How To Cook

Buffalo meat can be substituted for beef in any recipe. However, it must be cooked differently because it’s a very lean and dense meat.

Low & slow
Cook slow, at a lower temperature, and for less time. Medium rare to medium provides the best taste. Buffalo meat is a redder, denser meat, and small portions are more filling. It is naturally tender and should be cooked slowly at low to medium temperatures. It cooks faster than beef. Recommended cooking doneness range is rare to medium with an internal temperature of 135-155F.
Pan searing
Pan searing roasts before cooking helps to seal in the juices before cooking in an oven or slow cooker. Since buffalo meat is so lean, brushing steaks or burgers with a small amount of olive oil before cooking helps the meat stay moist.
Roasts
For roasts, preheat the oven to 275F. There are numerous methods for cooking roasts, including slow cookers, browning oven bags, covering with foil, or leaving uncovered. A meat thermometer will aide in determining doneness. Steaks can be grilled,
broiled, sautéed, or stir-fried.
Grilling
When cooking burgers, preheat grill to 375-400F. Allow the juices to rise, turn burger and allow juices to rise again before the second turn. Add seasoning, and cheese, if desired. Don’t overcook! Burger should be pink inside. (On my grill, 4 mins each side for a 1/4 lb. burger, then 1 min more before adding cheese. Allow cheese to melt about 1 min – a perfect burger in 10 mins).
Marinade
Marinades can be used on steaks, roasts or less tender cuts such as flank steak, brisket or chuck roasts to both enhance flavor or tenderize the meat. Sandy recommends using a citrus or vinegar-based marinade when tenderizing the meat. Bison is naturally tender and may become tough and chewy when overcooked.