Bison Burgers

Bison (Buffalo) meat is similar to beef, but it has less fat and more flavor. Bison are handled as little as possible and they spend their lives on grass, as they do in nature. You can find Bison in the specialty meat category in your supermarket or grocery store. At Econo Foods in River Falls, a special freezer is dedicated to Bison meat.

I purchased 16 ounces of ground Bison to make the burgers. When I make hamburgers, I put a lot of extra ingredients into the meat - egg, onions, garlic, BBQ sauce, teriyaki, seasonings, etc. This is my "signature" when I make hamburgers in the summer. They're full of flavor and extremely juicy. However, with Bison, I wanted to be sure that the flavor of the meat came through.

I added an egg, a splash of teriyaki and some garlic and pepper seasoning. The rest of the flavor was 100% pure, wholesome, tasty Bison nutrition.

Since Bison is leaner than beef, I used the egg to hold the meat together. It also needs to be cooked at a lower temperature. Fat acts as an insulator causing most meats to take longer to cook. This lack of fat also accounts for the deep red color of the meat. Since I stayed inside, forgoing the grill, I cooked the burgers on the griddle, but only at 300-degrees.

The burgers were fantastic. Bison burgers have so much flavor and are very good for you. They were both big 1/2 pound patties and very satisfying. I added a fresh slice of tomato (cut with my new slicer--oh yeah), lettuce and Swiss cheese. I swear I thought I was eating a burger from Dotty's Dumpling Dowry in Madison, except this one was much healthier.

Ingredients:
16 ounces ground Bison meat
1 egg
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
garlic and pepper seasoning to taste

Music: Glee Cast - Lean on Me
Weather: 43-degrees (it was actually sunny today)