There’s another red meat rivaling beef providing the flavor of beef but without some of the nutritional downfalls.  Buffalo or bison meat is a perfectly acceptable alternative and could be giving beef a run for its money. 

Just for clarification, scientifically, the term “buffalo” is incorrect for the North American species as its proper Latin name is bison.  The term “buffalo” is an acceptable synonym for the American bison.

It’s hard to believe but at one time in our American history, buffalo faced near extinction in the 1890’s when they had been decimated to less than 2,000 in number.  Thankfully, through careful breeding and protection, buffalo have made a stampeding comeback to estimates of 500,000 in range even though that is still a far cry from the approximate 50 million buffalo that once roamed the western ranges of the U.S.

Today, buffalo ranchers are seeing an upsurge of consumer interest in their product.  Many of us love the taste of beef but are wary of the fat content and methods of raising them that may not be as sustainable to the environment.  Buffalo tend to be raised on ranches or farms where they are grass-fed in pastures. Many consumers have concerns with routine antibiotics or hormones given to cattle that regulations and industry standards do not allow with buffalo. 

One similarity between buffalo and cattle is that both begin life being raised on pasture grazing grass.  Their grazing keeps the ecosystem in check by preventing grasses from overgrowing while their waste nourishes the soil.  When grasslands are used properly, this helps reduce global climate change as it traps the carbon from greenhouse gases in the atmosphere redistributing it in the soil. 

Even buffalo though are sometimes finished in a feedlot before slaughter, similar to cattle.  The same health and environmental problems face buffalo as cattle feedlots in that there can be possible contamination of E. coli but thorough cooking of either buffalo or beef will kill off the bacteria.

Health comparisons

However buffalo is raised, grass-fed or grain-finished, bison meat is leaner than beef.  Here are the nutritional comparisons of bison from the National Bison Association based on 100 grams or 3.5 ounces of meat:

·      Fat content – Bison – 2.42 grams.  Beef – 10.15 grams

·      Calories – Bison – 143 calories.   Beef – 219 calories

·      Cholesterol – Bison – 82 milligrams.   Beef – 86 milligrams

·      Iron – Bison – 3.42 milligrams.   Beef – 2.99 milligrams

·      Vitamin B12 – Bison – 2.86 micrograms.    Beef – 2.65 micrograms

These figures are based on the leanest cuts of both bison and beef, trimmed of all fat

Bison meat is also promoted as a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.  Grass-fed beef will also contain some of this same heart healthy fat but for both bison and beef, the omega-3 content is minimal when compared to salmon or other fatty fish.  If either bison or beef is grain-finished, the omega-3 content rapidly diminishes.

Cooking bison

Bison is a very lean meat so it will cook quickly and if cooked too long or at too high of a temperature, it will become tough.  In order to avoid a tough cut of meat, cook bison steaks to no more than medium-done.  Moisture can be locked in by searing bison meat with a little vegetable oil over high heat and then cooked slowly at reduced heat.  Bison chops or steaks can be grilled or broiled but moist, slow cooking is best for cuts that are less tender.  Bison burgers should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit or where there is no pink left inside.  Bison can also be substituted for beef in most recipes being careful not to overcook it.

Interesting side note on buffalo milk

Some people have may be interested in buffalo milk or buffalo cheese but neither food product actually comes from the American bison – they are actually from water buffalo, which is a separate species and not related to bison.  There are two reasons for this. One is the teats on female bison are very small and the second is bison are undomesticated animals and the females would not adapt well to the type of handling necessary in a milking operation. 

For more information on bison meat along with recipes, visit bisoncentral.com.