Get to Know: Bison

Today I am featuring a meat that is not a common part of many Americans' diets: bison. Also known as buffalo, this red meat is leaner than 90% ground beef (and a heck of a lot tastier), holds its moisture fairly well and has a slightly softer consistency than ground beef, and is usually raised on grass fields. Pro-environmental propaganda has wooed me to eating less red meat lately, in order to curb my carbon footprint, but I feel the free range, grass fed buffalo isn't as bad for Mother Nature (let's forget the fact that it's shipped from across the country). If I am wrong, please do not correct me because I love this stuff too much.

As I was doing my routine grocery shopping last week, I saw that all the bison on the shelf was discounted for quick-sale at $2 off per pack, making it only about 50c a pound more than the 90% lean, Giant brand ground beef. I bought every pack they had (8lbs in all). It is actually more available than you think. Most middle to upper class grocery stores should carry the Great Range brand of 1 lb. packs from Colorado. I've found it at Kroger, Martins, and Giant in the DMV region.

Anyway- let's get to the good stuff! You can substitute bison in for most of your ground-beef recipes, like burgers. I've got two examples today: chili and meatloaf.



BISON MEATLOAF:
1 lb package of ground bison
1 egg (all-natural or organic preferably)
Parmesan and/or pecorino cheese
Garlic powder
Pepper
Kosher salt
Seasoned breadcrumbs
Ketchup (get the organic or HFCS-free stuff- it tastes a lot better)

Optional:
Fine-diced raw, or sauteed, onions
Mrs. Dash (gotta love her)

Serves about 2-4 people (depending on how hungry you are)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Drop your bison, egg, breadcrumbs, cheese, and seasoning into a bowl. FYI: I don't cut my meatloaf with a whole lot of breadcrumbs. Wash and dry your hands, and then dive right into your meatloaf mixture. I feel that the hand mix technique is the best way to make meatloaf. Make sure you squeeze the chunks of ground bison so that the seasoning gets equally incorporated into the mix.

Transfer the mix into a loaf pan or square baking dish that has been sprayed with some non-stick spray. Light pack and shape the meat so that it will cook evenly. Squeeze a generous amount of ketchup on top of the loaf, and spread it to coat all of the meat.

Pop your loaf into the oven and let it cook for about 45mins-1hr. Check it after 45 minutes by cutting into the middle of the loaf. If it's still pink, then let it continue to cook. When it's done, pull it out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Serve it with some ketchup, potatoes and some veg. That's some kicked-up comfort food! You'll never taint your meatloaf with things like milk, sugar, or worstechhherrhire sauce again.



BISON CHILI:
2 lbs of ground bison
2 Green peppers, diced
Frozen corn
1 Yellow onion, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
Canned tomatoes
2 small cans, tomato paste
1 can the following, drained and rinsed:
-Pinto beans
-Black beans
-Kidney beans
2 cartons of beef stock, low sodium/no salt added

Siracha hot sauce
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Kosher salt
Chili powder
Ground cumin

Serves quite a few bowlfuls, but it probably won't last long.

The veg and beans are obviously up to whatever you like. I think the beans add a lot of heartiness and a lot of healthy fiber that keeps me full. The sweet corn is a nice taste and it's also visually appealing. The key ingredients in my chili are cumin (classic chili flavor and aroma) and siracha. Don't skimp on these.

Get a big pot on medium-high heat. Add some canola or vegetable oil to coat the pot and then add your bison. Season it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, ground chili powder, and cumin. Once the meat has almost cooked through completely (no red/pink), Add your frozen corn, diced onion, celery, and green peppers. After the veg softens a little, I add my canned tomatoes (which I also dice into some smaller pieces) and the stock. I cover the pot and bring it up to a simmer while I open and rinse the beans. Add the beans and then the tomato paste. The tomato paste will thicken your chili as you stir it in and bring keep it at a simmer. It also adds a bold and slightly bitter tomato flavor that adds a lot of body to the chili.

At this point, I begin to season. I usually add enough cumin until there is a distinct "cumin aroma" from my chili. I add a few good shakes of chili and garlic powder. Slowly, squirt the siracha in (this stuff is hot). Give quite a few grinds of black pepper. Lastly, salt to taste. Overall, I try to make 3 layers of "heat" in my chili, each with its own flavor: black pepper, chili, and the siracha.

