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Bison Burgers?

h2oman36
h2oman36 Posts: 13
in EggHead Forum
Have picked up some ground bison this week. Going to make some burgers out of it. Anyone have an experience or tips?
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Comments

  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,137
    Typically very lean so careful not to overcook.
    You can add other fatty meat into the ground bison but if this is a first you should try as is first.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    I've cooked bison many times.

    As @Photo Egg says, it is very lean. The 1st recommendations I read for burgers was to fry them in butter, thus adding fat, and also, do not overcook.

    I have since learned that if one is making burgers from really lean meat, it is good to mix the ground meat w. gelatin. I use a packet of gelatin per pound of meat, and after mixing, let the burger makings sit in the fridge for an hour.

    The end result is succulent moist, and the gel on the surface crisps some.

    If you want to bother, puree some onion, and use the juice to hydrate the gel.

    Note, even farm raised bison walk around a lot, grazing. Tho' the meat is almost always sweet, it can be rather chewy, and dense. Another reason to put in some gel.
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  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 15,936
    Do not overwork it and you can mix finely minced onion into the meat, or even finely minced caramelized onions.
    THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    I had a bison burger once, at a restaurant (Ruby Tuesday I think). Wasn't bad, but as I recall, fairly bland. Never tried cooking my own.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 34,589
    as legume mentioned, dont over work it, turns it into a brick.  i usually eat these straight up, just some salt and some rooster sauce, no bunn
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,109
    gdenby said:
    I've cooked bison many times.

    As @Photo Egg says, it is very lean. The 1st recommendations I read for burgers was to fry them in butter, thus adding fat, and also, do not overcook.

    I have since learned that if one is making burgers from really lean meat, it is good to mix the ground meat w. gelatin. I use a packet of gelatin per pound of meat, and after mixing, let the burger makings sit in the fridge for an hour.

    The end result is succulent moist, and the gel on the surface crisps some.

    If you want to bother, puree some onion, and use the juice to hydrate the gel.

    Note, even farm raised bison walk around a lot, grazing. Tho' the meat is almost always sweet, it can be rather chewy, and dense. Another reason to put in some gel.
    interesting, I can see the benefit 
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,109
    fishlessman said:
    as legume mentioned, dont over work it, turns it into a brick.  i usually eat these straight up, just some salt and some rooster sauce, no bunn
    Don't salt the meat except on the outside before you cook otherwise it will really be a brick.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 34,589
    nolaegghead said:
    fishlessman said:
    as legume mentioned, dont over work it, turns it into a brick.  i usually eat these straight up, just some salt and some rooster sauce, no bunn
    Don't salt the meat except on the outside before you cook otherwise it will really be a brick.
    i flip once and salt when i see the juices start to rise/ puddle on top, rooster off to the side.  what i dont like about the available ground bison here is its all over-ground.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,656
    gdenby said:
    ... if one is making burgers from really lean meat, it is good to mix the ground meat w. gelatin. I use a packet of gelatin per pound of meat, and after mixing, let the burger makings sit in the fridge for an hour....
    I haven't been grilling for some time, now, but I hope to start again in a month or so.  I wrote down your very interesting idea some time ago, but at that time you said, "Make the gelatin as thick as possible, and mix it w. the ground meat."  This time you didn't mention adding the gelatin to water, as if maybe you now just sprinkle it onto the meat and mix it in.

    Do you dissolve the gelatin first, or just mix it in?  And if you dissolve it first, can you guess about how much water?

    Your idea seems ingenious to me, and I want to try it sometime.

    Thanks!
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  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 15,936
    Curious also.  I suppose if you do hydrate it first you could easily flavor it.
    THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,109
    In theory, the gelatin, dried or mixed with water, will help capture aqueous juices that would otherwise run out and emulate the mouth feel of fat without the caloric penalty.

    In theory.  I really want to try it.  But my burgers are pretty damn good already, but I still want to try it.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,109
    NOLA trick/tip #DUUH101.000001:  Add umami (/o͞oˈmämē/) to burger.  MSG does not add much sodium but lots of umami.  Great choice.

    To all the MSG haters out there, let it be known you fall into the anti-vaxxer category in my universe.

    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 15,936
    nolaegghead said:
    NOLA trick/tip #DUUH101.000001:  Add umami (/o͞oˈmämē/) to burger.  MSG does not add much sodium but lots of umami.  Great choice.

    To all the MSG haters out there, let it be known you fall into the anti-vaxxer category in my universe.

    MSG is fine, but the Scorpions were better.

    Uncured bacon is where it’s at.  That cured stuff causes the aids.
    THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER
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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Theophan said:
    gdenby said:
    ... if one is making burgers from really lean meat, it is good to mix the ground meat w. gelatin. I use a packet of gelatin per pound of meat, and after mixing, let the burger makings sit in the fridge for an hour....
    I haven't been grilling for some time, now, but I hope to start again in a month or so.  I wrote down your very interesting idea some time ago, but at that time you said, "Make the gelatin as thick as possible, and mix it w. the ground meat."  This time you didn't mention adding the gelatin to water, as if maybe you now just sprinkle it onto the meat and mix it in.

    Do you dissolve the gelatin first, or just mix it in?  And if you dissolve it first, can you guess about how much water?

    Your idea seems ingenious to me, and I want to try it sometime.

    Thanks!
    To clarify, do mix the gelatin w. water, or something w. water in it, like onion juice.

    This method is to add in the gel mouth feeling one gets from something like PP. There may be lots of collagen in lean ground meats, but if cooked long enough to gel it, the meat becomes over cooked. The gel produced that way does not off set the meat becoming gummy. 

    The recipes for making gelatin I've found on the packages makes a sort of broth, too thin for adding to a burger.

    I first came across this in the Fanny Farmer cookbook. I found a copy online. The method dates from around 1900. I didn't use it for awhile, because there was no mention in the original as to how to hydrate the gelatin. I eventually came across a mention of using several tablespoons of hot water.

    I'm sort of primitive. I heat some fluid, and add it to the gelatin powder (or sheets) and keep going till i have something gooey, and then add a little more fluid. Maybe a cup per packet. The goal is to have something fluid enough that while cooking the burger the gel doesn't dry out. What works for me is a consistency like a very thick stock, but nothing as thick as a demi-glace.

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  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,656
    edited March 2019
    gdenby said:
    To clarify, do mix the gelatin w. water, or something w. water in it, like onion juice. ... several tablespoons of hot water...  Maybe a cup per packet. ... a consistency like a very thick stock, but nothing as thick as a demi-glace.
    It'll be a little while (won't be grilling for a month or so), but I'm definitely going to try this.  Thanks!
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