For almost a year, I have been buying bison meat from Catnip Hollow Bison located in Mount Horeb, WI. Owners, Mark and Sheryl Koeppl, manage Catnip Hollow for bison, wildlife and the restoration of prairies and other native habitats. Our first order was a 30lb variety pack which included ground bison, stew meat, bratwurst, jerky, breakfast sausage, and different steaks. It was all delicious. Bison has a different flavor from beef. Not “gamey” but richer and sweeter. Mark says bison is “like fine wines and honey; this means the flavor can vary according to dominant pasture plants and other variables.” And did you know that bison has about 1/3 the fat compared to beef? Cholesterol is lower and nutrient dense because of the proportion of high protein and low fat relative to its caloric value. For example, a 3 oz portion of beef is about 211 Kcal with 9 grams of fat; a 3 oz portion of bison is about 143 Kcal with just 2.4 grams of fat. Bison is also a good source of iron, zinc, phosphorus, conjugated linoleic acid and essential fatty acids. One of the most important things is that the bison at Catnip Hollow do not receive hormones, antibiotics or other additives at any time.
Are you getting hungry? Then try this delicious bison meat loaf.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs ground bison
1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal
2 beaten eggs
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp dried marjoram
salt and pepper to taste
ketchup (optional)
Directions
Combine all ingredients; mix well. Shape into a loaf in your favorite baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F about 75 minutes. At the 60-minute mark, squirt some ketchup on top of the loaf. This adds some sweetness. Return loaf to oven for remaining 15 minutes. Makes 8 servings.
Recipe modified from Better Homes and Gardens: New CookBook.