Buffalo Burgers

My husband is not an adventurous eater. That's not to say he won't try just about anything I make, but if he is on his own, or out at a restaurant he tends to play it safe. So, when he came home from a business trip and told me about having the "best burger of his life" and it turned out to be a buffalo burger I was more than just a little surprised.  All right, I agree, not a huge stretch, but I know him, and that was pretty out of character. However, it opened the door for me and off I went to search out ground buffalo!

Buffalo is a pretty lean meat. So "low and slow" is what you'll find when reading about how to cook this meat.   Buffalo meat cooks faster than regular ground beef.  Fat typically acts as an insulator but with buffalo that insulation is limited so it will dry out rather quickly if you cook it too fast.

Nutritionally, it's not bad (for a burger anyway). 1/4 pound has about 145 calories, 7 grams of fat, 55 mg cholesterol and 20 g Protein. Compared to ground beef with 175 calories, 10 g fat and 65 mg of cholesterol it's a bit better. Buffalo is also a good source of iron and Vitamin B12.

Buffalo Burgers

1 lb. ground buffalo
1 tsp ancho chili pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 tsp. salt
Garnishes - Applewood smoked cheddar cheese, avocado, lettuce and tomato

What I did:

1. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium heat. 
2. Combine ground buffalo, chili pepper, onion and salt in a bowl and mix gently until just combined.
3. Form into patties and place on the grill.  Reduce heat to low and cook for 5- 8 minutes per side. 
4. Top with cheese and cook for a minute longer to melt the cheese. 
5.  Place on a whole grain bun and garnish as desired. These are so flavorful ketchup or other condiments aren't necessary, but that is entirely up to you!  I garnished mine with avocado (in season right now) and sliced tomato and broccoli slaw on the side. An easy weeknight meal!

The National Bison Association is a great resource for more information and recipes: www.bisoncentral.com and if you are in Pittsburgh there are a couple of good places for buffalo meat: Strip District Meats and some Giant Eagle Market Districts are the two places I've found.

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