Bison...It's What's For Dinner

He caught wind I'm going to eat him.

When my husband first brought up trying bison, I was like “eeew.” It seemed peculiar to me...kind of like when Adele laughs out loud…a little bizarre and awkward.

How could I eat one of those burly creatures roaming the hillsides of Catalina Island? I imagined gamey-tasting meat I'd have to chew at least 42 times before I could break it down enough to swallow. Then, he brought up the fact that it was healthy and tasty!

When controlling for fat percentage, bison is slightly better than beef. See the comparison between 90% lean ground bison and beef below.

4 oz of Beef: Calories 261, Fat 13.6g, Cholesterol 101mg, Protein 32g

4 oz of Bison: Calories 190, Fat 11g, Cholesterol 50mg, Protein 23g

The real advantage to bison is the fact that they are not given antibiotics or growth hormones ever. They are also raised on open ranges and fed grass for most of their lives. Usually bison are fed grains right before slaughter to fatten them up. Bison meat that is 100% grass-fed will be labeled as so.

How did my anti-veggie-eating-calorie-shmalorie-pizza-obsessed ginger know about this? This is the man who considers craft beer to be part of the food pyramid, and here he was schooling me about bison. At any rate, I was thankful. I had a new lean protein to incorporate into my diet and he was on board! But as soon as he had giveth, he tried to taketh away. Maybe because I started subbing bison in for everything! Luckily we came up with a bison treaty which entails we include this mouthwatering meat on the menu every other week.

Here are a few ways I've used it...

Bison Burgers

Like any other red blooded American, I love me a good juicy burger, but I don't like the hefty calorie count attached to most restaurant burgers. Often times, I opt to make them at home with ground bison. Just add a whole wheat bun, spinach, tomatoes, and good cheddar for that tasty sharp bite.

Bison Meatballs

I found a great recipe for bison meatballs in the book The Everyday Wok Cookbook by Lorna Yee. The meatballs melt in your mouth and are rich with flavor. Pair them with spaghetti noodles and homemade marinara like the recipe calls for, or tuck them into a french roll for a tasty meatball sandwich. I add provolone and spicy marinara for a bit of a kick. I like using Mezzettas spicy marinara because of the simple, yet tasty ingredients. You'll only find tomatoes, olive oil, onions, basil, and a few spices.

Bison Bolognese Sauce

Another great recipe is the simple bolognese sauce by Giada De Laurentiis from her book Everyday Italian. I just swapped in ground bison for the beef. The herbs and crunchy veggies mingle with the meat and parmesan for a sauce that's worthy of seconds and thirds. Throw it over angel hair pasta or eat it alone with a side of french bread. Mmm...

I've also used bison in tacos, and it's super tasty with shredded mexican cheese, tomatoes, peppers, and crunchy shells. For a less healthy, but obviously more tasty version, you can make homemade taco shells. Fry up a couple of corn tortillas in olive oil for a ground bison taco that is crispy, crunchety goodness!

Bison is available at most markets, but it is pricier than beef because it costs more to raise an all natural animal. I normally pick up Kiva Sun ground bison at Costco because it's more cost effective. A pound will normally run $10 at the market, but at Costco you get a double pack which is 2.5 pounds for about $17.

So next time your family says, "Where's the beef?", just tell them "At the cattle ranch!" Enjoy!