Bison is Back

By Rosemary Metz, Arnold Media Services, Inc. 

Bison is back-showcased on the menus of upscale restaurants across the country, the grills of self-pro- claimed barbeque gurus and in best selling cookbooks. As stated by New York Times food writer Marion Burros, "Buffalo is becoming a standard on more menus. Chefs, who used to serve it as a special, a sort of curiosity for the adventurous diner, are finding that people like it enough to order it regularly (New York Times, February 14, 2001 )." 

Burros summed up the sentiments of food writers across the country when she heralded bison as her personal replacement for beef because of its lower calories and saturated fat content than beef and the manner in which buffalo is raised, either completely on grass or on grass with a small amount of grain. In her extensive bison coverage, Burros depicts not only the health benefits of bison, but also the growing popularity of bison on restaurant menus and the growth of the entire bison industry. 

Burros queried prominent New York City chefs to discover their attraction to bison. For some chefs, bison's popularity stems from the myriad of ways they can prepare and feature it, from a medium rare tenderloin, cooked quickly at a high heat, to less tender cuts featured as pot roasts and in stews, cooked slowly in the oven. Other chefs love bison because of its clean and light flavor, unparalleled by beef; and other meats. Burros concluded her article with a nutritional profile and price list for bison, as well as a list of companies who sell bison. Burros' article and a recipe for Grilled Bison with shallot- Thyme Barbecue Sauce were syndicated to newspapers across the country, extolling the qualities of bison to a nationwide audience. 

In Self magazine's Healthy News column (May 2001 ), a feature entitled "Buffalo Burgers Hit the Big Time" announces that "in fine restaurants from New York to San Francisco, diners are ordering burgers and steaks with a trendy twist: These babies are made with bison meat." Self reports that chefs love the taste and the editors love the healthy profile. They then send their readers to www.bisoncentral.com to learn more about bison and to discover where to buy bison. 

Teresa Farney, food editor of the Colorado Springs Gazette (March 21,2001 ), begins her celebratory article about bison with "If you're among the millions who made a New Year's resolution to eat a more healthful diet and lose a few pounds, you're probably among the millions who have become completely bored with the idea by now." Listing skinless chicken breasts, steamed veggies, salads, low fat and no-fat substitution foods, she sympathizes with her readers' lack of choices when attempting to improve their diets. Offering comfort to her readers, she recommends a delicious solution to dietary doldrums, the "healthy red meat, American bison...a heart-smart gourmet delicacy. You get more bang for your nutritional buck with fewer calories," Farney concludes.  

In a Scripps Howard News Service syndicated article, bison is not only touted as a "gourmet delicacy" but also credited as one of the reasons why meatloaf is shaking its bad rap and re-emerging in restaurants as a savory entree. When made with low fat-bison, even meat- loaf can grace the menus in fine dining establishments. 

Bison has also begun to grace the pages of cookbooks, creating increased demand for the still gourmet product. Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., author of Origin Diet (Henry Holt & Company, 2001), pictures bison in her "Back to Basics" food pyramid. Somer encourages people to adopt a more nutritious diet, reflective of our ancestors, lower in fat and calories. She suggests replacing fatty red meat with wild game, such as the bison that were originally hunted on the prairie. 

Internationally renowned chef Alain Ducasse featured bison in a four-page spread in his cookbook "Harvesting Excellence" (Assouline Publishing, 2000). Ducasse suggests to prepare "the exotic indigenous bison by searing a bison tenderloin in a saute pan coated in olive oil for three to four minutes on each side, and serve immediately. Accompany it with a flat cake of zucchini and tomatoes, truffle oil, and parmesan, but no butter." 

Who better to offer advice on bison preparation than the owner and chef of three of the world's most prestigious restaurants in Paris and New York. Mintel international Group, Ltd, a London based marketing consultant that tracks food and beverage trends in 46 countries, predicts that bison, as well as emu and ostrich, will become more prominent in the grocer's meat cases in 2001 (Journal-World, January 7,2001 ). 

Yes, bison is back, 350,000 head strong in North America. But most importantly, they are gracing tables, menus, cookbooks and diet trends, pleasing palettes by the millions.

Source:  Rosemary Metz, Bison World, July / August / September 2001