What's Your Beef (or Bison)?

One time in college, a class-mate of mine was eating a wrap during our writing class. "Whoooaaa that smells good", I told her. She smiled, tore off a bite for me and said "Don't ask what it is, just taste it!" In hindsight, it was probably not the wisest command to obey - but I did- and it was delicious, delicious meat!

That was the first day I ever tasted bison.

This week The Washington Post had a great article on the return of this meat to local restaurants. The locally-roaming animal has made an appearance on many Baltimore and DC menus. It will also be available at the White House farmers market this spring.

Bison is such a great way for those of us with carnivorous taste buds to get our fill. Why? - Well, I was hoping you'd ask that. According to the USDA, bison meat has 143 calories and 2.42g of fat per seving (100g) compared to select beef which has 201 calories and 8.09g of fat. It's even leaner than skinless chicken, which ranks in with 190 calories and 7.41g of fat per serving. What great news!! A new delicious meal is actually healthier than our familiar staples. With less calories and less fat, it's no wonder the American Heart Association is a fan of choosing bision.

Need more reasons to bite into bison? The meat is also high in iron, selenium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, potassium, niacin and vitamins B6 and B12.

Experiment with the meat in some of your beef recipes, but remember that it has less fat and needs to be treated differently! Bison needs to be cooked low and slowly so that it doesn't dry out. If you're not a fan of the leaner taste, you can even try adding some heart-healthy extra virgin olive oil to the meat.

Burgers, chili, steaks...give bison a chance!