According to Alfred Lord Tennyson, in the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love. According to us, come spring, our thoughts are more likely to turn to thoughts of grilling. This season, we’ll leave the plain burgers and dogs to less creative cooks. When we fire up the Weber, it will be for bison raised right here in Missouri.
The SayersBrook Bison Ranch sits outside of Potosi, about 75 miles southwest of St. Louis. Owners Skip and Connie have raised bison on the ranch since the mid-1970s and we found their pre-formed patties at Straub’s in Clayton. We like the meat for its full flavor and lean texture. Most cooks agree that the lower fat content means you want to serve it slightly rarer than you would a beef burger.
It’s not hard to find other ways to add flavor into the burger. Think about grilling some mushrooms or sweet onions to slide on to a medium-rare burger, and then top the patty with pungent blue cheese crumbles. For a study in textural contrasts, top a smoky burger with slices of creamy avocado and a dab of salsa. Be sure to lightly toast the bun for extra crunch. You’ll love it this spring or any other season.
This article appears in March 2011.