Bison Burgers

[BarryBobPosthole]

Last Friday I grilled hamburgers for the family and made up a couple of burgers with ground bison just for the sh$ts and grins. 90% lean and doesn't shrink! Of course once the estrogen units found out there was bison in them thar burgers they immediately left all of them for me and would only eat their Angus cattle burgers. Like that's a big difference.

I think they're great and if the proce wasn't so damned high I'd make them a regular addition to our meals. And other than a little richer, meaty flavor they taste pretty much like regular hamburger. You just have to make sure to grill them like you would any really lean meat.

BKB

[johnboy]

I like bison and would also eat more if it was a little less expensive. There were a few bison ranches in Alberta near where we lived and we used to pick up some of their meat every Sat. at the Farmers Market. Good stuff but as you say, pretty lean and not to be overcooked. Supposed to be a healthy alternative to beef, as well, for those of you with cholesterol issues.

[Chicken Dinner]

I had a neighbor who went out west and popped one. When 800lbs showed up on his front door his Mrs. Called looking for help eating it. By far, it was the best red meat I've ever eaten. (And, my estrogen unit completely lived it...)

[BarryBobPosthole]

I remember there was an elk farm too, John. You ever have any of the farm raised elk from there or did they just sell the horns to horny Asians?

BKB

[jb]

We have a local herd here also, owned my a local grocery chain. Always available in their store. They also donate all the meat for the local college's spring BBQ.
They'll serve about 8000 burgers to to locals. No problem eating Bison around here.

[Thumper]

Had it a few times and had no complaints. We have a large Bison ranch here too and the owners always let our Boy Scout troop use their property (with a large lake) as our campground. I woke up early one morning and needed to take a leak. When I flipped the tent flap open, I was face to face with one'a those fugly suckers. I WAS half asleep at the time, but I was wide awake after that! Talk about an early morning shocker!

Odd about the wimmins shunning it. My mom and step-dad were the same way about venison. Said they didn't like it and refused to eat it. I finally told Lynn to just not mention it when she cooked it for them. I couldn't tell you how much of it they ate after that, when they THOUGHT they were eating beef!

[BarryBobPosthole]

I'll take a bison or steer any day that's been raised in a pasture versus a CAFO fed out one that's been standing hock deep in shit half of his life.

BKB

[Bwana]

Most would agree Posthole but can you tell the difference?

[BarryBobPosthole]

I can pretty much tell grass fed beef from anything else because I was raised on it. It tastes more like meat. Now don't get me wrong, I love a big old juicy cowboy cut ribeye as much as the next guy, but for most of uses I have for beef, and that's about once a week these days, grass fed would actually be a tastier alternative as well as a healthier one. I don't typically buy grass fed beef at the store for the same reason I don't buy bison: it's too dang expensive. But when I was buying a side of beef once or twice a year I bought grass fed from a rancher we leased hunting rights from. He finished them for about four weeks on sweet feed but that was about it. We frankly just don't eat that much beef any more.

BKB

[Trav]

[QUOTE=Thumper;37319]Had it a few times and had no complaints. We have a large Bison ranch here too and the owners always let our Boy Scout troop use their property (with a large lake) as our campground. I woke up early one morning and needed to take a leak. When I flipped the tent flap open, I was face to face with one'a those fugly suckers. I WAS half asleep at the time, but I was wide awake after that! Talk about an early morning shocker!

You think you were scared imagine how that poor buffalo felt when he saw your mugg.

[johnboy]

Yeah Barry, the same crew with the buffs used to sell some elk as well but I never bought any. My Scots blood just wouldn't let me fork over the dough. Looked pretty good though. I'd eat it for sure.

[Sunshine]

I do not buy ground beef anymore.
We've been eating Bison and buffalo for a couple years now.
Makes a nice meatloaf too.
We don't eat a lot of red meat, so I'll pay the price.
Its healthier.
Sometimes you can find it in sale too.
I also buy my eggs from a local lady. Love the green eggs and I buy local range free chickens.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I love fresh eggs. There's a huge difference in flavor and in stuff like pancakes and such. I need to go on a search and find a local farmer I can get eggs from.

BKB

[Thumper]

We've been down this road before. I ain't buyin' into the "farm" eggs taste better than store eggs malarky. I've had tons of both and can't tell one iota of difference. I think it's like my mom and step-dad hating venison ... unless they didn't know they were eating it. I think it's all in yo' haids.

[Buckrub]

Ground meat is fine in many dishes. BURGERS need 20% fat, or I'll do something else with the meat. If that's bad for me, then I'll die.

[Thumper]

I agree Bucky ... the super lean stuff works ok for spaghetti or chili or cheese dip ... but it sho'nuf needs the fat for burgers.

Speaking of hamburger ... the price of that crap is through the roof lately. There's one thing I don't understand though ... Lynn never buys hamburger. Here it's around $4.50/lb. She finds boneless chuck roast on sale for $2.55 - $2.65/lb and has the butcher grind that into hamburger. SOME stores will add a bit of fat if she asks them to ... some won't for some reason. But WTF? WHY can you buy lean chuck roast cheaper than hamburger? Heck, there's even less labor involved. I don't get it.

[BarryBobPosthole]

These bison burgers were just fine. Nice and moist. Maybe you just don't know how to grill them.

BKB

[Bwana]

BBP, I will take your word on it but don't think my palette is as refined as yours so I doubt I could tell the difference. One thing I do know, we have been getting 4H steers fresh from the fair and though I have no idea what they were fed, they are MIGHTY tasty!

[BarryBobPosthole]

They were probably hand fed and lived the life of Riley. The club and FFA steers and hogs go for a high price here as its as much a donation as it is buying an animal. I suppose there's some breeding stock sold but most of it gets butchered around here.

BKB