Tips On Preparing Your Bison (Buffalo) Meat
Remember that the liquid you see coming from the cut you are cooking is mostly WATER and not fat. If you overcook or use too high a heat, you will evaporate all of the water from the cut, creating a dry and tough piece of meat. There is no reason to eat tough Bison meat. With some moderate changes to your cooking habits, you will be enjoying a juicy, flavorful, healthy Bison cut. You can substitute Bison in almost any beef recipe if a few simple instructions are followed. The “Golden Rule” is DO NOT OVERCOOK! Since Bison meat is so lean you’re not cooking fat. As a result, it cooks more quickly and you are able to use a lower temperature. Pan Frying (burger, sausage, filet (tenderloin), NY strip, and ribeye steaks)
High heat is not for Bison! Turn the heat down. Remember: Bison cooks faster than beef so don’t overcook that steak! Turn your heat down a notch and watch your cooking time. Burgers and sausage should be cooked thru so no pink remains. Steaks are best rare to medium. Broiling/Grilling (burger, filet tenderloin, NY strip, and ribeye steaks)
Move your rack a little further away from the heat source. Broil as with beef but shorten the cooking times. Turn the steaks a few minutes sooner and check for doneness. Pressure Cooker (roasts) Bison Meat makes wonderful sliced roast sandwiches. Use Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, wine, beer, etc. to create a delicious and flavorful au-jus in which to cook your Bison roast. Cook a 2-3 pound roast under 10 pounds of pressure for about 30 minutes. This gives you a roast that is cooked on the outside and beautifully rare on the inside. If you don’t like it rare, follow your cooker directions to cook it through, taking care not to overcook! Crock Pot Cooking (stew meat, roast)
Make sure the meat is completely covered with liquid. Add meat first and put veggies on top. Cook on low for a slightly shorter period of time than beef (but just as long as the meat is immersed in the liquid, overcooking is not a problem.) |
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| Cooking Bison Meat Bison has less fat than beef so it must be cooked over lower heat. Remember “low ‘n slow”. Over-cooked buffalo meat will bring you the same results of other over-cooked meats — something resembling roofing shingles. Buffalo meat is best done medium to rare. Grilling the burgers & steaks is ideal. A roast done in a pressure cooker or crock pot is delicious. With buffalo, what you see is what you get. There is little shrinkage due to fat. Bison rivals the finest beef available. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll come back for more-GUARANTEED! Quick Tip: Cut our buffalo jerky into bite size pieces and add to scrambled eggs for a delicious morning breakfast treat! Add hot pepper rings to “spice it up.” |
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Lean Party Turnovers
Ingredients:
1 C margarine
1 C small curd cottage cheese
2 C flour
1/2 lb. Ground Bison
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 C diced onion
1/4 C diced mushrooms
1/4 tsp. dill weed
1/8 tsp. black pepper
3 T sour cream
1 beaten egg white
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Directions for dough: Beat butter and cottage cheese together until well blended and creamy. Add flour and beat until thoroughly combined. (Can be used immediately or stored up to 5 days in the refrigerator). Filling: Brown Bison on low heat. Add salt and onion. Cook until onion is limp. Stir in mushrooms, dill weed, pepper, and sour cream. Blend well and set aside. On floured pastry clothe or board, roll out 1/2 of the dough. Roll to a rectangle, 1/8-inch thick. Cut dough into 2-inch squares. Spoon 1/4 tsp. of filling onto one corner of each square, bring the opposite corner over top and use a fork to press the open edges closed. Be sure they are sealed. Glaze with a light brushing of beaten egg white if desired. Do same procedure with other half of the dough. Bake turnovers on ungreased baking sheet 1 inch apart at 350 °F for 15-18 minutes until lightly browned. Serve warm or cool completely, wrap in airtight container and freeze. To reheat, bake frozen pastries uncovered at 350°F for 10 minutes. Makes about 80 pastries. |
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Calico Beans
Ingredients:
1-16 oz. can navy beans
1-16 oz. can kidney beans
1-16 oz. can butter beans
1 lb. Bison Hot Dogs cut into pieces or 1 lb. Ground Bison
1/4-1/2 lb. bacon cut into pieces
1 onion, diced
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C ketchup or barbecue sauce
2 tsp. vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt (optional) |
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Directions:
Drain beans, save liquid. Brown Bison, bacon, and onion over medium heat. Combine beans and meat and place in 9 X 12 pan or casserole to fit. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan and add reserved liquid if it seems dry. Pour over bean mixture and bake at 350°F for 1 hour. Ann Darrow, Cedarrows Farms III, LP |
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Bison Stuffed Peppers
Remove tops and seeds from 7-8 green peppers
Mix together: 1 lb. Ground Bison
1/2 C Minute Rice
1 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper
1 egg
1/4 C milk
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. of your favorite blend of herbs (basil, marjoram, thyme, parsley, oregano, etc.)
