Is there a store or meat market in your area that sells bison/buffalo cuts of meat?

Whole Foods sells it.

What cuts do they sell?

Trader Joe’s sells ground buffalo patties.

You’d need to call your local Whole Foods to find out—and if you aren’t a regular shopper there, be warned it will probably cost a pretty penny. The one near me sells ground bison for sure, and other than that they tend to sell a range including rib eyes, strips, and bison stew meat. You just can to call and ask.

If you want it ground, Trader Joes is almost DEFINITELY cheaper than Whole Foods.

I buy it at Trader Joes for the ground, I am having trouble finding other cuts. I had not heard that Whole Foods sells the other cuts, but I will try. Maybe it is where I live…..PNW

I’ve seen buffalo/bison available in pre-made burger form at my local grocer (Loblaws here in Canada), as well as in a meat shop out of town that contains a large number of interesting and exotic animal meats. But I have yet to see a tasty slab of dripping bison meat sitting beside the beef and chicken.

I live in Wyoming. They sell it at Walmart here. (Not that I’d buy it at Walmart, I’m just trying to rub in the fact that I can get it anywhere here. Yummy yummers.)

Talk to your local grocer. If he/she can’t supply it for you, they can guide you in the right direction.
@Les note to self: tell husband we are moving to Wyoming You’re one lucky person!

Kroger grocery stores sell ground Bison, if they have those in your area. But, if that’s what you don’t want, I would definitely shop around, maybe local butchers would be willing to invest if they had interested customers.

I called a few places around my house, including Kroger/Fred Meyer, Whole Foods, and a very good butcher (large customer base and very good quality). (I’ll never shop at Walmart, so even if they do have it, it is not an option for me.) All that is around here is ground bison….sigh. I guess I will have to have my friends and family call one place to convince them that enough consumers would like other cuts of this delicious meat. Thanks for all the input.

@hahniam: I know it is pricey, but if you really want the steaks, why not phone order it? There are all kinds of sites you can go to where they can send you bison steaks.

I’ve seen it @ Fred Meyer… aka Kroger

The meat is so lean, steaks or roasts may not be good for eating.

@PupnTaco I beg to differ.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s delicious meat, but very lean compared to beef. That makes keeping it moist while cooking a challenge. Nobody likes dry, rubbery steak.

@PupnTaco Don’t we all like a challenge now and then? Especially when it comes to such delicious meat! :)

True. The challenge, then, is to cook the meat properly without altering its wonderful natural flavor. A marinade (the obvious choice) would smother the wild game taste. A soak in plain yogurt actually works well as a tenderizer & fat enhancer, but it seems weird outside of Middle East cuisine.

I’d be tempted to grill a thinly-cut steak or loin medallion over high heat, hardwood charcoal, no wood smoke. A thin cut would cook properly before it had a chance to dry out.

@PupnTaco Would you suggest a brine for buffalo? Or is that more for white meat?

A brine would work on bigger cuts like a brisket or roast – but it would dramatically change its texture and flavor.

Now I’m curious how the pros do it…

@PupnTaco Thanks for the info. :)

I just checked a couple bison farmer’s sites: they say cook steaks rare so they don’t dry out and to baste a lot while cooking. One suggested butterflying (same idea as mine above, thin-cut steaks). But they all recognized it does dry out if cooked like beef.

@PupnTaco You are correct that you are not supposed to over cook bison meat, that is a mistake that a lot of people make. It is a lean cut of meat, but it is not gamey meat or have no flavor like extra lean beef. It does not need to be marinated to cover up or smother the taste.