Monday, January 31, 2011

Don't have a cow man

I have to say it, there's no way I'd be going vegitarian any time soon... I love meat.  However you can only eat so much chicken.  Fish, while good for you also has some pitfalls.  And we all know that red meat isn't something we should go crazy on either.
So what about bison?  Its lower in fat than beef, turkey, chicken and fish.  It's also higher in protein than beef.  And it tastes awesome!
Check out these stats, per 3.5 oz (100 grams):
BISON                           Fat 2.42   Calories 143  Cholesterol 82
BEEF *choice*               Fat 10.15 Calories 210 Cholesterol 86
CHICKEN *skinless*      Fat 7.41  Caloires 190  Cholesterol 89
PORK                            Fat 9.66  Calories 212  Cholesterol 86
VENISON                     Fat 3.20  Calories 158  Cholesterol 112
SOCKEYE SALMON     Fat10.97 Calories 216  Cholesterol 87
OSTRICH                     Fat 3.00  Calories 140   Cholesterol 83
VEAL                             Fat 6.94  Calories 176   Cholesterol 106
LAMB                           Fat 9.64  Calories 200  Cholesterol 87
    
Bison can be used in place of beef in most recipes, although because there is less fat it tends to cook quicker.  In fact you can eat less bison than beef and still feel as satiated.  Also because it has 40% more protein you get more edible meat per serving.  And don't worry it doesn't taste "gamey"!

From the info I've been able to gather bison are also a much more 'natural' food; raised on grass, not in a feedlot. And you can forget the antibiotics, growth inducing hormones, steroids and genetically modified feed!
Some other interesting bison info... bison meat is non-allergenic.  And I kept running into this one, bison are the only mammals that don't contract cancer.   

I haven't cooked bison at home myself, yet.  But I am planning on trying.  There are plenty of on-line tips for cooking, the most repeated being do not overcook!  Also recommended is to cook over a low heat for a longer time. 
I have had bison before.  Marrer of fact I indulge in a bison burger whenever hubby & I go to my favourite local burger place for a 'treat day' (with sweet potato fries... mmm)         

9 comments:

Sherry Sikstrom said...

I have tried bison and I quite like it. That said I am a beff farmer, beef farmers daughter ,grandaughter...And our beef is grass fed , no steroids ,implants etc and its damn good.I try to have a variety ,chicken , fish etc, and once in a while I do cook meatless ,(replace the meet with beans,mushrooms and spinach ,gives a very satifying 'meatiness" ) but like you becoming a vegetarioan is not really an option. Apparently ostrich and Emu are a good alternative as well, but not something I have tried

BrownEyed Cowgirl said...

Oohhh-We love buffalo. Chris (my husband) shot a buff a couple of years ago and we enjoyed that for a year.

A lot of times a butcher will carry exotic meats at a much lower price than the grocery store will and sometimes buying in bulk from the butcher will reduce the cost even more.

As Lisa says, cooking it gently is key.

Another meat that is excellent and higher in nutrients than ordinary beef is Wagyu (street name Kobe).

Two of our favorite buffalo recipes are extremely simple;

Mix one pkg dry Ranch dressing powder with 1 lb of buffalo burger and form patties. It can be done with beef burger as well. It gives a nice flavor to the meat without being over-powering.

Buffalo Loin Steaks-I simply rubbed them with a little seasoning and broiled 3-4 minutes on each side. You don't want to overcook buff steaks or they get really dry and tough. Medium (slightly pink inside) at the most. Then we warm up a Raspberry Chipotle sauce (made by Dante's Inferno out of Canada) and dip the meat in it.

That Raspberry Chipotle sauce is also excellent on tilapia filets. Cook the filets in a little olive oil in a skillet, spoon some RC sauce on each filet and cover til the sauce is warm and serve.

I'm sure you Canadians can find the Dante's Inferno easy enough? The only place I have found it in the U.S. is at Sam's Club. However, when we ran out last summer, I ordered it off of the internet. LOL-Now ya know it has to be good stuff if I'm willing to order it off the internet.

Laura said...

I would be a terrible vegetarian. I actually crave beef - I think I have iron troubles or something... I've been meaning to try bison but haven't gotten around to sourcing some.

I've just put in a small order for some grass-fed beef! (Which is surprisingly hard to find around here.) I think 99% of grocery store beef is feedlot raised stuff (yuck!).

We have an elk farm nearby - keep meaning to try that - but is it gamey?


Fernvalley - I wish I could get beef straight from you guys! Kinda far to get it to Ontario though...

BEC - thanks for the cooking tips! I've never heard of Dante's sauces - maybe it is a west coast thing. I will keep an eye out for it - I love anything with chipotle in it.

Mrs. Mom said...

Man alive I *miss* my grass fed home raised beef something fierce. We ran about 30 head, and would send off a steer or two every fall. *sigh*

Bison sounds really good. Have not tried it yet, but will have to!

BECG- thanks for the cooking info!!!!

Anonymous said...

Don't forget about rabbit either! It's higher in protein and lower in fat than chicken while still being a white meat. With the exception of the back strap, I find it to be excellent! A little pricey in the grocery store though. Raising them yourself is fairly inexpensive too.

We love Bison!

Small note about Tilapia. Most Tilapia you buy is farmed and fed gmo feeds. So if you're looking to stay away from franken-foods, this may be hard to do with this fish.

Unknown said...

Hey - big Bison fan right here! I grew up next to a ranch that raised Bison, and your right all the taste not much of the fat.

Bison is also playing a bigger part in RAW dog diets. I keep here more and more about it.

I always make sure to check my sources though....I want my bison coming from a managed ranch NOT from bison culled by Montana as they try to escape deadly Yellowstone winters. Just speaking with my dollar that's all...

AKPonyGirl said...

While all those are excellent choices for protein, my favorite has to be moose, caribou and halibut. YUM!

Jenn said...

I don't even buy beef any more...venison has replaced just about every "red" meat for me. It's lean, completely chemical-free, TASTY and versatile. I do love bison though...good stuff!

Anonymous said...

Salmon may be higher in fat, but it's made up of heart healthy Omega-3s. Ideally, we should eat salmon and other cold water fish 2-3x a week.