A Trip to Carolina Bison in Leicester, North Carolina and a Recipe for Buffalo Sliders

To celebrate my 50th birthday in style, Roger and I decided to go On the Road (back in October) to visit Carolina Bison in the beautiful rolling hills outside of Asheville, North Carolina. No birthday be would be complete without a little excitement (and a bison burger).  This farm visit has to be the most exciting and thought provoking of road trip so far. In fact, if you are a vegetarian or do not eat red meat, you might take issue with some of what is in this post, so I am just saying…Writing this article definitely took some stepping out of my own comfort zone as well.

As you may know, we have been to many farms over the past several months to see where our food comes from and learn about the people and personalities behind our food. There is nothing quite as nifty (or as fresh) as picking your own fruit and vegetables and bringing them home to cook that same day.  It is also fascinating to see the process of making cheese beginning with milking the goats to the aging of the cheese.

We have also  been to a trout farm and prepared freshly harvested trout that evening for dinner. I cannot compare anything else to the taste we experienced when eating that fish. ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agricultural Project) has a saying: “Local Food that is thousands of miles fresher” and it truly is.

This farm visit, however, was very different. I love animals and to see this American icon that is beautifully haunting and majestic up close, close enough to feed them by hand, and look into their eyes, knowing that they are giving up their lives to feed us is a feeling that is hard to describe.

There have been many articles about this topic recently, including this one, The Conscientious Carnivore, in the December 2010 issue of Food and Wine. When we see where our meat comes from and even participate in the process of harvesting, there is a new appreciation for these animals. Seeing them raised in this environment, grazing on the hillsides and knowing that they are humanely and lovingly treated and allowed to roam free until they are harvested, makes eating meat a totally different and certainly more personal experience.

Most of us are so far removed from where our foods come from (especially our meats and poultry). The majority of consumers buy processed packages of hamburger, steaks, bacon, pork, or chicken in the store. If you are in the U.S., many of the labels list origins as U.S., Mexico, and Canada. So, where is it really coming from? It could be from any one of those countries or all three.  That doesn’t make me feel too good about what I am eating.

Roger spent many summers on family farms when he was young, so for him this visit was more about learning about the bison than the farming practices. For me, the ability to visit a farm like this has had a major impact on where I want my meat to come from and the relationship we have to that meat. I want to know how it has been raised and more importantly, how it is harvested.

We began our visit at Carolina Bison by meeting Dr. Frank King (4th generation farmer) and his son, Frankie King (5th generation farmer) at their offices in Asheville for a brief introduction to their business. Dr. King, who also owns King Bio (a natural and homeopathic pharmaceutical company), started raising bison in 1985.

Dr. King grew up on a cattle farm, so farming is not new to this family, but raising bison was.  Dr. King, (a doctor of chiropractic and naturapathic medicines), began getting involved in holistic health in the late 1970’s. It was then that he started reading studies about the health benefits of eating bison meat.

Bison has less fat than fish, half the calories of beef, and has more protein and iron than beef.  Dr. King said that studies have shown that a diet that included bison lowers cholesterol and triglycerides. People eating bison were reporting that they felt better in general, had more energy, fewer headaches and improvements in arthritis and allergies. There was such a broad spectrum of positive benefits that it really caught Dr. King’s attention.

So, in 1985, Dr. King began raising bison with 23 head (originating from gold and silver trophy champions from Denver and several from North Dakota). The farm began in Pennsylvania and eventually was relocated to the Asheville area. Today, Carolina Bison has 600 head of bison, which is the largest herd in the Southeast. There are currently between 250,000 – 300,000 head of bison in the U.S. and between 500,000 – 600,000 in the Northern Continent.

Frankie King

Frankie King recently finished his service in the military, returned home to Asheville and now manages Carolina Bison. He was our tour guide around the farm, which is in Leicester, North Carolina. We were also accompanied by Rachael Brownlee, a certified health and nutrition coach as well as a local food blogger who writes Girl in An Apron. Rachael has written several articles about Carolina Bison for local publications.

