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P.J.DUFFIN'S BISON RECIPES |
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CHOOSE GRASS-FED BISON |
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BISON MEAT NUTRITIONAL FACTS |
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BISON HISTORY |
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READING RESOURCES |
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MAKE GRASS-FED YOUR FIRST CHOICE WHEN CHOOSING BISON MEAT |
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When properly raised and processed, 100% grass-fed bison meat has a distinctly natural flavor. It's slightly sweet, just the way nature intended. There is no bland fatty after taste which is often associated with grain-fed bison, a product that actually tastes a lot like most store bought beef. |
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The Omega ConnectionGrass-fed and finished bison has a healthy Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acid ratio of 4:1 or less. For grain-fed bison that ratio can climb to a very unhealthy 20:1, or sometimes even higher. High Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratios have been linked to heart disease, inflammatory diseases, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and behavioral disorders.In hunter-gatherer times, more than 10,000 years ago, grain consumption was perhaps incidental at best. The Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio in those times was closer to 2:1 or 1:1. Our bodies haven't changed all that much in the last 10,000 years. But unfortunately our eating habits as a society, especially in the last 40 years or so, have changed dramatically, and for the worse. High Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratios can be directly linked to excessive consumption of grains and an ever expanding range of derivative products. When compared to grain-fed bison, grass-fed bison is:
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Other Things You Need To Know Before Purchasing Bison |
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Bison meat available for sale is usually harvested from animals that are approximately 2 1/2 to 4 years in age.
It's the best tasting and most tender.
Meat from younger grass-fed bison will be mild tasting with slightly sweet aftertones.
Meat from animals closer to 4 years of age, and older, will have more complex, distinctly richer flavor.
Besides age, meat flavor and/or tenderness can be affected by one or more of the following:
Feeding Practices That Will Yield The Best MeatGrass-fed bison are raised in pastures and are never exposed to management practices which include feedlots or feedlot finishing.The ideal grass-fed bison diet is approximately 93% grass, 5% forbs (alfalfa, clover, wildflowers etc.), and 2% browse (leaves from woody plants). Mineral supplements can be part of their diet, especially over the winter months. But under no circumstances are bison fed any grains (corn, wheat, barley, and/or oats). In addition, best practices protocol does not allow for the use of antibiotics, growth hormones, or chemical parasite control. Health benefits from grass-fed bison are best achieved when bison graze on green leafy grasses, or where available, dormant pasture during the winter. The same health benefits are not realized when their diet consists of hay or silage. That's why it is always best to purchase bison meat coming from an animal that has been harvested coming off pasture, meaning from June to November for most of North America. Intramuscular FatIntra-muscular fat exists in all bison meat. In grain-fed bison streaks of fat, otherwise known as 'marbling', will form in the meat. Young 100% grass-fed bison grown on lush green pastures will also have intra-muscular fat, but it may only be visible at a microscopic level.There are many who mistakenly maintain that minimal or no 'marbling' will mean cooked meat will lack flavor and tenderness. However, in this respect, what's ultimately more important is appropriate pre and post slaughter protocols, and cooking methods specifically developed for grass-fed bison. The Tenderest CutsThe muscles that run along the backside of the bison are the ones that provide the tenderest cuts. In the roast category this includes prime rib, loin, sirloin, and to a lesser extent sirloin tip. The tenderest steaks include rib steak bone-in, rib-eye, loin (New York strip), sirloin, T-bone, and tenderloin. These tender cuts, both roasts and steaks, require minimal preparation. Their flavor is best enjoyed without any marinating; only a modicum of seasoning is sometimes used. For many people, salt and pepper is all it takes. |
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Stress Affects Tenderness & FlavorWhen it comes to meat tenderness, perhaps animal stress is the one area of concern that is rarely explained. An otherwise perfectly good tender steak can be ruined if the animal is experiencing stress. Stress can be caused by such things as improper diet, climate or environment, disease, and/or social factors.But the area of stress we should be most concerned about is pre-slaughter stress. Usually bison have to travel to a slaughter facility to be processed. Ideally this facility should be no further than 3 hours from the farm. Much longer travel duration is best avoided, otherwise the animal will have to be de-stressed and settled over several days, if not weeks, before it can be slaughtered. Loading and trucking the animals(s) to the slaughterhouse must be as stress-free as possible. Quiet, peaceful loading and non-slip trailer floors are a must. Crowding must be avoided. Poor driving practices and/or rough roads can also ruin the quality of the meat. Pre-slaughter procedures at the slaughterhouse must be gentle and quiet. Slaughterhouse employees who yell or use cattle prods will increase animal stress and possible ruin the quality of the meat. Ideally, the bison should be settled with access to fresh water and good hay for an hour or so following the trip to the slaughter facility. That way heart rate and adrenalin levels will return to normal. Altered blood chemistry caused by high levels of adrenalin at the time of slaughter will definitely affect meat quality. Slaughtering should take place within a day of being transported to the facility. Waits of longer than 24 hours are unadvisable. Otherwise, again the bison may have to be de-stressed and settled due to herd separation, different feed, and totally unfamiliar surroundings. |
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Quality Meat Requires Butchering ExpertiseTo ensure quality meat, proper post slaughter cooling and dry aging is absolutely necessary. Immediately after slaughter a bison carcass should be hung and cooled in a 15-16C (60F) environment for 2 to 3 hours, or until its muscles completely stiffen. Following this initial cooling period, gradual cooling to a temperature just above freezing (1-2C, or 35F) in a relatively humid cooler environment with good air circulation is required. This is where the carcass will remain for what is usually 10 to 14 days of dry aging.Rapid cooling a bison carcass to freezing or near freezing temperatures immediately following slaughter is best avoided. Doing so can result in severe muscle contracting, an unreasonable loss of meat juices once the meat is completely thawed, and consequently a tougher less satisfactory product. Unlike commercially raised beef which can be rapidly cooled because its meat is well protected from extreme cold by a heavy layer of insulating fat, bison, especially grass-fed bison, has a much leaner fat cover. Care concerning proper cooling techniques and dry aging for this animal will add flavor, and help tenderize the bison meat while keeping the loss of meat juices minimized. Following dry aging, the bison is cut down into home-use steaks, roasts, and prepared into ground etc. The meat you ultimately purchase will usually be a better product if it is aged and cut by an experienced butcher. These experienced trades people know how to cut an animal down from nose to tail. Unfortunately, for the sake of profit, major corporations have 'dumbed down' the trade. They don't need or want butchers, just cheaply paid line workers who can cut down an animal in a hurry. This sort of dumbing down has been going on in the meat industry since the early '60s. Regrettably it is the kind of service many independent farmers are stuck with. Want to be assured the best quality meat for your dollar? Then buy from a reputable retailer who employs in-house butchers. That way you know a quality animal has been butchered properly. When buying directly from the farm, or farmers' market, it's best to start out with an inexpensive purchase of ground bison to make sure the product meets your expectations. Large or bulk purchases should only be made if consistent quality can be assured. Exercise caution if farm visitation is discouraged (which is very rare), if the farmer has recently changed processors, and in cases where the bison being offered has been imported from another farm for the purposes of quick sale. Sources & Additional InformationEat WildThe Paleo Diet What Range Herbivores Eat - And Why Grass Or Grain? THE BISON BASICS LIBRARY |
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