Bison anyone?
By Jodi Di Menna
While bison ranchers and conservationists wrangle over how best to preserve the prairie roamers,
the culinary world is capitalizing on the novelty of serving up bison as a healthier alternative
to beef. Chef Philippe Guiet of the Cordon Bleu school in Ottawa gives us his perspective.
CG: Compared to most of the other meats we eat in North America, bison is a relative
new-comer to the culinary world. When did it first start to appear on our dinner plates?
PG: We started using bison in restaurants around 15 years ago. I think that is because
15 years ago, we started to have farmers selling bison meat. It was exotic. For consumers
it was something new.
CG: How has the introduction of bison to the market played out on restaurant menus?
PG: For a long time we used beef. When beef started to become too easy, restaurants
turned to bison. Most of the recipes we have for beef can be used with bison. It’s
very close to beef, but it’s a bit more elegant, finer, less fat. So it’s more
attractive for the menu - it’s something different. It’s a new thing without
being too risky. When you go into a restaurant and ask for bison, you don’t worry that
you’ll spend a lot of money for something you don’t like. It’s exotic,
but it’s also something people know.
CG: Do you think bison meat is becoming more popular?
PG: It is more popular. You can find bison in most good restaurants. Bison takes
the place of beef. Rarely will you have bison and beef on the menu. But it’s not something
you find everywhere. It is still a special meat.
CG: Do you expect it to become more popular, maybe on par with beef?
PG: I don’t think it will take the place of beef. People will always go to
beef first.
CG: Why?
PG: The image of bison is that it’s more artisanal. Bison is not produced
in big quantities, so it still has an image of more rustic produce.
CG: What are some of the qualities of bison meat that make chefs want to cook with
it?
PG: It’s very tender. Because bison are very quiet animals - they’re
strong and massive so they’re not scared and running away all the time. Stress makes
the meat tough. Also, with a farm, they control the age. So they are killed when they are
ready. There is good control of the meat when they put it on the market. With bison, the
quality is more regular because it’s a new product.
CG: Can you describe the taste?
PG: It tastes like beef with more flavour. When you buy bison you’re guaranteed
a high level of flavour. But it’s not gamey. It’s not as strong as venison.
CG: What are some of the nutritional qualities that make people want to eat it?
PG: It’s more rich in protein and has less calories. The biggest difference
is that it has less fat than beef. There’s also maybe a bit more iron.
CG: How easy is it to find bison meat?
PG: It’s not in all the super markets, but it’s in specialty stores.
If you can find venison, you can find bison. For restaurants it’s simple because we
have suppliers. But for customers it’s something they can’t easily find. So restaurants
still have this advantage. If people can find bison everywhere, we’ll have to find
something else to put on the menu. We need to put on the plate something people don’t
know how to cook themselves or something they cannot find easily.
CG: Most bison ranchers select animals based on desirable characteristics for meat
production. This raises concerns for conservationists. How does this practice affect the
quality of the meat?
PG: The selection practice is to obtain the best amount of fat, to have the meat
at a good place on the morphology of the animal. For us, this means the loin or tenderloin
will be nicer, the fat inside the loin will be the best quantity. It also guarantees a better
price.
CG: There has been some experimentation with cross-breeding between cattle and bison.
In fact most farmed bison now carry cattle genes. Does this affect the culinary qualities
of the meat?
PG: You no longer have all the characteristics of bison or all the characteristics
of beef. So maybe it gives us a better price, but I prefer to have real bison and real beef.
If you don’t know if you have beef or bison, it’s not very interesting for restaurants.
We sell bison because it’s something different. If it comes too close to beef it loses
its interest.
CG: If I was planning to cook bison tonight, what tips would you give me?
PG: It depends on the cut you have. If you have a piece of shoulder or leg, you
can make a stew with white mushrooms. That can be nice, in particular in the fall or the
winter if it’s cold. The earthy flavour of the mushrooms goes well with the strong
taste of the meat. If I had bison, that would be the first thing I’d do.
Thinking of cooking up a batch of Chef Guiet’s bison stew? Check out our Knowledge
Toolbox for the recipe.
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