By Matt Brenner
Photo: simplyrecipes.com
Cooking buffalo meat is not an easy task, as buffalo tends to be gamier and leaner than its common yet not so distant cousin the cow, or beef. Lean meat means more maintenance but the flavorsome reward is well worth the extra effort. In fact, in addition to being a delicious alternative to beef, buffalo meat is a more healthy food alternative, and is actually recommended by the American Heart Association.
If red meat is not often a choice in your household because of health factors, buffalo is a more practical option compared to beef, containing half the cholesterol and 80% less fat. It also has less fat than chicken or pork, as well as being an excellent source of protein, iron, and essential amino acids. There is about 10 grams of protein and less than 3% total fat in a small buffalo steak.
Preparation Time:
· 15 minutes
Cooking Time:
· Approximately 20 minutes
Ingredients:
· 2 lbs of ground lean Buffalo meat
· 2 teaspoons of Salt (sea salt preferably)
· 2 teaspoons of Pepper
· ½ teaspoon of Cayenne
· Four double-sided Cibatta Rolls (my favorite) or large burger buns.
*tip: remove the meat from the refrigerator 30 to 45 minutes before grilling
Preparation:
Each patty will be ½ pound. Form your patties into roughly 4-inch round diameters, or about 1.5 inches thick. Create a dip or depression of about a half-inch deep with your thumb in the middle of the burgers, as this will help keep your burgers moist during the cooking process.
Make sure your coals or wood are ready for cooking. Usually, I use coals or gas, though my preference would be wood or a campfire for the best results..
Place each burger on top of your choice of cooking device approximately 5 to 6 inches above the flame.
Once you have placed your burgers on the grill, sprinkle some salt, pepper and cayenne on top of each patty. The tried-and-true rule for sprinkling spices is less salt than pepper, and even less cayenne than salt.
Cook each side for roughly 7 minutes, repeating the sprinkling process on the other side.
When flipping your burger you may notice it starting to look somewhat too "well down". Do not panic, as the leanness of the meat will cook the outside quicker than you might be accustomed to. This, in turn, allows the inside to cook slower while helping the meat retain the natural moistures that swirl from within.
After approximately 7 minutes of cooking on the second side, place your cheese on top of the buffalo patty. Once the cheese has begun to melt, just enough that you begin to worry about cheese spillage, remove your burger from the grill. Allow your burger to sit for approximately 5 to 7 minutes before eating. During this time, you can prepare your bun, perhaps toasting it to a light golden-brown color or whatever your preference. After the burger has reached the desired temperature, remove the burger from the flame.
Photo: simplyrecipes.com
Cooking buffalo meat is not an easy task, as buffalo tends to be gamier and leaner than its common yet not so distant cousin the cow, or beef. Lean meat means more maintenance but the flavorsome reward is well worth the extra effort. In fact, in addition to being a delicious alternative to beef, buffalo meat is a more healthy food alternative, and is actually recommended by the American Heart Association.
If red meat is not often a choice in your household because of health factors, buffalo is a more practical option compared to beef, containing half the cholesterol and 80% less fat. It also has less fat than chicken or pork, as well as being an excellent source of protein, iron, and essential amino acids. There is about 10 grams of protein and less than 3% total fat in a small buffalo steak.
Preparation Time:
· 15 minutes
Cooking Time:
· Approximately 20 minutes
Ingredients:
· 2 lbs of ground lean Buffalo meat
· 2 teaspoons of Salt (sea salt preferably)
· 2 teaspoons of Pepper
· ½ teaspoon of Cayenne
· Four double-sided Cibatta Rolls (my favorite) or large burger buns.
*tip: remove the meat from the refrigerator 30 to 45 minutes before grilling
Preparation:
Each patty will be ½ pound. Form your patties into roughly 4-inch round diameters, or about 1.5 inches thick. Create a dip or depression of about a half-inch deep with your thumb in the middle of the burgers, as this will help keep your burgers moist during the cooking process.
Make sure your coals or wood are ready for cooking. Usually, I use coals or gas, though my preference would be wood or a campfire for the best results..
Place each burger on top of your choice of cooking device approximately 5 to 6 inches above the flame.
Once you have placed your burgers on the grill, sprinkle some salt, pepper and cayenne on top of each patty. The tried-and-true rule for sprinkling spices is less salt than pepper, and even less cayenne than salt.
Cook each side for roughly 7 minutes, repeating the sprinkling process on the other side.
When flipping your burger you may notice it starting to look somewhat too "well down". Do not panic, as the leanness of the meat will cook the outside quicker than you might be accustomed to. This, in turn, allows the inside to cook slower while helping the meat retain the natural moistures that swirl from within.
After approximately 7 minutes of cooking on the second side, place your cheese on top of the buffalo patty. Once the cheese has begun to melt, just enough that you begin to worry about cheese spillage, remove your burger from the grill. Allow your burger to sit for approximately 5 to 7 minutes before eating. During this time, you can prepare your bun, perhaps toasting it to a light golden-brown color or whatever your preference. After the burger has reached the desired temperature, remove the burger from the flame.
This bison burger (pictured here) can also be used in conjunction with the tasty honey BBQ recipe here, making it a Honey BBQ Bison Burger.
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