If you are wondering (like we were) what the difference is between a buffalo and a bison…there is no difference. The name “buffalo” was given to the species because their skins were called “buffs” many years ago and the name stuck. However, their genetics are the same and the correct name is the American Bison.

I still cannot believe I got this close to the bison.

Like many people, I conjure  up thoughts of the West, the Plains, settlers, covered wagons, and Native Americans when I think of bison. I consider them to be a true symbol of American history. I was really honored to be able to be able to visit with these animals that were once on the brink of extinction.

I was totally amazed at how close we were able to get to the bison and were even able to touch them and feed them. Frankie said that back in the summer they would practically jump into the truck to be fed because the bulls were “feeding out” at that time, which was prior to their breeding season. He said they instinctively eat heavily prior to breeding season. Since we were there during breeding season, they were not as anxious to come up to us to feed. During the breeding season they don’t eat much and lose weight while mating. (I’m not even going down that road…).

He looks like the dominant guy to me!

Bison males (bulls) will only breed with ten to fifteen females (compared with male cows, also called bulls, that will mate with one hundred females. Now you know where that term “stud” must come from.). Frankie said there is even a courting process with the females that lasts three or four days (some of us girls don’t even get that).  The hierarchy of the herd is based on breeding. Even the females compete with each other (in fact, we saw a bit of jousting between several females while we were there).

The dominate male (or leader of the herd) will breed with whomever he wants. Fellow bulls of the same age or those coming up will fight for dominance. Whoever gets beat in this battle essentially is out of the herd and will follow the rest of the herd from a distance. If it is an older bull, this defeat may have permanently broken his spirit and he may never mate again.

Bison can live up to 45 years and one fascinating thing we learned was that their head will continue to grow for ten years, even when the body is fully grown. That is why, if you see an older bison, that their heads may seem disproportionate to their bodies.

The prime harvesting age for the bison ranges between 24 to 30 months. They will weigh about 1100 pounds at this age. If they are any older than that, the meat cannot be used for steaks, only ground meat. An average bison will yield about 550 pounds of hanging weight, which in turn equals about 375 pounds of saleable meat. All natural, grass fed cows will yield approximately the same, however, mainstream (or regular grain fed) beef will yield slightly more.

Rachael feeding the bison

As we stopped along the way to feed the bison and take photographs, we were reminded (on several occasions) to watch our backs. Frankie has been butted a fair number of times by these animals. They are still wild animals and can be unpredictable. He said to keep an eye on their tail.  If it goes up, you better get right back on the truck!

Bison are quick (they can run up to 35 miles per hour) and strong (some can weigh as much as 2500 pounds) and may not always be friendly. In fact, Frankie told us that the bulls can take a bale of hay measuring 6 feet by 6 feet that weight 1500 pounds and toss it around like a beach ball. Just think what they could do to you!

You need to have someone watch your back when you do this!

Bison in the wild (according to statistics at Yellowstone National Park between 1980 and 1999) were three times more likely to kill or injure people than bears. Of course, they are not carnivores and generally will attack humans only when provoked. I still found it amazing to be able to walk right next to them in this environment and feel reasonably safe.

Bison are sustainable animals due to their rotational grazing patterns. They also can handle temperatures into the low 100 degrees. Cattle cannot handle the temperature extremes that bison can.

Some people now believe that the bison did not migrate in one huge herd and go thousands of miles as was once thought (such as in Lewis and Clark’s accounts). At one time, there were between 30-60 million bison on the North American Continent.

You might remember reading books or seeing films where settlers or trains had to wait days for the herds to move before they could travel past them. This could certainly have occurred with smaller herds, considering there were such large numbers of bison. It is very likely that the bison may have spent summers in Colorado in the mountains where it was cooler and then migrated to Northern Mexico in the winter or spent summers in Canada and moved down to the plains in the winter.

