Bison Meat: Nutrition, Benefits & How to Cook It

Wild recreation actually isn’t new, but it surely’s getting extra consideration lately. Bison meat is the standout, with followers within the Paleo group extolling its virtues.

We’ll minimize proper to the chase: There’s quite a bit to love nutritionally (and culinarily) about bison meat.

However you’re not giving this meat a good shake for those who cook dinner it with out doing a bit homework.

Though you possibly can swap it for beef in recipes, there are a number of methods to cooking it excellent.

Right here’s what you might want to learn about bison meat’s dietary profile, learn how to cook dinner this lean meat, and the way it stacks up towards beef.

Bison Meat Diet and Advantages

Bison meat has an identical dietary profile to lean ground beef. Per 3 ounces cooked floor bison meat, you’ll get:

Energy: 152
Protein: 22 g
Fats: 7 g
Saturated fats: 3 g
Carbs: 0 g
Fiber: 0 g

How you can Prepare dinner Bison Meat

You should purchase floor bison or bison steaks. Regardless of which format you select, “bison wants a decrease temperature and an extended cook dinner time, says Jim White, R.D., ACSM EX-P, proprietor of Jim White Health and Diet Studios in Virginia.

It’s greatest to maintain it medium-rare, particularly for the tender cuts. “Overcooking bison will end in robust meat and gamey taste,” White warns.

In case you’re working with a bison steak:

1. Let the meat relaxation at room temperature for not more than an hour earlier than cooking, to take the coolness off.
2. Marinate your steak or season with spices.
3. Grill it sluggish and at a low temperature.
4. Prepare dinner till it reaches an inside temperature of 145 levels F.
5. Take away the bison meat from the grill and place in a pan coated in foil.
6. Let it relaxation for 5-10 minutes earlier than slicing or serving.

White advises solely turning the meat as soon as to retain extra juices and scale back the possibility of overcooking.

Floor bison has the identical problem — you wish to cook dinner it so it doesn’t dry out and style too gamey. To try this, it’s best to:

1. Convey the meat to room temperature (not more than an hour earlier than cooking).
2. Brush the pan with oil since lean meats can stick.
3. Use medium warmth to sauté the bison.
4. Prepare dinner till the meat’s inside temperature is 160 levels F.

It’s best to ideally end cooking the bottom bison 5-10 minutes earlier than serving to maintain it juicy. Count on floor bison meat to cook dinner in about 2/3 the time of floor beef.

Bison Meat vs. Beef

In case you’re used to purchasing 80/20 or 85/15 floor beef, switching to bison will minimize energy, fats, and ldl cholesterol.

Since bison meat can be utilized in the identical recipes as floor beef (much like floor turkey), it’s additionally a simple substitute that doesn’t make it really feel such as you’re sacrificing the meals you’re keen on — like bacon cheeseburger meatloaf.

Bison additionally presents extra selenium, a mineral that’s important for wholesome metabolic and immune perform.

	Ground Bison	80/20 Ground Beef	95/5 Ground Beef
Energy	152	230	148
Fats	7 g	15 g	6 g
Saturated fats	3 g	6 g	2 g
Protein	22 g	22 g	22 g
Carbs	0 g	0 g	0 g
Fiber	0 g	0 g	0 g
Ldl cholesterol	60 mg	75 mg	75 mg
Iron	3 mg	2 mg	2 mg
Selenium	26 mcg	18 mcg	18 mcg
Vitamin B12	2 mcg	2 mcg	2 mcg
Zinc	5 mg	5 mg	6 mg

Bison meat can be tougher to boost than beef, which implies two major issues for you, the buyer.

First, “it’s not usually accessible at most grocery shops,” explains Emily Tills, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N.

Second, you’ll pay extra for it.

“A butcher might be able to present this meat, however the price could also be increased as a result of farming concerned in bison meat and low quantity of bison farms,” she provides.

You may as well discover it at connoisseur supermarkets or well being meals shops.

White factors out that “a pound of floor bison can vary from $12-$18 whereas floor beef is about $4-$5 per pound.”

And the low-fat content material of bison generally is a double-edged sword.

Tills factors out that lean floor beef (95/5 floor, 96/4 floor, or tenderloin) additionally presents nearly the identical dietary profile for a lot much less cash.

Bison’s edge over beef can also be diminishing. It was once the case, as White factors out, that bison have been “dealt with little or no by people,” however that is altering.

Bison used to graze, that means the meat was 100% grass-fed. In beef, grass-fed has more antioxidant-like compounds and omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed.

“Bison additionally has a excessive ratio of wholesome omega-3 fatty acids as a consequence of its grass-fed food plan,” White provides. However that is altering now that firms are elevating bison on grain feed.

If you wish to strive bison meat, ensure you’re on the lookout for 100% grass-fed to reap the complete dietary rewards.