (no heat underneath) side of the grill until it reaches an internal temperature of about 115 degrees Fahrenheit.  Take the meat off the grill…add coals to make a hot fire…put the cold grate on the grill and cook the steak on the cold grate for 1 minute, flip 1 minute more, flip 1 minute more, flip 1 minute more.
The method is a little more complicated than throw that steak on the grill but the results are delicious.

 

 

 

Buck Wild Bison sells their own chili.  Quick and easy for a week night dinner.

 

 

 

And Buck Wild Bison also sells their own hot dogs.  My grandsons love them!

 

And here are some links to bison recipes (from this blog) that are easy and delicious.

bison meatloaf

bison short ribs

Bison tomahawk on a summer afternoon

bison brisket tacos

bison chipped steak poutine

Petit Tender Medallions

 

With apologies to Paul Simon………

The problem is all inside your head
She said to me
The answer is easy if you
Take it logically
I’d like to help you in your struggle
With this meat
There must be 50 ways
To eat your BISON.

She said it’s really not my habit to intrude
Further more, I hope my meaning
Won’t be lost or misconstrued
But I’ll repeat myself
At the risk of being rude
There must be 50 ways
To eat your BISON.

Turn down the heat, Pete.
Grill it real slow, Joe.
Shoot for 160, Trixie.
And get BISON glee.

She said it grieves me so
To see you hesitate
I wish there was something I could say
To make you grill again.
I said I appreciate that
And would you please explain
About the fifty ways?

She said why don’t we buy
Some BISON from Wild Buck
I believe that over dinner
You’ll begin to taste delight
And I realized she probably was right.
There must be fifty ways to eat your BISON.

Grab  some chili, Millie!
Grill a steak Jake!
How about some hot dogs and beans Dean?
Or make a poutine Jean!

Make a new plan, Stan
Just listen to me
We don’t need to discuss much
Just buy a brick (of ground BISON) Rick
And get BISON GLEE.