Many of us have heard or read about the poor treatment of animals that are being raised for food. If you are a farmer, you do it because you love farming and you treat the animals well. I am sure there are some instances, which garner all of the headlines, where animals are not treated well, but the vast majority of these animals are treated with respect and are harvested humanely.

Stress on the day an animal is harvested will cause the meat to taste gamey and be tough, so farmers and their hands are trained to keep them calm through the harvesting process. There is an expression: “to honor the animal.” Farmers use it to describe their respect and care of the animal in providing food for sustaining our lives.

This upward tail is not something you want to see if you are close to the bison!

If you choose to eat red meat, as we do, I strongly suggest that you know where it comes from and how the animals are raised. We also believe in supporting smaller farmers and places that we have personally visited.

Thank you so much to Dr. King and especially Frankie, for taking the time to show us around your farm and for allowing us to spend some time with these spectacular creatures. I also want to extend a personal thank you to Frankie for grilling some awesome bison burgers at the farm for my birthday celebration!  ) We learned so much and I have an entirely new perspective and respect for the American Bison and the sustenance they provide.

Flies are a constant irritant to the bison.

In true Pratesi Living fashion, I had to bring home some bison to find the best way to prepare it. Here are a few tips if you are interested in trying bison for the first time. Bison meat is redder than beef because it does not have marbling. Due to this fact, it also will cook much quicker. It will not shrink like beef when you cook it because it is so lean, so pretty much what you see is what you get. Frankie put a little olive oil on the burgers before grilling them, which I would suggest since they are so low in fat. (Roger also did that when he cooked our sliders.)

Frankie and Bunky in the RV having lunch.

We have grilled some of the Rib Eye steaks (Frankie’s personal favorite) and added a little olive oil, along with basic seasoning, prior to grilling. They were incredibly juicy and tender and not at all fatty or greasy like a beef Rib Eye. Roger also broiled one indoors with a little salt and pepper. They both were delicious!

Our personal and fun favorite so far is sliders. After all, who doesn’t love a slider?? We are enjoying the idea of the mini burgers these days and the bison meat is a perfect way to prepare them. I added a little chipotle mayo, homemade bread and butter pickles and we later topped them with homemade coleslaw. They will be a perfect addition to your game day food table this bowl season.

Chatting about blogging…with beautiful scenery!

One of the differences that I noticed with eating bison versus beef is that is seems to digest easier. I also feel more satisfied with eating less. These are all good things and enough incentive for me to include bison on the menu at our home on a regular basis. If you are interested in trying some of the Carolina Bison, you can order through their website. Bison is also becoming more readily available in many supermarkets.

These will be a huge hit for football season!

P.S.  The King family is looking to create the Return of the Buffalo Refuge. They are in the process of trying to find the appropriate tract of land to realize this project. I wish them the best of luck on this venture and hope we get to see this when it becomes a reality.

I’m ready to make more of these!

If you are interested in reading more about the American Bison, here are some suggestions.  The history behind this incredible animal is fascinating.

American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon – Steven Rinella

American Bison: A Natural History (Organisms and Environments) – Harry W. Greene

Buffalo Sliders with Chipotle Mayonnaise

Inspired by Bobby Flay’s recipe for Sliders
Makes 5

Ingredients:

1 pound ground bison
Olive oil
Salt and Freshly ground black pepper
Cheddar cheese
Slider buns
Bread and Butter Pickles (I used homemade)
Sliced Red Onion
Chipotle Mayonnaise (recipe below)
Coleslaw, optional

Directions:

Fire up the charcoal grill.

Form bison into five patties. Rub each patty with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook the burgers until almost done (medium well). Put cheese on top and cover grill for a few minutes to melt cheese.

Place on slider buns. Top with desired bread and butter pickles, red onion and chipotle mayonnaise. Finish with coleslaw (optional).

Serve immediately.

Chipotle Mayonnaise
Makes approximately 1/2 cup

1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 chipotle in adobo sauce, chopped fine
1 teaspoon adobo sauce
1 squeeze fresh lime juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients together. Taste for seasonings. Chill, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to use.