In addition to being National Hot Dog Month, July also is National Bison Month, celebrating the largest land mammal in North America. There are approximately 400,000 bison across North America in public and private herds.
Long a staple in the American Indian diet, the American buffalo is becoming increasingly popular among carnivores concerned about cholesterol.
Each month, the Colorado Department of Agriculture features a different commodity to highlight the variety and quality of products grown in the state.
Buffalo is a source of protein, niacin, vitamins B6 and B12, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc, among other vitamins and minerals.
Look for Colorado buffalo at grocery and specialty stores, farmers markets and restaurants across the state.
For more information, visit coloradoagriculture.com for a complete list of recipes.
Don’t overcook it
Buffalo meat is very lean, and requires a little extra care when cooking. You can substitute buffalo meat for beef in just about any recipe, says rancher Marlene Groves, who raises buffalo near Kiowa. She offers the following tips:
Ground buffalo is lower in fat than most ground beef, and can overcook quickly. For hamburgers, move your grill or broiler rack one level away from the heat, lower the heat, and when you flip ’em don’t squish ’em. Buffalo burgers are done when they are medium and not more than medium well. (Hint: the thicker your burgers, the juicier they will be. Her preference is 1/3-pound burgers – they are thicker and juicier, yet not too big so they are under- or over- cooked.)
Buffalo steaks are also very lean and should be cooked rare to medium. Buffalo steak should still be pink when done. Cook 1-inch steaks 6-8 minutes for rare, 10 to 12 minutes for medium. Cook 1 1/2-inch steaks 10 to 12 minutes for rare, 14 to 18 minutes for medium.
Buffalo roasts are great in the slow cooker all day on the low temperature setting, or cook them in the oven on 200-225 for 6-8 hours. Either way, add some type of liquid – soup, broth, salsa, wine or water – to the pot. Just remember to cook them “low and slow.”
Source: buffalogroves.com
Colorado Buffalo Meatloaf
Recipe from chef Bob Holloway, Colorado Chefs Association. Serve with roasted vegetables and potatoes from your local farmers market featuring “Colorado Proud” products.The easiest way to mix a meatloaf is by hand, but a wooden spoon or spatula works too. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a sauté pan add oil, onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent. Remove from heat to cool for about 5 minutes. Combine vegetables, parsley, egg, ketchup, Worcestershire, oregano, sea salt and pepper. Combine bread crumbs, and onion mixture to buffalo and mix until incorporated. Avoid overmixing or the meat loaf will be tough.
Place loaf mixture into a 10-inch-by-4-inch oval pan, but do not pack in too tight. Place this pan on a cookie sheet with sides to catch juices that spill.
Bake for approximately 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to stand 5-10 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and slice. Serve with sautéed mushroom and onion gravy or more ketchup.
Broiled Buffalo Tenderloin
From The Fort Restaurant. Makes 1 serving.
Ingredients
Per serving:
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Directions
Preheat broiler or grill to high. Combine sea salt, lemon crystals and pepper. Dust each steak with the mixture, coating liberally on both sides, then brush lightly with oil. (The order is important here – no oiling before seasoning.)
Place steaks about 6 inches from a medium-hot fire. Cook 11-18 minutes (depending on thickness), or until meat is medium-rare. Turn every 4 minutes. Because bison is so lean, it tends to be tough when cooked more than medium-rare, so it’s important not to overcook.
Sprinkle with parsley and garnish with a pat of herb-butter.
World’s Best Prime Rib Roast
The Fort Restaurant in Morrison prepares a dozen or more beef and buffalo rib roasts a day. Here’s how it’s done.
Ingredients
Directions
Rub roast with beef base concentrate and then the garlic. Sprinkle rosemary and pepper over all, letting it stick to the beef base. Wipe oil on your hands and gently rub herbs into roast. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place roast on a foil-covered roasting pan. Arrange onion peels around the base of the roast and place in oven.
Roast 8 minutes, so that the onion peels burn and smoke lightly penetrates the meat, then lower heat to 250 degrees.
Roast for 18 minutes per pound or until a meat thermometer reads 125 degrees for rare or 138 degrees for medium rare. The low temperature will keep the roast tender. Don’t cook buffalo any longer, because of its leanness; it will be tough if cooked more than medium-rare.
Remove roast from the oven and allow it to rest 15-20 minutes before carving. The temperature will rise about 10 degrees while resting, bringing the meat to the correct serving temperature.
Buffalo Groves Fajitas
This recipe comes from Marlene Groves of
Buffalo Groves, a ranch in Kiowa. Serves 4.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine salsa, water, lime juice, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, garlic and cilantro. Put fajita meat in marinade for at least 60 minutes and toss it around a few times to cover the meat.
Cut pepper and onion into strips. Spray a large skillet with non-stick spray and heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil to medium high. Add meat, pepper and onion, cook until meat is lightly browned. Do not overcook – the meat should still be pink inside.
Serve with flour tortillas, grated cheese, sliced avocados, lettuce, and sour cream.
