Bison Burgers

image courtesy of simplyrecipes.com

By Brianne Harrison

Fall may start this week, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still get in some quality grilling time before the leaves turn and the frost comes. Yearning for one last burger of the season before you pack the Webber away? Try these: buffalo burgers. I spotted ground buffalo meat at Whole Foods one day and bought some to try it out. I wasn’t disappointed. It tastes like beef, but a little sweeter and less greasy. I was even more excited when I learned about its health benefits: buffalo is lower in fat and cholesterol than beef, and it’s packed with protein, iron, and all the omega amino acids. You can also rest assured that buffalo are also raised humanely: they’re naturally resistant to disease and grow faster than domestic cattle, so they don’t need all the antibiotics and growth hormones that are typically give to beef cattle, and they’re raised on open grassland and graze on natural grass. A meat that’s delicious, healthy, and humanely raised? Sounds like a winner to me!

Buffalo Burgers

Serves 4

1 lb ground bison meat

½ yellow onion, chopped fine

3 cloves garlic, chopped fine

Few dashes Worcestershire sauce

Few dashes hot sauce (optional)

½ green pepper, diced (optional)

4 whole wheat buns

toppings of choice

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix lightly, just to combine. Take about a quarter of the meat mixture, roll it into a ball, and press it into a patty. Repeat until all the meat has been used.

Preheat the grill on medium. Place burgers on the grill and cook 6-7 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the burger, until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees for medium rare or 160 degrees for well done. Let the burgers rest about 5 minutes before placing them on the buns and serving them with the toppings of your choice.

Healthy Roundup: Buffalo meat is rich in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), an omega-6 polunsaturated fatty acid that stabilizes blood pressure, enhances metabolism, and reduces body fat while preserving muscle mass. Buffalo is also 30% higher in protein than beef, has 25% more iron and vitamin B12, and has 70-90% less fat! In addition, researchers from the University of North Dakota have found that grass-fed bison have four times as much selenium in their meat than beef. Selenium is a trace mineral that helps improve one’s overall disposition, contributing to happier moods.

Suggested Accompaniments:

Corn, Zucchini, and Black Bean Saute

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Heirloom Tomato Salad