Bison, ground, grass-fed, cooked

Ground bison cooks and handles much like ground beef, which makes it an easy swap into burgers, meatloaf, chili, tacos, and meatballs. Because it is leaner than most ground beef, it cooks faster and can turn dry if left on the heat too long, so many cooks pull patties a shade earlier than they would beef or pair it with a slice of cheese, a sauce, or a bun with some moisture to balance the leanness. Its flavor is slightly sweeter and more mineral than beef, which stands up well to simple seasoning like salt, pepper, and a bit of garlic rather than heavy sauces that would mask it.

Grass-fed ground bison is sold fresh or frozen at butchers and well-stocked grocery stores; keep it refrigerated and cook within a couple of days, or freeze it in flat portions for quicker thawing. At 179 calories and 25.4 grams of protein per 100 grams, an 85-gram serving works well as the centerpiece of a weeknight dinner, with protein reaching 51% of the daily value and iron at 18%, both higher than many leaner ground meats, making it a straightforward way to build a red-meat meal around a smaller amount of fat.