Posted By Michelle on December 9, 2009

Has anyone else noticed that Bison is showing up on more and more restaurant menus and being found in more and more grocery stores? Well, there’s good reason for it.

If there were a super hero meat, Bison would be wearing the red cape. It’s one of the most nutrient rich meats on the planet. It’s packed with iron and protein (duh) but it also has less cholesterol than chicken. And for extra measure it drips with zinc, phosphorus, niacin, vitamin B6 and B12. Bison also has very high levels of Omega 3 fatty acids and conjugated linolenic acid, ya know, the stuff found in fish and helps in preventing cancer.

It’s true; this American Plain’s beast is a wonder food. Maybe that’s why it has been on man’s food chain for, oh about 10,000 years.

Cooking with bison can be a little tricky for us beef eaters, though. Because all bison is grass fed, it takes much less time to cook (another added bonus). Even though we want to leave it on the grill for 4-5 minutes per side, the reality is that 3-3 ½ minutes will do the job. Bison also takes less time to marinade because it’s super, super lean.

Fortunately, bison has not been submitted to the standard practices used to raise cattle. Unfortunately, this means it costs a little more than beef. But fortunately again, because bison has all those super powers; lower end cuts are just as awesome as the higher cuts like rib eyes and tenderloins.

The taste is also very, very similar to beef only, well, better. It’s slightly sweeter and does not have a game flavor like many grass fed meats can obtain. It can be substituted for every land-walker recipe out there, too.

Have we convinced you to try bison, yet? Cause we’re really trying here. Well, maybe this stuffed pepper recipe made with ground bison will spark your interest. A classic recipe with a super hero twist.

Bison Stuffed Bell Peppers
Serves 4

4 bell peppers, sliced in ½, lengthwise, seeded, and white membranes removed
½ white onion, sauteed and cooled to room temperature
1 cup white or brown rice, cooked per package instructions
¾ lb ground bison
2 cups marinara sauce (your own, or favorite jarred brand)
8 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Blanch the bell peppers by placing them in a large pot of boiling, salted water for 2 minutes. Remove the peppers from the water and immediately place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Mix the rice, sauteed onion, and bison meat in a bowl and season well with salt and pepper.

Remove the bell peppers from the ice water and dry them well. Fill each ½ bell pepper with the bison-rice mix. Place a thin layer of marinara sauce on a baking sheet and place the peppers on top of the marinara (this is only to prevent stickage). Top each pepper ½ with a little marinara and then top with the mozzarella. Top the mozzarella with a little more sauce, and place the peppers in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until the mozzarella is nicely bubbly and browed. Serve with a little more marinara.

Categories: American Cuisine, Beef, Main Course, Pork
Tags: bison, how to cook bison, low cholesterol meat, low fat food, low fat meat, omega 3 fatty acid food, stuffed bell peppers, stuffed vegetables