Cookin' & Cussin'

Bison Burgers

Farmers Markets have been around for awhile but I feel like they have become INCREASINGLY popular in the past few years – we are definitely included in that statistic because, lets face reality, we usually don’t like to leave the house before Noon on any given weekend. But sometimes, we make an exception & plan to go visit every once in awhile to pick up some awesome, local goodies!

With that being said, a new coffee-bar / brewery (CoVa) opened up within walking distance from our favorite Farmers Market in Norfolk, VA. It seems like simple math to me. We roll out of bed, head to the East Beach Farmers Market for a plethora of fresh produce from Warsaw, Virginia, piping hot Klassic Glazed donuts from Virginia Beach, knife sharpening, fresh eggs from Suffolk, & the most amazing selection of true-country farmed meat you could ask for –then we take our donuts in tow & go have a beer! (or two)

I’m particularly highlighting the amazing ground bison from Riffle Farms in Terra Alta, West Virginia for this recipe.

“Riffle Farms is a small bison farm raising grass-fed and finished animals. We are tucked away in the hills of Preston County where the grasses are cool and the snow is heavy”

Cookouts

&

Crowd Pleasers

Ground Bison is insanely healthy & lean – less fat than beef, salmon, AND chicken! Bison is not gamey tasting at all & has a rich, dark red color. Compared to beef, well shit, there is no comparison. The quality is unreal & of course, it feels great to be able to support a small business & talk to the sweet gal who runs this farm with her husband and makes the long trek to bring their goods to the Farmers Market each week!

I’m well aware that everyoneee seems to have a damn recipe for “this-or-that” burgers, but just find yourself some bison & make this pronto for your end of season gathering – you won’t be sorry!

Ground bison is so unique & tasty that everyone will want to try one! These burgers make such a great (& quick-cooking) main that you can *actually* eat all the sides at the cookout and probably not feel like death because you over-ate. Seems like a win-win to me.

INGREDIENTS

· 1 LB ground bison

· 1 large egg

· ½ tsp salt

· ½ tsp pepper

· ½ tsp granulated garlic

· 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

· ½ cup plain Panko breadcrumbs

INSTRUCTIONS

· Gently mix together all ingredients above together with your ground bison in a large bowl.

· The Panko breadcrumbs are light, airy & truly have no taste – I prefer them to regular breadcrumbs because of how light & crunchy they are – they don’t seem to absorb meat juices the same way regular breadcrumbs do or become soggy / heavy like burgers get with using other breadcrumbs.

· Once your mixture is thoroughly mixed, gently pat down your meat mixture to be evenly packed at the bottom of your bowl – then take your hand and score (X) your mixture into 4 equal parts. ((This always helps me with portion size so they are evenly patted out.))

· Roll your bison into a large meatball shape then, using the heel of your hand, pat down while rotating your other hand to make a thick, even patty.

· Grilling these burgers is SO DAMN FAST so pay attention! We personally enjoy our burgers medium, so we have nailed down this cook-time-science to be only 3 minutes per side!

Toppings don’t need to be extravagant – a nice, ripe tomato slice & a thick, crisp red onion mostly do the trick -- we DO, however, tend to use a finer cheese when eating these burgers — not hating on Kraft American Singles, but they also need to know their place. Havarti & Muenster work very nicely and don’t overpower the true taste of the Bison. I’m sure being even fancier and making caramelized Vidalia onions & a side of sweet pickles would also be amazing!