I know what you are all thinking. Bison meat?! I am going to change your mind today about what kind of meat you choose to eat. Unless you are a vegetarian or vegan you probably enjoy eating red meat at some point during your week or month. We all know just how dangerous eating too much red meat can be. With chicken we also run the threat of e coli. It may be a surprise for you to know that bison meat is actually not only healthier for you to eat but safer as well. Because they are left to graze at their own will and are not handled as much (keeping down stress making the meat more tender) the meat does not have the threat of e coli as many other meats do. Here is a great article on the humane production of bison. You might be surprised!

My husband and I enjoy buying bison at our local commissary and we freeze it and eat it when we want. The taste is actually much better than beef, if you don’t over cook it. We actually prefer bison meat over beef any day. We have not tried bison chuck but I was reading about how tasty it can be when you cook it all day in a slow cooker and I want to get my hands on some now! Here are some nutritional facts as compared to other meats and you might be surprised at the obvious differences.

As you can see it has less fat than everything on the list! I was certainly surprised by this when I read the chart. Now, you will have to excuse me here but I am going to be quoting a few websites on the benefits of bison because they say it much better than I can. My references are from National Bison Association and Fioravanti Bison Ranch in Tulsa.

Bison are handled as little as possible. They spend their lives on grass, much as they always have, with very little time in the feedlot. They are not subjected to questionable drugs, chemicals or hormones. The members of the NBA feel so strongly about this that they have a resolution opposing the use of these substances in the production of Bison for meat.

Research by Dr. M. Marchello at North Dakota State University has shown that the meat from Bison is a highly nutrient dense food because of the proportion of protein, fat, mineral, and fatty acids to its caloric value. Comparisons to other meat sources have also shown that Bison has a greater concentration of iron as well as some of the essential fatty acids necessary for human well being. Readers’ Digest magazine has even listed bison as one of the five foods women should eat because of the high iron content.

WHY BISON?

TASTE – People are rapidly discovering the deliciously healthy taste of bison/buffalo

VALUE – Bison is a specialty meat that is highly valued in gourmet cuisine. It is rare that premium, naturally range rasied meat can be purchased at your supermarket or meat market.

HEALTH – Our bison spend their lives at pasture eating only their natural diet of grass. Fioravanti stock spends very little time in the feedlot, guaranteeing you meat as nature intended it to be free of chemicals and GMO feeds. Dining on Fioravanti bison, is eating well.

Now if you are wondering if cooking bison meat is any different than cooking any other, it really isn’t. The only thing you have to remember about bison meat is to cook it slow. If you don’t then it will be extremely tough. I know this from experience. Here are some great tips on cooking bison and some recipes as well!

Here is a bison burger recipe to get your mouth watering!

BISON BURGER

1 pound Ground Bison*
4 burger buns, split and toasted
salt and pepper

Shape and ground Bison into four 1/2 inch think patties. Grill covered 4 – 6 inches above medium hot coals, turning once, just until the pink has disappeared. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Tuck into a toasted bun, top with your favorite condiments, and enjoy. Serves 4.

Per patty: 156 calories; 9.1 g fat; 30 mg cholesterol; 60 mg sodium.

*Ground Bison can vary in leanness. The above recipe is based on 92% lean Ground Bison.

I hope I have at least given you a little more knowledge about bison. It can be a little expensive but it is worth taking care of your body. Plus, the more we buy healthy food in America the more the prices will drop. The only reason why junk food is so cost effective is because we buy it all the time! Keep that in mind the next time you go to the grocery store. The y are only pricing it so low because it is most in demand. Don’t feed their companies, help out the healthy ones to keep costs down.

Happy running and eating!