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Directions:
Stuff peppers with mixture. Place in a covered pan or dish. Pour tomato or spaghetti sauce around them. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until meat mixture is cooked. |
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Bison Stuffed Pepper Soup
Ingredients:
• 1 lb ground Bison meat (can substitute very lean beef)
• 2-3 green peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1-2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 15-16 oz can chicken or beef broth
• 1 26-32 oz jar spaghetti sauce or 1 quart tomato juice Water to thin
• 3/4 C long cook rice (for a diabetic friendly soup, you can substitute bulgur wheat or quinoa for the rice)
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Directions:
Brown Bison, peppers, onion, and celery in a skillet. Transfer to a 6 or 8 quart soup pot. (Bison does not have to be drained so if you are using beef, you may have to pour off any fat that results from browning the meat.) Add broth, spaghetti sauce or tomato juice, and enough water to thin the mixture to a soupy consistency. Bring to a boil and add rice or substitute. Cook an additional 20 minutes until grain is done, stirring frequently since the grain has a tendency to stick. Once the grain is cooked, the soup is ready to enjoy!
Like any soup, this recipe can be modified to fit any leftovers you have on hand to use. Chopped carrots can be added to the boiling soup to cut the acidity of the tomato broth. Shredded cabbage is a nice addition. If you substitute tomato juice for the spaghetti sauce it cuts down on the amount of water you need to add. This soup recipe was initially created with leftover meat and the green pepper that is cut off when making stuffed peppers. You can use a fork to chop up any leftover peppers and create this soup as well. Mickey Koman
Wooden Nickel Buffalo Farm, Edinboro PA |
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Bison Stew
Ingredients:
2 lb. cubed Bison Stew Meat
3 medium potatoes, peeled
6 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 8 oz. can peeled tomatoes
2 6 oz. cans tomato sauce
2 Tbs. cooking oil
2 onions, chopped
½ tsp. pepper
2 tsp. salt
½ C. water
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Directions:
Brown meat in small amount of oil in large kettle or Dutch oven, then add onions and cook until golden. Add tomato sauce, carrots, peeled tomatoes, seasonings and cover. Cook 1 hour over very low heat. Add potatoes and ½ cup water, if needed. Cover and cook ½ hour over very low heat.
For variation: transfer mixture to a baking dish and top with rich biscuits. Place in hot oven at 425-degrees F until biscuits are toasty brown.
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Appetizer Bison Meatballs
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground Bison (Buffalo) Meat
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 Tbls. grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbls. ketchup
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. salt (optional)
1/2 tsp. pepper |
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Directions:
In a bowl, combine above ingredients. Shape into 1-in. meatballs. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Remove the meatballs and rack.
Sauce:
2 Cups ketchup
2 Tbls. cornstarch
12 oz. apply jelly
12 oz. currant jelly
Combine ketchup and cornstarch in the roasting pan. Stir in jellies. Add the meatballs. Cover and bake 20-30 minutes. Yield: about 8 dozen. |
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Bison Pasta Pie
Ingredients:
1 pound ground Bison (Buffalo) Meat
1 chopped onion
1 14 1/2 oz. stewed tomatoes (undrained)
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 15 oz. can of corn (drained)
1 15 oz. can of black beans or kidney beans
8 oz. (1 cup) sliced black olives
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 lb. drained cooked spaghetti noodles
12 oz. pkg. shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey jack, hot pepper, whatever is your family’s favorite) |
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Directions:
Brown Bison meat and onion in a large skillet* over medium heat. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, thyme, basil, cumin, and pepper. Simmer 15-20 minutes uncovered until it thickens slightly. Add drained corn, beans, olives, and green pepper. Simmer another 5 minutes. Lightly grease 2 10″ pie plates and arrange 1/2 of spaghetti noodles in the bottom of each plate as a crust. Divide meat sauce into the 2 plates of “crust” and sprinkle 1/2 of the cheese over each. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Cut and serve. Makes 2 10″ pies.*Make sure you use a large enough skillet for the sauce so you don’t decorate your stove with it when mixing. |
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Buffaloaf (Bison Meatloaf)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground Bison(Buffalo) Meat
1 egg lightly beaten
1 cup milk
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 medium chopped onion
1 Tbls. chopped green pepper
1 Tbls. ketchup
1 tsp. salt (optional)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. prepared horseradish
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. dillweed |
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Directions:
In a bowl, combine above ingredients.
