With the game day being a simple pleasure during these days of isolation and social distancing it’s time to plan a fun menu fit for your favorite football fans. I’ve been recipe testing looking for just the right balance of delicious and easy to make as well as not bound to break the calorie bank. Sliders are always a big hit but how about stepping it up with Bison sliders. Today I’m serving them with whiskey soaked caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms.

Traditionally I am all about the cheese burger. I would never think of ordering a burger without cheese but today I made these Bison sliders sans cheese because I wanted to really taste the flavor of the meat. Wow, I’m glad I did that. The Bison is tender and flavorful all on it’s own. Our add-ons made it even more delicious but this burger could easily stand alone.  That being said, feel free to add cheese to yours if you like.

 

Why Bison over Beef?

Bison are raised on ranches or farms, where they graze for their food, that is, they’re grass-fed. Regulations and industry standards don’t allow the use of hormones or routine antibiotics, which are often given as growth promoters to cattle.

Environmentalists like grass-fed bison because this method of meat production is more sustainable and less polluting than conventional methods. As bison graze, they keep the ecosystem in check by preventing grasses from overgrowing, while their waste nourishes the soil. In my research I found that properly grazed grasslands can, in fact, help stem global climate change because they trap the carbon from greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and redistribute it in soil. So when we enjoy our sliders on game night we are actually helping to save our planet. Oh by the way, did you see what I did there? Game for the Big Game.

Is Bison Better?

Time to geek out with some fun facts. Bison meat is leaner than beef, and like all meat, it’s rich in protein, iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and other nutrients. The National Bison Association promotes it as having only 2.4 grams of fat and 143 calories in 3.5 ounces cooked, compared to 8 grams of fat and 200 calories in a piece of “select” beef. That’s based on the leanest cuts, trimmed of all fat. Grass-fed cuts have more heart-healthy fats than conventional beef.

Because bison meat is so lean, it cooks quickly and becomes tough if you cook it too long or at too high a temperature. Don’t let that scare you though. Just adjust your cooking time and temperature and you will enjoy an delicious burger. My husband does most of the grilling and he has become very good at getting it just right. One of the biggest mistakes we see people make when grilling burgers outside or in is flipping the patty multiple times and smashing them down with the spatula. I’ve never understood why anyone would want to squeeze all the juices out of their food in order to get grill marks. Grill marks happen all on their own if you do it properly. See instructions below. It works every time.

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