DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Michelle Yamaguchi serves up a bison burger at 'Umeke Market Natural Foods & Deli.
Where the buffalo roam
Buffalo meat proves popular,
despite premium price
There's a premium to be paid for the low-cholesterol, low-fat benefits of buffalo meat, but the few retailers selling it locally say people are willing to open their wallets.
Buyin' bison
Ready to eat
'Umeke Market Natural Foods & Deli, Kahala: Burgers; with buffalo stew coming to the menu soon. Call 739-2990.
Kiawe Grill: Burgers. Call 841-5577 (Kalihi) or 955-5500 (Moiliili)
On the Juice, inside Gold's Gym, South Street: Burgers and rotisserie tri-tip steaks
Call 521-3100.
Ready to cook
'Umeke Market: Frozen patties, ground meat, steaks
R. Field Food & Wine, Kailua only: Frozen patties and sirloin Call 261-3358
Safeway stores islandwide: Fresh ground meat
"Everybody from little old ladies to construction workers" has tried the bison sold at 'Umeke Market Natural Foods & Deli, co-owner Michelle Yamaguchi says.
The store, located across Kalanianaole Highway from Kahala Mall, has been selling frozen bison meat for about three months. The deli counter offers grilled bison burgers along with burgers made of ostrich and organic Kamuela beef, but "buffalo has been king," Yamaguchi says.
She guesses it's a combination of curiosity and a genuine interest in the health benefits of bison over beef that draws people in.
Bison meat is going decidedly mainstream, showing up on occasion even at Safeway stores, stacked right next to the fresh ground beef.
Prices range from $5 to $10 per pound for ground bison, with differences in whether the bison is free-range or grain-fed, and whether it is hormone- and antibiotic-free. Fat content may vary as well.
The specialty meat is imported from the mainland, but buffalo do roam in the islands. Live, lumbering and hairy, they've taken up residence on two Big Island farms, although they are not yet being raised for commercial purposes.
Tom Pace, ranch manager at Hokukano Ranch, says only four bison have been slaughtered in the four years since the herd was first brought to the Kealakekua ranch. The meat was sold to restaurants in the area.
The herd numbers just 57, but Pace is planning to bring in 80 pregnant cows, perhaps as early as fall. He hopes to make the animals the basis of eco-tours of the ranch, and to offer organic bison meat for sale.
Given the interest these days in hormone-free alternatives to beef, the potential is good, Pace says. "It's going to be a winner."
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
A lone bison grazes in a pen in the stockyards at the 98th National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver as potential buyers look over other bison in the background.
The bison industry
makes a comeback
after a ’90s slump
DENVER >> A bison boomlet is under way as Americans look for an Atkins diet-friendly and mad cow-proof alternative to beef.
Although the bison industry is just a baby when it comes to U.S. meat production, there are signs of heightened interest as producers recover from a mid-1990s slump brought on by overproduction.
"People see it more, probably sample it more and they like it," said Roy Rozell, who manages a bison ranch in Colorado.
A good indicator of the bison industry's turnaround is Ted's Montana Grill, a national chain of 18 restaurants co-founded by media mogul and bison ranch owner Ted Turner. The chain is expected to double in size by the end of the year.
Standing outside a Ted's in downtown Denver, attorney Tom Franklin shrugged off the mad cow scare and said he had just enjoyed a bison burger lunch. Another customer, businessman Mitch Zatz, said he likes the taste and the fact that bison meat is leaner than beef. "It's kind of cool, a change of pace. I feel like, we're in Colorado, we should eat bison."
The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported that in 2002, the latest year for which figures are available, 25,340 bison were slaughtered at federally inspected plants, compared with 35 million head of cattle.
Bison meat, higher in iron than beef, can be difficult to find on store shelves and commands a premium in restaurants and supermarkets compared to a similar cut of beef. At Denver-area grocery stores, ground bison was selling for $5.99 per pound, compared to $4.69 per pound for 93 percent lean ground beef.
A recent poll conducted by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association indicated most Americans still believe the beef supply is safe. Bison producers, fearing a chilling effect for their product, say they wouldn't want that to change.
Agriculture officials believe that feed containing protein or bone meal from cows with mad cow disease is the most likely source of infection. Such feed was banned in 1997.
There have been no known cases of mad cow disease in bison, and the animals' natural characteristics make it useless for ranchers to give them extra protein from animal byproducts, said Martin Marchello, an animal sciences professor at North Dakota State University.
Bison haven't been bred for centuries, like beef cattle, to be "a meat wagon," Carter said. "The animal just doesn't do well with a real high-protein feed, so there's less tendency to even want to move in the direction of supplementing feed."
Bison is generally also raised without use of hormones or antibiotics.
Many plants where bison are slaughtered and butchered have had long-standing policies against using sick or injured animals for human food, Carter said. The Agriculture Department recently banned use of such animals by beef processors for human consumption.
Carter also said bison are processed in smaller plants that handle far fewer animals than large beef-processing plants -- about 25,000 animals per year compared with about 130,000 head of beef slaughtered daily.
It's not a guarantee against disease-causing organisms, Marchello said, but it means workers can take more time and care with each animal and to ensure cleanliness.
"Everybody searches for a healthy product and we have that," said Rozell, the Colorado bison rancher. "I think the American public, they are going to try stuff and when it's good, they're going to come back to it."
Buffalo can be prepared much in the same manner as beef, although care must be taken not to overcook the meat. Because of its low fat content, buffalo meat can dry out. These recipes are from www.bisoncentral.com, a Web site sponsored by several bison trade groups.
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Cut bison sirloin into 1-1/2 inch cubes and place in a glass bowl or sealable plastic bag. Combine marinade ingredients and pour over meat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or seal bag and marinate in refrigerator 8 to 24 hours.Bison Kebob
1 pound bison sirloin
2 medium zucchini or yellow squash
1 large red bell pepper
1 large onion
8 mushrooms
8 cherry tomatoes
>> Marinade:
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup dry white wine
2 cloves garlic, mincedCut squash and red bell pepper into 1/2-inch slices. Cut onion into 8 wedges. Remove meat from marinade, reserving marinade. Thread onto 8 skewers, alternating meat with squash, pepper, onion and mushrooms, ending each with a cherry tomato.
Grill, covered, 4-6 inches above medium-hot coals, for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally and brushing with reserved marinade. Serves 4.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 273 calories, 15.7 g fat, 70 mg cholesterol, 546 mg sodium.
Sauté meat and onion until meat is browned and onion is tender. Add pinto beans, tomatoes, water and seasonings. Cover and simmer 1 hour, adding more water if chili becomes too thick. Add chopped cilantro and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Spoon into bowls and garnish with grated cheese or diced jalapeño peppers. Serves 4.Bison Chili
1 pound ground bison
1 medium onion, chopped
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 16-ounce cans peeled tomatoes
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon EACH ground cumin, salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 360 calories, 12.5 g fat, 69 mg cholesterol, 30.9 g carbohydrate, 720 mg sodium.
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