Cooking buffalo
By Carrie Floyd
January 8, 2008
Several months ago I read a New York Times article by Marion Burros on buffalo — more accurately called American bison — and was intrigued by this “new” meat on the market. (The word “new,” of course, is laughable, since bison were grazing the American range long before the Spanish introduced the European cow to the New World.)
With my interest sparked, I started doing research, in and out of the kitchen. Here’s a list of things that appeal to me about bison, a few recipes I’ve cooked up, and some buffalo resources.
- Safe food. With buffalo the risk of mad-cow disease is extremely low, and to date I know of no reported cases. I also appreciate the results of sustainable farming: free-range, hormone-free, grass-fed meat.
- Buffalo vs. beef. The nutrition profile of buffalo is impressive: High in protein and iron, low in fat. For those of us who grew up on beef — and like the taste, but not the fat — buffalo is a terrific alternative.
- Buying buffalo. If you can’t find it in your local grocery store, you can always order it online. Local Harvest is a good resource for finding local, sustainable products. The National Bison Association also has an online buyer’s guide. In Portland, I discovered Pine Mountain Ranch at the farmers’ market.
- What to look for. Buffalo meat is a deep ox-blood red. Be sure to ask where and how it was raised; don’t assume that just because it’s buffalo, it spent its entire life roaming the range. Some buffalo are fed or finished with grain, and there are buffalo feedlots, too.
- Cooking tips. Because buffalo is so lean, be careful to not overcook it. Steaks benefit from marinating first, and should be cooked carefully, on the rare side, to avoid dry, tough meat; hamburgers, too.Make fajitas with buffalo instead of beef.
That said, if hamburger is being added to a recipe (spaghetti, taco salad, etc.), cook it as you would beef, until it’s no longer pink. And typically tough cuts of bison can be treated in a similar way to beef: long, slow braising at low temperatures. - Recipe: Buffalo Chili. When you go looking for buffalo recipes, there are lots for chili. Try ours, which gets its smoky flavor from chipotle chiles and Spanish paprika.
- Recipe: Buffalo Fajitas. Marinate the meat overnight to maximize the tenderness and flavor; once cooked wrap the meat in a warm tortilla with sautéed onions and peppers.
- Recipe: Buffalo Brisket in Tomato Sauce With Gremolata. Cook low and slow for a tender roast, then top with a zesty garnish of minced parsley, garlic, and citrus.
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There are 4 comments on this item
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1. by madouglas on Jan 8, 2008 at 12:39 PM PST
Having spent the first 14 years of my life in Boulder, Colorado, I have been a fan of Buffalo since birth. The one problem was the Buffalo I was a fan of was always called Ralffie the Buffalo and was the University of Colorado’s mascot.
He was cute (yet very big), and every kids dream was to go out on the football field with Ralffie to lead the team out on the field. It is this memory, and this one alone, that has always made me shy away from Buffalo as a food. Someday, I might be able to get past that childhood connection...until then, I will have to read about the great things about Buffalo that don’t include have one drag the ‘handlers’ around the field before the football game.
2. by AshleyG on Jan 8, 2008 at 1:43 PM PST
Buffalo burgers are also fabulous. After serving miniature versions of them at my latest party, I learned that few people have qualms about eating buffalo. We only had a few bitty burgers left! And they are easy to make - just like beef burgers.
3. by Alan Rousseau on Jan 8, 2008 at 8:22 PM PST
As the article states grassfed free range Buffalo is the best. Natural on a package does not mean grass fed or free range like most people think. True grass fed Buffalo is 76% less fat than Beef and 68% less fat than skinless chicken. The ultimate diet meat. Buffalo is 35% more protein than Beef and higher in B-12. Eat Buffalo 3-4 times a week and One with high cholestrol can lower their LDL by as much as 40% in 6 months. I have read numerous articles stating 99% of all Buffalo and Beef sold in most stores are grainfed in Feedlots. I think a good example of flavor is like a tomato commercially grown and sold in most stores has a lot less flavor and nutrients than an organic tomato grown in ones yard or from a good small local organic farm. Grass fed buffalo is not the same-compared to most sold commercially grain fed bison. Grass, grass, grass is the natural diet of bison, make it yours. You hav’nt eaten real bison until you eat grass fed bison. Our customers tell us everyday,they have never bought as flavorful bison as true grass fed. Grass fed bison is higher in omega 3 and 6’s which fight off tumors and cancer in research. We supply great grass pastures, the bison God has blessed us with do the rest.
Alan Rousseau, Pine Mountain Ranch
4. by anonymous on Mar 9, 2008 at 3:03 PM PDT
Thanks for the ideas. Just bought some buffalo for the first time. I’ve had it a few times in restaurants, usually as a burger, but never could taste a difference. It sure is more lean, but the ground variety seems to have just as much fat.
If your in Portland, Whole Foods in the pearl has a small variety.
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