Going Wild with Bison

I know that many of us are trying to cut back on our consumption of meat, especially red meat. But what if we could consume as a substitute a tender, lean protein, slightly lower in calories and higher in protein with half the saturated fat? Not only that, but it’s a good source of iron and zinc.

The meat is bison or American buffalo (like the cut shown in the photo). Native to the American grasslands and good for the environment, bison evolved on the North American prairie. These creatures can wander all types of terrain and withstand plains-weather extremes of hot and cold. When they graze, they munch on native grasses and tend to leave the flowering plants such as alfalfa and clover alone, which helps support the ecosystem pollinators. Finally, as native animals, they can wander the grazing lands with little or no supervision by humans. Today, they are harvested for human consumption from tribal lands and private ranches.

Because of all these factors, bison meat tastes quite good. And these days when beef prices are rising, that means buying bison can be cost-competitive. The per-pound price differences are relatively minor, in most cases.

But how might you prepare it? I don’t imagine anyone wants to try to mimic some of those old Native American recipes. After a hunt, American Indians would quickly butcher the beasts to limit spoilage. The tongue and internal organs were removed and eaten as delicacies. Much of the meat was cut into strips and dried in the sun, then packed in hide containers made from stiff, untanned hides. The stomach could be filled with bison meat, herbs, and wild onions, then heated with hot rocks to produce a bison stew. And, of course, some fresh meat was grilled over fires. The preserved dried meat could be boiled in earth ovens or pounded and made into pemmican by mixing it with fat and berries.

Ground bison meat is available in many larger supermarkets, although you will probably need to go to a butcher shop for steaks and roasts. Besides burgers, you could also consider the usual ground beef dishes – buffalo chili, meatballs, tacos, and one-dish meals. How about teriyaki ground bison and rice? Or cheesy bison gnocchi? If you decide to spring for a steak, roast, or other cut of bison, you could think about something like this bison tenderloin with buttered leeks, rosemary oil, and smoked salt or these Asian bison bites appetizer made with bison stew meat. How about braised buffalo short ribs with sage polenta? Or go wild with this four-chili pepper bison adobo with passion fruit and purple onion salsa?

After all, we only go around once. Why not try something a little different?

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