Cooking with Bison

Cooking Bison Basics

Bison meat look and texture – bison meat is denser with a deep, rich colour. It has much less fat than other similar proteins, meaning you must take special care not to overcook it and be left with a dry steak.

Cook time – Bison steaks and roasts are best enjoyed when cooked to medium doneness (about 145F to 155F). However, ground or sliced meat should be brought up to 165F before consuming. It is not recommended to cook bison meat past medium.

Premium cuts of roast should be cooked to a rare, medium-rare or medium temperature. You’ll want to undercook by 10° and let the roast rest on a plate for about 20 minutes before serving. During this period the roast will increase in temperature by about another 10°, soaking up all the juices in the process. Cook less tender cuts, like pot roasts, till fork tender.

Because bison is very lean you cannot use the same “poke test” to detect doneness as you would for other red meat. For this reason, we highly recommend using a food-grade thermometer when testing your steaks. The following temperatures are a guide for the desired cook on your steak:

Rare: 135ºF
Medium Rare: 145ºF
Medium:155ºF
Medium Well: >160ºF

Remove your steak from the cooking method 5 degrees before the desired temperature and let rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting in. Information courtesy of Bison Ridge Farms

Safe meat handling – store properly, handle with clean hands and equipment, ensure internal temperature reaches a safe temperature for consumption.

Nutritional Value of Bison

Source	Calories kcal	Protein g	Fat g	Iron mg	Cholesterol mg	Sodium mg
Bison	107	19.01	2.84	2.59	58	56
Lean Beef	134	18.45	6.23	1.83	52	64
Chicken	123	17.06	5.33	0.94	81	74
Pork	164	18.48	9.44	0.74	61	53

1 food guide serving = 90g / 90 g

Source: Health Canada, The Canadian Nutrient File

You can search for food profiles here:

https://food-nutrition.canada.ca/cnf-fce/report-rapport.do

Recipes

Cooking with bison is a delicious way to serve you and your family great tasting, nutritious meals year round. Learn how to cook bison or find your new favourite recipe below!