Posted on 06/11/2016 12:21:53 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Like the other 4 million or so visitors expected to wander around Yellowstone National Park this summer, we had come to see the bison. And we found them. Hulking, shaggy, majestic, nose-down nibbling on fresh spring grass, their tails swishing. At our safe and respectful distance, my family stood quietly in awe. And then, being the good, nature-loving Americans that we are — we were suddenly starving.
Finding America's newly minted national mammal on menus in and around Yellowstone and its national park neighbor, the Grand Tetons, is an exercise in easy. We knew there'd be a mountain of buffalo burgers to be had, but hadn't predicted all the other tasty (and unfortunately, some not-so-tasty) bison-based dishes we'd find sprinkled on menus throughout the region.
"Visitors see the animals and then they seek it out," says Will Bradof, chef and co-owner of The Local in nearby Jackson, Wyo., whose bison tartare was off-the-hook delicious.
Whether chefs called it bison or buffalo, we were game to try it.
The bison found on menus here are not the same bison found strolling the parks. While current population estimates put Yellowstone's wild herd size at 4,600 (the largest), and the Grand Tetons' at 900, the bison served at restaurants and sold at supermarkets is all farm-raised. And while it's offered in abundance here, it's still considered a specialty item nationwide.
"The last time we looked, consumption of bison was .02 pounds per person per year. That's about one burger a year," says Dave Carter, executive director of the National Bison Association. "To put that in perspective, last year we processed 60,000 animals for the year. The beef industry does that before noon on an average day."
Whether it was buttermilk biscuits smothered in buffalo sausage gravy, petite buffalo sliders, bison carpaccio, bison bratwurst, or hot-off-the grill buffalo ribeyes, it turns out bison is a breakfast, lunch or dinner kind of protein. And it's something visitors clamor for when visiting these parks.
Kevin Humphreys, executive chef of Spur Restaurant and Bar in Teton Village, says he can go through more than 200 pounds of bison a week.
Buffalo sliders are on the menu at Spur Restaurant & Bar in Teton Village, Wyo.i Buffalo sliders are on the menu at Spur Restaurant & Bar in Teton Village, Wyo. Courtesy of Spur Restaurant & Bar "It's regional cuisine here," he says. "When you drive through Yellowstone all day and see the bison, you naturally think of it when you see the menu."
Close your eyes and you might be hard-pressed to tell the difference between beef and bison. Their flavor profiles are similar. Bison are leaner. The mouthfeel isn't as fatty in texture, and depending on the cut, bison can have a deeper, richer flavor. Carter describes it as having a sweeter taste than beef.
For Rick Wallen, the lead wildlife biologist for the bison program at Yellowstone National Park, what makes the bison special is a lot more than just flavor. These animals represent a uniquely American story of resilience. They're a symbol of wilderness during our nation's expansion to the West. As many as 60 million bison once roamed a great portion of the West before they were decimated by hunting. Estimates suggest anywhere from a few hundred thousand to a half-million bison still live on the continent, most of them in captivity.
"Bison have never completely disappeared from the Yellowstone landscape. They've continuously existed here," says Wallen. "Our [restored] population [allows] visitors of the world to experience what people experienced when they encountered bison across the plains hundreds of years ago."
Conservation efforts were key to bolstering bison populations, but the bison themselves are extremely adaptable to a variety of environmental conditions, says Wallen. "That should do them justice as a survival tactic for the next millennium."
That scientific affection hasn't prevented Wallen from being a culinary admirer.
"I'm a fan of bison prime rib and hamburgers," he says. "Hamburgers because they go well with beer, and the prime rib because it's excellent with wine."
Where To Dine On Bison In And Around Yellowstone
The Local: 55 North Cache, Jackson, Wyo. (307) 201-1717
Spur Restaurant & Bar: 3385 Cody Lane, Teton Village, Wyo. (307) 732-6932
Old Faithful Inn: Grand Loop Road, Yellowstone National Park, Wyo. (307) 344-7901
Lake Yellowstone Hotel: Grand Loop Road, Yellowstone National Park, Wyo. (307) 344-7901
Signal Mountain Lodge: Grand Teton National Park, 1 Inner Park Road Moran, Wyo. (307) 543-2831
I think Ted Turner bought a large ranch in WY or MT to raise a large herd of bison. Might have been 10-12 years ago.
I’m gonna be moving to Montana soon.
Gonna be a big dental floss tycoon.
CC
MMmmmm.... Beefalo
There ya go .... my favorite as well. Lean , good. BTTT !
He owns more of this kind of property than anyone. His company brings in hunters, who pay to hunt the big shaggies. From what I have read it’s all fair chase hunting. Though fair chase of Buffalo is by no means the same as fair chase with deer or elk. They kind of just keep on grazing. Not a lot of stealth involved on the hunter’s part.
I have an antique trapdoor Springfield. Always wanted to try to make fill my freezer with buffalo with it.
I’ve never been a fan of wild game. This includes moose, buffalo, and deer. The closest one I came to liking was a “mooseburger” served at a 4th of July celebration on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. I suspect it was plain old hamburger.
Moms dogs live off the offal from the local buffalo farm.
sometimes we growl over some of it
Just you and your pygmy pony
Over by the dental floss bush
Movin’ to Montana soon
Yippy Aye Ohh Tay Yeah....
Now, let’s talk about my visit with Dyna Mo Humm. [snicker]
Where’s that Dynamo coming from?
Let’s move some Zappa for the FR-collective:
Live solo (Gibson, Les Paul)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MewcnFl_6Y
And Dyna Mo Humm (Lyrics NSFW)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n06NaYjZ2bo
The best ‘hamburger’... heck, pretty much the best food of any kind... I ever had was a buffalo burger at a little tourist trap at The Royal Gorge in Colorado.
Several years ago I drove four hundred miles out of my way in hopes of repeating that gastronomic ecstasy, only to discover it was but a pile of rubble. :-(
“I think Ted Turner bought a large ranch in WY or MT to raise a large herd of bison. Might have been 10-12 years ago.”
A bit longer ago than that - I believe it was 25 years ago.
He bought four ranches - two were the Von Trapps(sp?) of the sound of music fame - which were combined into one BIG ranch.
The sun is not quite up but it’s getting lighter and I can see his ranch across the valley right now - it’s near the mouth of the Gallatin Canyon. I’m just north of Bozeman and have a great view of the valley.
BTW - I do not eat bison, it’s too lean. Yuck.
Moose. Yum. Best sausage ever. And bison, depending on what they eat, is primo. Ones that eat a lot of sage are my favorite.
I have had Bison Burgers here in Kansas.
Yummy Yummy Yummy!
Is one of the Bison in the picture named CECIL?
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