Let the whole pot simmer for at least 30mins or so until you readjust your seasoning. I serve it with some grated cheddar and jack cheese, a scoop of plain, non-fat Greek yogurt, and a little cilantro. A side of cornbread would also be ideal.

There's a lot of flavor going on in here. Obviously, there's the triad of spice that I mentioned earlier. The cheese and yogurt provide a temporary relief from the heat, until you take another spoonful! That mild-gamey, grass-fed bison flavor comes out once you put a big chunk in your mouth. The sweet corn pops. I also really like the crunch of the diced celery (which retains a lot of its texture still).

You'll love this pretty healthy chili recipe so much that you will go through a pot faster than you think. I think there is something slightly addicting about the slow burn of the spice. The flavors only get better overnight in the fridge too.



Here's a great excuse for chili in the morning: huevos rancheros. Scramble some eggs, heat up some corn tortillas, and smear the chili over the eggs. Ohhh man.

Happy Halloween! - Pumpkin Muffins

Happy Halloween everyone! Here is something I baked up for the holidays. I used fresh pumpkin, some grated carrot, and walnuts. To prepare the pumpkin, I roasted it in the oven at about 375f until the flesh was soft. Then I scraped the flesh into a bowl and mashed it with a fork until I got a mashed potato-like consistency. 25 minutes or so in the oven and the muffins are done. I cut mine in half while they are still hot, smear some whipped butter on each half, and then drizzle a little honey on top. Yum!

An Epicurean Treasure from Harrisonburg

I went back to JMU for homecoming. We lost the game, but the afterparty was certainly a victory. I caught up with some old friends at Jack Brown's Burger and Beer Joint, one of my favorite places in the world.



The special Saturday night was a bacon-wrapped, deep fried hot dog on homemade coleslaw. The bacon and frying methods kept the dog crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside. The bacon adds a little bit of a smoky and sweet flavor. The coleslaw is well-positioned, underneath the showcase of the dish. However, the crunchiness and the bite of the cabbage adds a nice flavor and texture contrast from the hot dog. Everything is sandwiched inside a sweet, Martin's potato roll. This is BY-FAR one of the most pleasurable eating experiences I've ever had. Kick up your tailgate with one of these at the next game!

A Fall Feast!

Long time, no post! Although I've been busy with classes, I have been snapping a few pictures of the meals I have made. I will update those past meals later.

Well, fall is here- whether or not Mother Nature would like to admit it. I've welcomed this season by embracing some of its special ingredients today. All of these dishes below were cooked in one afternoon. I won't go into great deal about the meals, like I usually do, but I'll give some feedback below.



Savory Pumpkin Muffins
-With feta, parm reg, spinach, and walnuts. I'm no baker, but these turned out great.
Recipe modified from: 101 Cookbooks





Bacon, Bean, and Veggie Soup
-Uncured bacon, onion, celery, sweet potatoes, white northern beans and rosemary. It's sweet, savory, and has a hint of hickory smoke. The trick is sauteing the bacon, and then sweating the veggies in the bacon grease and scraping up those little burnt bits of black magic on the bottom of the pot.

This is a spinoff of a classic cold-weather soup my mom used to make. Usually I make it with diced, boiled ham, red potatoes, and sage.


-My ill-vented apartment will probably smell like bacon for days. GOD BLESS IT!

Herbed Spaghetti Squash
-Extra virgin olive oil, chopped parsley, minced garlic, salt n pepa. Spaghetti squash blew my mind when I first saw how it was prepared. You can microwave or bake it. I used a little muscle to slice the squash in half, scoop the seeds out (more on that below), and then placed them cut-side down in an oven at 400 degrees for about 30mins. Afterwards, I just pulled the sheet pan out and let the squash cool, but still continue steaming on the cut side. To serve, just take a fork and grate the inside of the squash. The flesh comes off in strands, like spaghetti.



It's a great side dish for any meal, especially if you want to skip some carbs.


Roasted Pumpkin and Squash Seeds
-Olive oil, kosher salt, garlic powder, black pepper, red chili flake. Don't waste the seeds! When roasted in the oven, they get a crunchy, nutty flavor. Eat the entire seed- they are full of fiber. There are a ton of recipes for flavors, both salty and sweet. Give me a bowl full of these over potato chips any time of the year.



It's amazing to see the colors on this sheet pan change from before and after the roasting process. It's like watching the leaves change colors right before your eyes.