Where to try all-American bison meat
The scene: Memorial Day is the second biggest day of the year for outdoor grilling and backyard barbecue (tied with Labor Day), according to a recent poll by the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association. But this coming weekend, there is a better chance than ever before that the meat going onto the grill is going to be bison, which is suddenly enjoying its moment in the sun.
Earlier this month, President Obama signed the National Bison Legacy Act into law, naming the bison the nation’s first ever official mammal. But the movement onto our dinner plates has been growing for years. Great American Bites recently visited Ted’s Montana Grill, a bison-centric upscale restaurant chain launched by billionaire CNN founder Ted Turner, who also happens to be the world’s largest bison rancher, with more than 50,000 head. Turner’s restaurant group has grown 50-fold since it debuted in 2002, and the popularity of the healthier red meat has been spreading.
Ted’s Montana Grill: Bringing bison meat to the masses
Many consumers and restaurant menus refer to it as buffalo, especially for burgers, but technically scientists use this for the African and water varieties, and ours is just bison. But whatever you call it, it is the closest tasting meat to beef, though leaner and generally considered sweeter, and it is significantly lower in fat. It is also raised naturally, which has helped grow its popularity. “Demand for wholesome protein alternatives is at an all-time high, and the bison industry has done a great job of producing a consistent high quality meat product,” said John Flocchini of Wyoming’s Durham Ranch, which supplies bison to restaurants and retailers nationwide (and will shortly sell direct to consumers through Amazon.com). According to location-based search engine Foursquare, more than 10,000 restaurants in the United States now have bison on their menus.
The food: The Salt Lick in Driftwood, Texas, an Austin suburb, is one of the all-time favorite Great American Bites barbecue joints, and perennially ranked among the world’s best. It has long been known for serving beef ribs in addition to the much more common pork spareribs and baby backs, and celebrity chef Bobby Flay famously picked these oversized bones for the show The Best Thing I Ever Ate. The Salt Lick recently upped the ante by adding bison ribs to its menu, and demand has shocked second-generation owner Scott Roberts.
““They are leaner than beef ribs and I thought they might turn out tough and dry, but they ended up being tender and juicy. Customers think so too because after being on the menu for just two weeks we were serving 30 orders per day and 60-plus on weekends. … Due to the response, we have made them a permanent (menu item).” Inspired by this success, the Salt Lick is adding “Beef vs Bison Thursday” with beef ribs, ribeyes and burgers alongside bison ribs, ribeyes and burgers. I tried the new bison ribs and while they are just as big and primal as the delicious beef ribs, they are definitely less fatty and ounce for ounce richer tasting. I now routinely eat bison steaks and burgers at home in lieu of beef, and the taste is cleaner, with less fat left on your tongue.
Great American Bites has visited a number of places offering bison burgers, which until now has been the most popular way to enjoy this other red meat. At the No Name Saloon in Park City, Utah, a quintessential après ski bar, they serve no other kind of burger, and the menu includes a list of printed rules — No. 1 is “Don’t be a wimp, try the buffalo. You may never eat beef again.” A few blocks away at the High West Distillery & Saloon, which claims to be the world’s only ski-in/ski-out distillery, the most popular item is the house signature burger, a blend of beef and local bison, covered with both aged gruyere and bleu cheeses, along with a heap of caramelized onions on an artisanal bun (served with parmesan-dusted fries). In Breckenridge, Colo., a ski town that is home to the state’s largest historic district and nation’s highest chairlift, specialist Empire Burger features large 1/3-pound patties with myriad and delicious combinations of toppings and sauces, and all are available as a choice of beef or bison.
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But bison is moving beyond the humble burger and chili and onto menus in all sorts of ways. At Ted’s Montana Grill, which has locations from mid-town Manhattan to Rhode Island to Florida, there are several bison steaks, braised short ribs and even meatloaf. Bison, which is brought into each restaurant as whole sides and cut on the premises into steaks and pieces for grinding (done two to three times daily) also tops nachos and even salads — and they have burgers and chili. At Denver’s oldest restaurant, the Buckhorn Exchange, they have been serving bison in a big way since Buffalo Bill Cody was a regular. “They came for the buffalo in 1893, and they still come for it today,” said Bill Dutton, partner and general manager. “There aren’t too many places where you can order buffalo prime rib.” They also offer dry-aged bison steak and sausage. At Blue Dragon, the Boston Asian-gastropub fusion eatery of James Beard award-winning celebrity chef Ming Tsai, mini-bison burgers join sweet and sour ribs and Indonesian Shepherd’s Pie on the menu. At the Student Prince, an iconic 80-year old classic German eatery in Springfield, Mass., where regulars included the real-life Dr. Seuss, Theodor Geisel, the entire month of February each year is wild game month — featuring bison. As the meat’s popularity grows, expect to see it on more and more menus coast to coast.
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