Bison meat: nutrition, benefits, and how to cook it

Sure, the wild game isn’t new, but it’s getting a lot of attention these days. Bison meat is a standout, with fans in the Paleo community praising its virtues.

We’ll go the right way to the hunt: There are a lot of things that you love nutritionally (and naturally) about bison meat.

But you don’t give this meat a fair shake if you cook it without doing some homework.

Although you can substitute it for beef in recipes, there are many tricks for cooking it the right way.

Here’s what you need to know about the nutritional profile of bison, how to cook this lean meat, and how it stacks up against beef.

Nutrition and benefits bison meat

Bison meat has a similar nutritional profile to … Lean ground beef. Per 3 ounces Cooked bison meat, you will get:

Calories: 152
Protein: 22 grams
Fat: 7 g
Saturated fat: 3 grams
Carbohydrates: 0 g
Fiber: 0 g

How to cook bison meat

You can buy steaks of ground beef or bison. No matter which format you choose, “Bison needs a lower temperature and longer cooking time,” he says Jim White, RD, ACSM EX-P, owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios in Virginia.

It’s best to keep it of medium scarcity, especially for delicate pieces. White cautions that “overcooking the bison will result in tough flesh and great flavor.”

If you’re working with a bison steak:

1. Let the meat rest at room temperature for no more than an hour before cooking, to get rid of the cold.
2. Marinate the steaks or season them with spices.
3. Roast slowly and on a low heat.
4. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Remove the bison meat from the grill and place it on a tray covered with aluminum foil.
6. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing or serving.

White recommends stirring the meat only once to retain juice and reduce the chance of overcooking.

Ground bison faces the same challenge – you want to cook it so it doesn’t dry out and taste too good. To do this, you must:

1. Bring the meat to room temperature (no more than an hour before cooking).
2. Grease the skillet, as lean meats can stick.
3. Use medium heat to fry the bison.
4. Cook until internal meat temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

You need to cook perfectly ground bison 5 to 10 minutes before serving to preserve its juiciness. Expect the ground bison to soften about two-thirds of the time the ground beef.

Bison meat versus beef

If you are in the habit of buying 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef, switching to bison will lower your calories, fat, and cholesterol.

Since bison can be used in the same ground beef recipes (similar to ground turkey), it’s also an easy alternative that doesn’t make you feel like you’re sacrificing the meal you love – like Bacon cheeseburger.

Bison also offers more SeleniumIt is a mineral essential for healthy immune function and metabolism.

	Earth bison	80/20 minced meat	95/5 minced meat
Calories	152	230	148
Fat	7g	15 grams	6 grams
Saturated fat	3 g	6 grams	2 g
protein	22 grams	22 grams	22 grams
Carbohydrates	0 g	0 g	0 g
the basic	0 g	0 g	0 g
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 is also more difficult to raise compared to beef, which means two things are essential to you, as a consumer.

First, “it’s not generally available in most grocery stores,” he explains Emily TailsMS, RDN, CDN

Second, you will pay more for it.

“The butcher may be able to supply this meat, but the cost may be higher due to the cultivation used for bison meat and the lower quantity of bison farms,” ​​she adds.

You can also find it in gourmet supermarkets or health food stores.

White notes that “a pound of ground bison can be anywhere from $ 12 to $ 18 while ground beef can be anywhere from $ 4 to $ 5 a pound.”

And the low-fat bison content can be a double-edged sword.

Tails notes that lean ground beef (95/5 ground, 96/4 ground, or tenderloin) also offers the same nutritional profile for much less money.

The edge of the bison may also fray on the beef. It was so, White points out, that the bison “has been treated very little by humans,” but that is changing.

Bison is used for grazing, which means that the meat was 100% grass fed. In beef and herbs It contains more antioxidant-like compounds And the Omega-3 fatty acids Who feeds on grains.

White adds: “Bison is also high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids due to its grass-fed diet.” But that is changing now as companies are raising bison on cereal feed.

If you want to try bison meat, be sure to look for 100% grass fed to reap the full nutritional benefits.