Bison Cooking Tips
Bison (often referred to as Buffalo ) meat is similar to beef and can be substituted in any beef recipe. Bison does not taste “gamey” in fact it tastes a lot like beef, but tends to have a fuller, sweeter flavor. You have to remember that bison has less fat and must be cooked properly in order to remain moist and tender. Since bison lacks the insulator of fat it will dry out very quickly, so when cooking this meat be sure to follow a few basic tips:
When cooking steaks, avoid using a broiler. This tends to cook the meat at a very high and fast heat, which will make your steak taste tough and dry. We suggest that you use a grill, grill pan or sauté pan. Bison meat should be cooked any where from rare to medium. Cook your 1 inch steaks 4 to 5 minutes on each side, a little longer for thicker cut steaks. If you must have your steak well done, cook it at a very low temperature for a longer period of time. Lesser quality cuts should be marinated.
When cooking roasts, low and slow is best. For lesser quality roast, always cook with moist heat such as a beef stock. If you usually cook your roast at 325°F, turn you oven down to 275°F for bison. The meat should be done around the same time a beef roast would be, but to insure that it does not overcook, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. Cook to 145° for medium rare or no more than 155° for medium.
When cooking ground bison or bison patties, remember that it will cook much faster than ground beef. Because it contains little fat, there will be little to no shrinkage and there will be no need to drain excess grease from the pan. Do not overcook the bison patties, the inside should always be a little pink.
Use tongs to turn your meat instead of a fork that will pierce the meat and allow the flavorful juices to escape.
Let your bison rest for 5 minutes after it’s done cooking. If you cut into it right away the juices will run out and the meat will not be as moist.
Like all meats, bison should not be refrozen after it has thawed out. This makes the meat taste mushy.
If you are still hesitant about bison meat and the best way to cook certain cuts, please ask us, we will be happy to answer any questions that you may have.
Recipe of the Week!!
Pineapple Teriyaki Bison Burgers
1 ½ pounds GBT ground bison
1 packet beefy onion soup mix (recommended: Lipton)
2 tablespoons ginger teriyaki marinade mix (recommended: McCormick Grill Mates)
1 (8-ounce) can pineapple rings, drained, juice reserved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon wasabi paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 whole-grain burger buns
Lettuce, tomato, onion, for serving
In a mixing bowl, stir to combine ground bison, soup mix, teriyaki marinade mix, and ¼ cup reserved pineapple juice.
Form 4 patties slightly larger than bun. Gently press pineapple rings into tops of burgers.
Season burgers with salt and pepper and place on grill pineapple side down. Cook 6 minutes per side for medium.
Mix together mayonnaise, wasabi, and soy sauce.
Serve hot on toasted buns with lettuce, tomato, onions, and wasabi mayonnaise.
Great Recipes!
Grilled Bison Steak
Rub a 6 ounce bison steak with a combination of garlic salt, cooking oil, and lemon pepper. Grill steak 4 to 6 inches above medium hot coals (325°) for the following times, depending on thickness:
1" Rare 5 to 6 minutes, Medium 8 to 10 minutes
1½ " Rare 8 to 10 minutes, Medium 10 to 12 minutes
2" Rare 10 to 12 minutes, Medium 14 to 18 minutes
Gunpowder Bison & Trading Co. Meatloaf
Ingredients:
8 tbls. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 ½ tsp. dried thyme
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
½ c. milk
1 c. bread crumbs
3 lbs. ground bison
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic, onion, celery, thyme, salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and cool.
In large bowl, beat the eggs and add the milk and bread crumbs. Add the ground bison meat to the cooled vegetable mixture and mix well. Then add the bread crumb mixture and mix thoroughly until combined.
Divide the mixture in half and press each half into a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Cover with aluminum foil and poke holes in the top of foil to vent. Bake for 60 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Serves 10
We like to serve our bison meatloaf with this tasty sauce! You may add it to the top of the meatloaf halfway through the baking process or after you slice it.
1 c. ketchup
1 tsp. liquid smoke
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ c. brown sugar
Pulled Bison BBQ Sandwiches
Ingredients:
3-4 lb. GBT Bison roast (any type)
1 packet of dry onion soup mix
Water or beef broth
1 bottle of GBT BBQ sauce or your favorite BBQ sauce
Directions: Put frozen roast in crock pot with onion soup mix and fill with water or broth until roast is almost covered. Cook on low for 20 hours or until roast starts to fall apart. Remove roast from crock pot and shred using forks. Put shredded meat in a large mixing bowl. Stir in BBQ sauce until well coated and serve on toasted Kaiser Rolls.
Baked Penne with Bison Hot Italian Sausage
Ingredients:
1(12oz.) pkg. penne pasta
1 lb. Bison Hot Italian Sausage, sliced
1 c. chopped onion
½ c. white wine
2 tsp. olive oil
1(15oz.) can tomato sauce
1(14.5oz.) can diced tomatoes with garlic
1(6oz.) can tomato paste
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Place sausage, onion and olive oil in a deep skillet.
Cook over medium heat until evenly browned. Pour in white wine, and cook for 1 minute, stirring to deglaze pan. Stir in tomato sauce and tomato paste. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Toss with cooked pasta, and place in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle top with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serves 6.
