Where do I find ground buffalo meat?

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vanwingen

Cook
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Aug 20, 2005
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Saw this on Food Network today. I'd like to try this, however I don't know the first place to look for ground buffalo meat.
Does anyone have a clue where I should look?
I'm in Michigan, USA.

BUFFALO BURGERS

1 1/2 pounds ground buffalo
1/2 pound ground chuck
1 medium onion, finely chopped, about 1 cup
3 tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 hamburger buns, for serving



Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high.

Put the buffalo, chuck, onion, tomato paste, and liquid smoke in a large bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Mix everything together with your hands until it is well combined. Take about 1 cup (8 ounces) of the meat mixture and form it into patties with your hands or in a hamburger press. When you have them all made, grill them, turning frequently, until cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes total. (Alternately, cook them in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.) Serve on hamburger rolls with the toppings of your choice.

 
Buffalo meat is kind of a specialty thing. We have a grocery store out here that carries it a few times a year, and I'm always sure to stock up. Your best bet to find it is to find an honest-to-god butcher shop in your area, or find the local "boutique" grocery store (ya know, the one where everything is more expensive, they sell a lot of organic and off-the-wall stuff, etc.)

Though I will let ya in on one thing: I tried that recipe (came from Ham on the Street--I always try one recipe from each cook on TV to see whether or not their vision of food and mine are similar)...I wasn't impressed with it. Ended up paying 8 dollars for that sun dried tomato paste and didn't really feel it added anything to the dish, given how distinct the flavor of the buffalo is.
 
Check you local supermarkets and butcher shops. You have to ask for it!!! Most stores are willing to order stuff for you if you ask. I have to ask my market to order duck breasts all the time because they don't have it in stock regularly.

Of course, you can order it online at any number of places.

Not to be a discouraging voice, but I have had buffalo burgers and they don't taste all that different. If you ate one not knowing what it was you'd just assume it was beef.
 
some people might find that meat a little bit sweeter than regular ground beef.
 
Honestly, I prefer Buffalo. It's leaner, but has more flavor. It's also healthier and (to me) has a better texture
 
Our local A&P Supermarket carries it regularly- I have also seen it in Superfresh in Maryland (which is the same franchise).I think local supermarkets can get pretty much anything you ask for.I have also seen ground buffalo at Whole Foods stores and Stew Leonard's.
 
Have never seen it on sale, but have had it a number of times in restaurants.

It is lean and tasty.

But the stuff I have had, and agree with Andy M here, we didn't consider it all that different from beef, particularly home ground beef which is lean, and which we usually make.

But try it and enjoy.

Don't know if I would add the ground chuck however, particularly on the first attempt.

Maybe others have a different opinion.

Would suggest when you get some, take a tad and fry it up plain, and see how you like it. Then decide.

Take care.
 
Heck, you can come up here to Elk Island Park and bag one of your own!
 
Whole Foods carries it, as does Trader Joe's, I believe. Most of the 'upscale' groceries are carrying it, also.

As for FoodTV recipes - I think they should all come with a 'watcher, beware' label, unless the chef/celeb has a proven talent with recipes - and even then there have been disasters when home cooks try to reproduce recipes.
 
Wal-Mart carries 16-oz packages of ground 90/10 Bison (American Buffalo) for about $4.50 in my area. I have been told by my meat guy there that they plan to start carrying other cuts like steaks, roasts, etc. too. As others have said - if you don't see it, ask the guys in the meat department.

As for the Buffalo Burger recipe .... I would never do that to good ground bison! I think bison has a sweeter, less gamy, more delicate flavor than beef and by adding all of that "stuff" (ground chuck, tomato paste, liquid smoke, etc.) you'll never taste the bison! Just make your patties out of straight bison (8-oz is a nice size), grill, and serve on a fresh lightly toasted bun with lettuce, tomato and a thin slice of onion. My favorite place in Denver didn't use anything else - they just pulled the meat off the grill and put it on the bun and put the top on for about a minute (to allow the meat juices to moisten the bun) - then added the lettuce, tomato and onion. No steak sauces, mayo, mustard, or slices of pickles - these were served on the side and few people (except for tourists) ever used them.

My son just brought me a pound of ground bison and that's the way I'm going to cook it. I find that the KISS principle really works some times.
 
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