Archive for the ‘Cooking Tips’ Category

Got any tips for a bison meatloaf?

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

Question:  Got any tips for a bison meatloaf?

- From Jack in Arkansas

Answer:  You could spice up your Bison Meatloaf with jalapenos — dice up and stuff throughout the loaf. Or go Italian with the below recipe:

Italian Bison Meatloaf with Fresh Basil and Cheese

  • 1 lb. ground Bison
  • 1 c. boiling water
  • 1/2 c. sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
  • 1/2 c. ketchup
  • 1/3 c. ketchup (keep in a separate dish for spreading over top of loaf)
  • 1 c. seasoned bread crumbs
  • 3/4 c. fresh basil, chopped
  • 1/2 c. shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
  • nonstick cooking spray
  • 2 lg. egg whites
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

Combine boiling water and tomatoes in a bowl; let stand for 30 minutes or until soft. Drain tomatoes and finely chop. Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a broiler pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for 1/3 cup ketchup. Shape mixture into a 9 x 5 inch loaf on broiler pan. Spread remaining ketchup over top.

Bake for 1 hour or until thermometer inserted in the center registers 160°. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Cut into 12 slices. Serves 6.

What is the difference when cooking bison compared to beef

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

Question: What is the difference when cooking bison compared to beef? Thanks!

-    From Judy in Cleveland, Ohio.

Answer:

Hi Judy,

Great question! Even though you can really use bison to replace beef in almost any recipe, there is a difference in how you prepare it. Remember that since bison is leaner (and healthier!) it cooks quicker and you are able to cook at a lower temperature.

Buffalo/Bison steaks and burgers are at their very best when done rare or medium (with a pink center). Your meat thermometer should reach 135°F (57ºC) for rare, 145°F (62ºC) for medium rare, or 155° F for medium.

If you oven broil your buffalo/bison, try moving the oven rack a notch lower than you normally would and check on their progress a few minutes sooner than you normally would. You’ll be rewarded with a juicier piece of meat.

If you grill your buffalo/bison, we suggest doing so over medium hot coals at a distance of from four to six inches. Again, a little extra care will reward you with a much juicer meal.

When roasting buffalo/bison, we suggest that you follow the creed “lower and slower.” Lower your oven temperature to cook the meat more slowly. It will shrink less, thereby retaining more natural juice. To be sure that it is done to your liking, we suggest using a meat thermometer – it’s an inexpensive reusable insurance policy.

The rich red color of the buffalo/bison meat is indicative of the higher levels of iron and the lack of marbling (fat). Both of these are GOOD things and are probably among the reasons that you purchased buffalo/bison meat in the first place.

We recommend using more tender cuts of bison meat such as rib-eyes, sirloins and New Your strips when grilling or broiling. Roasts, steaks and chops are better for oven broils and roasting.

Check out a few of our other cooking tips!

Summer Bison Appetizer – Bison Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

Sunday, May 1st, 2011

Summer means picnics, family reunions and good times eating and drinking with friends. These gatherings are the perfect way to share some of your favorite recipes and introduce others to new foods and try some new things on your own too!

One of our favorite bison appetizers is bison bacon wrapped shrimp. This gives the traditional bacon wrapped shrimp an extra kick of deliciousness. Also try the marinade below, but we all know that the bison bacon is the star of this dish. Fun bison appetizers are a really great way to start talking about and sharing bison recipes.

Bison Bacon Wrapped Shrimp & Marinade

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. 21-24 Shrimp-uncooked-peeled and Tooth picks or Kebab skewers (don’t forget to soak in water if using bamboo)
  • 1/4 lb. Bison Bacon cut into 1/2″ wide strips x 2″ long.

Marinade and Finish Sauce Marinade

  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil 2 T. Soy Sauce
  • 1 T. Sherry Vinegar 1/4 cup Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (I use
  • Juice of 1 Orange & Zest Mae Ploy brand)
  • 1 T. Minced Garlic 1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

Preparation:
Combine the first eight ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture over a flour tortilla. Then, place a thin layer of the pastrami over the top of the cream cheese mixture. Roll up tightly and secure with toothpicks if necessary. Then repeat with the remaining cream cheese mixture and tortillas. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Remove toothpicks and cut into 3/4 inch slices. Makes 4-5 dozen.

What are some of your favorite bison appetizers to serve in the summer?

Try Bison Burgers for Labor Day

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Instead of beef burgers this Labor Day BBQ – fire up the grill with bison burgers.  Enjoy your day off with a meat high in protein and iron, yet low in fat, cholesterol and calories.

There are a million bison burger recipes online – and just like with a beef burger – you can pick just what kind of condiments you want…from grilled onions and Wisconsin cheddar to avocado and blue cheese (ok, so the fat content just went up a bit)!  The point is….dress your burger the way you like it!

There is some talk out there that bison meat is tough and/or dry – but that is not true!  Dry or tough bison meat is meat that has been overcooked.  Just like when you overcook beef or chicken – it gets dry and tough.   Although bison is very similar in taste to beef, it has to be cooked slightly differently…Low and Slow!  While, you can cook it to the same doneness as beef, we recommend rare to medium.

For 1/2 inch thick patties: Grill covered 4-6 inches above medium hot coals, turning once, just until the pink has disappeared.

We did come across this recipe for Mediterranean Bison Burgers - which we must say, looked pretty darn good.

Pink is Good

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

The rich red color of the buffalo/bison meat is indicative of the higher levels of iron and the lack of marbling (fat). Both of these are GOOD things and are probably among the reasons that you purchased buffalo/bison meat in the first place. So don’t be scared of your bison meat being a little pink.

Also, bison is best when cooked medium rare or rare with a pink center. This will help keep your meat from becoming too dry and will lock in the natural juices of the meat.