Published: July 31, 2007 03:52 pm            

Bison meat - don't be buffaloed

Not much more than a century ago, the buffalo — or American Bison, to be technically correct — was on the brink of extinction.

The once-massive herds that numbered nearly 30 million head roaming freely from the plains of Texas to beyond the Canadian border had been decimated by hunters. At one point, less than 1,000 animals remained.

Fast forward 100 years.

Today, dozens of bison farms dot the landscape of Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Commercial bison production and processing is big business. Bison meat can be found at local meat markets, and more and more Americans are discovering the health benefits of bison meat.



‘You have to look for it’

Just ask Norman Cramer II and his wife, Jessica, owners of Cramer’s Range Line Meat Co. in Joplin.

“We do sell quite a bit of buffalo,” said Jessica Cramer. “We have buffalo roasts, steaks, brisket flats, and we really go through a lot of ground buffalo, too. It’s very popular.”

Norman Cramer, the son and namesake of the business' founder, said that they have carried bison meat in their butcher shop for years. He seemed a little surprised, however, at the way the market for the exotic meat has grown.

“Buffalo is getting more popular, but it is still pretty specialized,” he said. “You can’t just find it just anywhere. You have to look for it.”

Jessica Cramer suggests bison meat can be juicer than beef, and when cooked correctly, can be more tender, too.

Norman Cramer contends that buffalo may cost a little bit more than beef, but he added, it’s really pretty comparable for what you get.



‘Healthy never tasted so good’

Carol Kline, a member of the Missouri Bison Association and owner of Oak Creek Buffalo near Jane, Mo., agrees.

“It’s a little higher in price because of a couple of reasons,” she said. “The bison does not grow as fast as beef cattle. It takes longer to feed them out, and you need more expensive handling equipment.”

She and her husband have been raising and selling bison more than a dozen years and she loves a chance to sing the praises of the popular beef alternative.

“It’s low in fat and cholesterol,” she said. “The meat is vitamin rich and nutrient dense, and there’s more protein than beef, too. We eat a lot of buffalo.”

Kline said she uses the ground buffalo meat to make burgers or meatloafs, but a lean steak or a big pot roast are great options for the home cook, too.

“Cook a steak on the stove top or the grill or put a roast into a slow cooker and cook it all day,” she advised. “When it’s done, you can cut it with a fork. When someone tells me that buffalo is tough, I just tell them they just didn’t cook it right.”

Kline said there are many reasons to try bison, but it boils down to just two.

“It’s healthy and it tastes wonderful,” she said. “That’s why our association’s motto is ‘healthy never tasted so good.'”

She suggests checking out state bison association Web sites or the national Bison Association Web site, www.bisoncentralcom, for more information on bison production and to find some tasty bison recipes to try at home.



Bison strip steak and spicy red onion marmalade

Two 8-10 oz. bison strip steaks

5 red onions, medium

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 tbsp. red curry paste

1 can of unsweetened coconut milk

1 tbsp. garlic, minced

1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped



Bison strip steak

Season bison strip steak with salt and black pepper generously on both sides. Place on a heated grill. Cook each side for about five minutes to medium rare to medium or to about an internal temperature of 130 degrees.



Spicy red onion marmalade

In a sauce pot, add olive oil. Add sautéed onions and garlic until translucent. Add sugar, coconut milk and curry paste (if you do not like spicy food then do not add curry paste or cut it by half). Whisk until paste is dissolved. Reduce until you have a thick glaze consistency. Fold in fresh chopped rosemary. Top steak with the spicy red onion marmalade (and seasonal vegetables) and serve.

Source: bisoncentral.com



Bison pasta sauce

1 lb. ground bison

1/4 lb. sliced mushrooms

1 quart jar your favorite pasta sauce

1/2 tsp. ground or chopped rosemary

1/2 tsp. chopped dried oregano

Brown bison over medium-high temperature in large cooking pot. Add mushrooms, stirring and chopping mushrooms and bison with cooking utensil. Add pasta sauce and herbs. Bring to a bubble, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered with a splash screen (not a lid), stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot until the sauce is the consistency that you prefer. Serve over spaghetti or use as a sauce for lasagna. Top with Parmesan or Romano cheese.

Source: bisoncentral.com



Buffalo meatloaf

2 lbs. ground buffalo

1 clove minced garlic

1 egg, beaten

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

3-4 slices bacon

1/3 cup green onions

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients except bacon in a large bowl. Shape into loaf and place in a loaf or roasting pan coated with cooking spray, top with bacon slices. Bake for 1 1/4 hours or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees and enjoy!

Source: bisoncentral.com

   

Beer-braised brisket

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Note: Brisket improves in flavor if braised two days ahead. Cool in sauce, uncovered, and then cover surface with parchment paper or wax paper and then the pot with foil. Refrigerate. Slice cold meat across the grain and reheat in oven with sauce in a shallow baking pan, covered, 45 minutes.

1 boneless trimmed bison brisket (approximately 3 pounds)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 lbs. onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced lengthwise (6 cups)

1/2 bay leaf

12 ounces bottled beer (not dark beer or ale)

1 beef bouillon cube, crumbled

1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Pat brisket dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 6- to 8-quart wide heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot, but not smoking, then brown meat well on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer with tongs to a platter.

Cook onions with bay leaf in oil remaining in pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer half of onions to a bowl. Arrange brisket over onions in pot, then top with remaining onions. Add beer, bouillon cube, and vinegar (liquid should come about halfway up sides of meat) and bring to a boil.

Cover pot and braise in middle of oven until meat is very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Cool in sauce, uncovered, 30 minutes. Transfer brisket to a clean cutting board. Season with salt and pepper. Slice meat across the grain and serve with sauce. Garlic mashed potatoes and your choice of mixed steamed or roasted vegetables rounds out this tasty, nutritious dish.

Source: bisoncentral.com



Dave Woods writes for The Joplin (Mo.) Globe.



Cooking tips

Bison steaks: Marinate and season as you like — pierce a few times with a fork. Don’t overcook or the meat will become dry and tough. Turn steaks over every few minutes during grilling or broiling, therefore keeping the juices and flavors going through the meat.

Bison roast: Place meat in a roaster. Add enough water to come about halfway up on the roast. Add salt and pepper, quarter an onion, (white wine if you like), cover and bake in a preheated oven at 275 degrees for approximately two hours per pound or use a slow cooker on low setting all day.

Bison burger: Because the meat is so lean, start with a little cooking oil before frying in a skillet. Use bison burger in any recipe that you would use hamburger in. For 1/3 pound burgers, cook three minutes on each side turning with a spatula only one time. 

Source: www.mobisonassoc.org

        

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