By Robert Lang
Special Contributor
1 pound of ground bison meat
1 onion chopped fine
King’s Hawaiian dinner rolls or any alternative
Salt and pepper
2-inch biscuit cutter
Condiments such as pickles chips, ketchup mustard and mayo
This is my variation on the White Castle/Crystal’s burger.
- Open the package of dinner rolls but do not separate them individually yet. Using a serrated knife, cut horizontally across the middle of the rolls to separate the tops from the bottoms. Replace the top and then separate the rolls into individual buns. It’s easier this way rather than one-at-a-time.
- Spread the ground bison on a sheet pan so you have a thin layer of meat, about 1/8th to a ¼ inch thick that spreads across the pan.
- With a 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut small burger rounds. If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, just eyeball it and use your hands, but the biscuit cutter make perfect sized patties. Set aside for a few minutes while you…
- Spray a griddle or a large skillet with non-stick spray and heat on medium. (I prefer cast iron for its heat distribution but any pan will work).
- Lightly brown the onions and set aside.
- Season the tops of your burgers with salt and pepper. Place seasoned-side-down on a griddle/skillet, season the non-seasoned side and cook about one minute. Flip to heat through. These are thin so they don’t take long to cook.
- Assemble the burgers, buns, onions, and condiments and enjoy.
About bison meat:
According to the USDA, the American buffalo is not a true buffalo. Its scientific name is bison and it belongs to the bovine family along with domestic cattle. As reported by the National Bison Association, research by Dr. M. Marchello at North Dakota State University has shown that the meat from bison is a highly nutrient dense food because of the proportion of protein, fat, mineral, and fatty acids to its caloric value. Comparisons to other meat sources have also shown that bison has a greater concentration of iron as well as some of the essential fatty acids necessary for human well being. Readers' Digest magazine has even listed bison as one of the five foods women should eat because of the high iron content. Additionally, according to the USDA, antibiotics and growth hormones are not given to bison. (Sources: www.usda.gov; www.bisoncentral.com)
Robert Lang is a culinary arts student at Collin College.