Press into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Drizzle top of loaf with 1/4 cup ketchup mixed with 2-3 Tbls of water to thin. Bake an additional 15 minutes more or until no pink remains in meat. Feeds 4-6 hungry people. |
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Porcupine Bison
Ingredients:
1 pound ground bison (buffalo) meat
1/2 cup uncooked instant rice
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 envelope dry onion or vegetable soup mix
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper (Jalepeño if you like it hot)
1 14 1/2 oz. can stewed tomatoes
12 oz. can or bottle of light beer
2 tsp. chili powder
3 Tbsp. flour |
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Directions:
Mix together the meat, rice, eggs, dry soup, and pepper. Shape into 8 large balls. In a large skillet, combine tomatoes, beer, and chili powder. Heat to boiling over medium heat. Carefully drop meatballs into hot tomato mixture; cover and simmer or bake for 45-55 minutes. Lift out meatballs and thicken sauce with 3 Tbsp. flour mixed with some cold water. Delicious served with corn bread or muffins. Serves 5-6 |
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Bison Kebobs
Ingredients:
1 lb. bison round roast (or kebob meat) cut into 1 inch pieces
Marinade:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons basil
2 teaspoons bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon black pepper |
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Directions: Combine marinade ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Pour into a glass container and add 1 lb. bison round roast cut into 1 inch pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator 4-8 hours. When done, thread meat onto skewers along with onion, green pepper, mushrooms, potatoes, etc. cut into small 1-2 inch pieces. (Hard vegetable such as potatoes and carrots should be par boiled before adding onto skewers.) Cook filled skewers until meat is medium rare over low grill heat. Baste occasionally with left over marinade during the cooking process. Serve over rice. Serves 4-5. |
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Bison Lasagna
Ingredients:
1lb. Ground Buffalo Meat
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb. lasagna noodles
16 oz. non-fat cottage cheese, drained
1 egg
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
8-12 oz. low fat shredded Mozzarella cheese |
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Directions:
Brown Ground Buffalo over medium heat in a covered skillet. Drain off liquid and Add tomato sauce, paste, and spices. Simmer covered for 20-30 minutes.While sauce is cooking, prepare noodles according to package directions. Rinse in cold water. Combine cottage cheese, egg, and parmesan cheese in a blender until smooth. Spray a 9 X 12 baking pan with non-stick spray. Place a layer of noodles in the bottom of the pan. Spoon 1/4 of the meat mixture over the noodles. Spread 1/4 of the blended cottage cheese mixture over the sauce then sprinkle with 1/4 of the Mozzarella cheese. Repeat for 4 layers. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. (Remove foil and broil for 5 minutes if you desire a browned top layer.) Serves 6-8. |
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Buffalo Barley Stew
Ingredients:
1 lb. cubed Bison (Buffalo) Stew Meat
2 Tablespoons flour
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 small onion chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
3 potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes
3 carrots cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup barley
optional add ins:
1 turnip cut into 1 inch cubes
1 green pepper cut into pieces
1 zucchini cut into 1 inch cubes |
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Directions: Over medium high heat, sauté garlic and onion in olive oil until onion is clear. Sprinkle flour over bison meat and toss to coat. Add floured meat to onion and garlic and brown over medium heat. Transfer browned meat, onions, and garlic into a 6 quart pot. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2 1/2 hours until meat is tender. Serve with homemade biscuits or corn bread. Serves 5-7 Approximately 40 mg. cholesterol, 2 grams fat, and 180 calories per serving |
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Bison Stuffing
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground Bison (Buffalo)
1 medium chopped onion
1 medium chopped apple
2 stalks chopped celery
8 cups cubed bread
3 Tbls. fresh chopped sage
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cups low sodium broth (chicken or beef) |
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Directions: Brown Bison meat in a skillet over medium heat and place in a large bowl. Save drippings and saute onion and celery until onion is clear. Add remaining ingredients and toss well. Coat a 3-qt. baking dish with non-stick spray and transfer mixture into dish. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more until dressing is lightly browned. Yield: 16 3/4 cup servings. Can be used as stuffing to zip up that tired old Thanksgiving bird! |
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