Bison Cooking Tips

There is no such thing as tough Bison Meat, only improperly instructed cooks. Although buffalo meat is similar to beef, it needs to be prepared and cooked slightly differently. you will find that you can interchange Bison meat with your favorite beef recipes if you follow a few basic instructions. The key to cooking Bison properly is LOW & SLOW! You may cook to the same doneness as you prefer beef, though we recommend rare to medium. Overcooked bison will bring the same results as any other meat, that is overcooked! Choose any of your favorite recipes and substitute the meat with Bison. You will be serving a meat high in protein and iron, yet low in fat, cholesterol and calories.

A nutritional chart comparing bison meat to other common meats.
Meat     Fat Grams     Calories     Cholesterol
Bison     2.42     143     82
Chicken     7.41     190     89
Beef     9.3     211     86
Pork     10.5     215     92



Tips on Cooking Bison
Thickness     Rare     Medium
1 inch     6-8 minutes     8-10 minutes
1 1/2 inch     8-10 minutes     10-12 minutes
2 inch     10-12 minutes     14-18 minutes

Don't put Bison meat in the Flame! Grill steaks 4-6 inches above medium hot coals (325 degrees). Well done bison steaks are not recommended. Due to the leanness of the meat, bison has a tendency to become dry when overcooked. If grilling a piece of meat that needs a long time to cook, keep the temperature low and use a recipe that includes a marinade, barbeque sauce, or other basting liquid and baste frequently.

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Roasts
The best oven temperature is at 275 F. Preheat your oven. To insure the most desirable results, use a meat thermometer. In general, you can plan on the roast taking the same amount of time or less than beef would at higher tempreture. Bison, with no fat, cooks more quickly, so check on it. Bison cuts suitable for roasts are rib steaks and roasts, tenderloin, and sirloin roasts.

Crock Pot Cooking
Very slow, moist heat works especially well with the less tender cuts of meat such as the chuck. The best way is to use a crock pot or a slow cooker. Let it cook all day. With the moist, slow cook method, you don't have to worry about over cooking. You can cook it until it falls apart. Use the low setting on your crock pot. The foreshank, brisket, and stew meat are also well suited to this cooking method.

Pan Fry, Pan Broil, or Braise
First, turn the heat down! You can use a standard beef recipe but watch the temperature. If you use high heat with bison, use it only for a very, very short time such as searing, then watch the cooking time. Bison cooks much faster than beef.

Broiling
Move your broiler rack farther away from the heat than you would for beef, about two to five inches. Broil as you would beef but shorten the cooking time. Turn the steaks a few minutes sooner. Rib steaks, tenderloin, and T-bone steaks are scrumptious this way.

Grilling
If you have a grill that tells temperature, keep it down! Or let the coals die down some. Don't put lean bison meat in the flame. If you are using a piece of meat that needs a long time to cook, keep the temperature low and use a recipe that includes a marinade, barbecue sauce, or other basting liquid. Lean meat is dry to begin with. You need to baste frequently.

Stir Fry
Stir fry is an excellent method for cooking bison. Cut the meat into small strips or cubes. Be sure to use just a drop of olive oil or a polyunsaturated oil just to coat the pan. Remember, bison cooks quickly, so be sure to have your stir fry vegetables ready to toss in the wok. Heat the oil only enough to sear the meat, tossing it quickly around, then add your other ingredients. Proceed as the recipe follows, but keep the heat down. The short cooking times makes stir fry an even more excellent meal option.

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