Bison-Raising bison-cooking bison meat

One of our most enduring American images is that of the great American buffalo, or species Bison bison. These huge, shaggy animals once roamed from Canada to Mexico, grazing the Great Plains and mountain areas of our country. Bison were the center of life for the Plains tribes of Native Americans who found in them nearly all the food, clothing, and shelter they needed. Hunted for their furs in the 1600's and later for their tongues, bones, and meat, it was estimated by 1893 that there were only slightly more than 300 bison left, from numbers estimated at one time to be over 60 million. The following information is about this species which is making a comeback and growing rapidly in numbers.

What is Bison?

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The National Bison Association encourages the name bison to differentiate the American buffalo from the Asian Water buffalo and African Cape buffalo. The American buffalo is not a true buffalo. Its scientific name is bison and it belongs to the bovine family along with domestic cattle. The bison bull is the largest animal indigenous to North America. A bull can stand taller than 6 feet at the hump and weigh more than a ton. They are strong and aggressive, and can jump as well as deer, outmaneuver horses, and break through fences that would imprison other livestock.

"Beefalo" are 3/8 bison and 5/8 domestic cattle. (The natural result of a bison-domestic bovine cross breeding is a sterile offspring. It has taken years of research to develop this breed.) The advantages of this cross are fertility and easy calving. Beefalo gain weight well on inexpensive, high-roughage feed and are very hardy. The meat produced has 18-20% protein compared with 10% in regular beef, and has 5-7% fat compared to 25-30% in beef.

How are Bison Raised?

There are now approximately 150,000 bison in public and private lands in the U.S. Unlike the older, tougher animals the Native Americans ate, today's bison are custom-fed and slaughtered at about 18 months, so the meat is as tender as beef. Some 20,000 buffalo are slaughtered each year (compared to approximately 125,000 cattle per day).

Bison are allowed to roam freely most of their lives. They are raised on the open range and eat hay or grass. They are usually given grain during the last 90 to 120 days before slaughter. (The fat of grass-fed animals is yellow, which is good since it contains beta-carotene; however, most consumers prefer the fat to be white.) Surplus buffalo bulls are selected at about 2 1/2 years of age (buffalo can live to be 40 years old) and spend a very short time in the feedlots.

Can Hormones and Antibiotics be Used in Bison Raising?
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Antibiotics and growth hormones are not given to bison.

Cooking and Food Safety

Fat in meat acts as an insulator and slows down the cooking process. Because bison has a lower fat content, it usually cooks faster and can become overcooked if proper care isn't used. For this reason, proper cooking techniques should be followed according to the cut of meat. A general rule is to cook bison at a lower temperature.
Methods of Cooking Bison

Roasting:
The best temperature is 275°F in a preheated oven. Use a meat thermometer to reach 155°F (medium rare) to 170°F (well done). Even at a lower oven temperature, the roasting time for bison will be close to the time that it would take for a similar size of beef roast.
Crock pot:
Very slow, moist heat is needed for less tender cuts of bison meat such as chuck and stew meats.
Broiling or grilling:
Use more tender cuts of bison for broiling or grilling. Move the broiling or grilling rack about 2 inches farther away from the heat source than you would use for a beef steak. Check frequently to avoid overcooking.
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Cut bison into small strips. Add a few drops of oil to your pan and cook only enough to sear the meat. Quickly add vegetables using a low heat.
Ground bison:
Use the meat as you would in ground beef recipes. Usually there will be very little fat to drain off (depending on the amount of fat that has been added to the ground meat). All ground meats should be cooked thoroughly to an internal temperature of 160°F. Ground bison normally will cook faster than ground beef so care is needed to avoid drying out the meat.

As with any meat, use proper sanitation techniques when handling and storing. Work with clean hands. Avoid cross contamination with other foods by cleaning work surfaces with hot soapy water and rinsing the surfaces well. Keep hot foods hot (140°F or above) and cold foods cold (40°F or below). Don't let meat sit at room temperature for longer than two hours.
Taste

Research at the University of Nebraska compared the flavor, juiciness and tenderness of bison and beef loin meat from animals who were fed the same diets and were of similar ages of maturity. Taste panelists perceived bison meat to be juicier and more tender but with a more intense gamey flavor than beef.
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