(Photo and recipe courtesy of Adam Berkelmans)
October 25, 2024
By Adam Berkelmans
Print Recipe
Yeah, yeah, it’s technically bison, not buffalo, but how could you possibly name this dish anything else?
Ground bison meat has a bold enough flavor that it not only can stand up to the piquant Buffalo sauce, it’s actually flattered by it. Blue cheese, another big, bold flavor, fits in nicely as well, proving that three isn’t always a crowd. The cheese and sauce are also there to help add some extra moisture and richness to what is generally a very lean meat.
On that note, be sure not to overcook your bison meat as it will dry out on you very quickly. It is best served medium-rare to medium. A meat thermometer will help you judge when exactly to remove the burgers from the heat.
You can obviously use store-bought Buffalo sauce for this recipe, but I’ve always found that homemade just has a much better flavor and consistency, and so is well worth the small effort to make it from scratch.
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Serves: 4Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients for the Sauce:
1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (or similar Louisiana-style hot sauce) 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon black pepper Ingredients for the Burgers:
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1.5 lbs. ground bison 2 teaspoons lard or neutral oil Kosher salt Black pepper 4 brioche buns Butter lettuce 4oz Danish blue cheese, crumbled Directions:
(For the Sauce) Add the butter, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper to a small pot over low heat. Whisk until the butter is fully melted and everything is emulsified (if your sauce breaks, whisk in an ice cube and it should emulsify again). Take off the heat and set aside. (For the Burgers) Separate the meat into four portions and gently roll into balls. Turn on your hood fan as this can get smoky! Add the lard or oil to a cast iron or stainless-steel pan over high heat. Once it’s smoking, add 1-2 balls of ground bison (depending on the size of your pan) and press down hard with a hefty spatula or press, until the burger is about an inch thick. Season with a small pinch of salt and cook for about 2 minutes (you may need to reduce heat a bit to prevent burning). Flip the burger, season lightly with salt and some pepper and cook until interior temperature reaches 135-140°F (for medium: bison gets quite dry when cooked past medium, so don’t cook it past 150°F), about 2 more minutes or so. Add more oil if necessary and repeat with the other meatballs. Wipe the skillet out when done and toast the buns over the residual heat. Add one or two pieces of lettuce to the bottom of your buns. Top with a burger, 1/4 of the crumbled blue cheese, and lots of Buffalo sauce. Break out the napkins and enjoy!