ground buffalo Archives - Zan's Recipes

Gourmet Buffalo Burger with Balsamic Reduction

by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Meats, Sauces, TOP Five

Buffalo Burger with Balsamic reduction and fried egg

I can honestly say I think my son should be a food critic. My 16 year old, came up with this masterpiece and it’s probably one of THE best burgers I have ever tasted. It has the peppery taste from the Arugula, the sweet from the balsamic reduction, the fruity and nutty taste of parmesan, and then… there’s the fried egg! Seriously?

Make Balsamic reduction – Cook 1 cup of good quality balsamic vinegar + 1 tbsp sugar on medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce to simmer (low heat with small bubbles along the edges) and let simmer for about 10 minutes until vinegar has reduced down. Stir occasionally. It should be able to stick to a spoon, with it’s thick consistency. Let reduction cool and serve. Save the remaining sauce in a Tupperware and store in refrigerator. If reduction hardens after being in refrigerator for too long just place container in a bowl filled with warm water to soften it up.

INGREDIENTS (per serving)

6-8 oz ground buffalo meat
½ tsp Worcestershire
salt and pepper to taste
6-8 leaves of arugula
6-8 slices of parmesan
1 fried egg
1 brioche bun
1 tbsp of softened butter

DIRECTIONS

Turn on your grill or grill pan on high. Make the buffalo patty by gently working in the Worcestershire, salt and pepper to the buffalo meat. (Do not compress, or smack the buffalo patty). Make the center of the patty thinner than the edges, and place on the grill. Cook the buffalo until the internal temperature is 130 degrees. Remove and let sit. Meanwhile, add your egg to an small non-stick skillet and cover. Flip over without breaking the yolk, and be sure to not overcook, as you want the egg yolk still runny. Remove from heat. Add the butter to all side of the brioche bun and grill for 10 seconds on each side. Assemble the burger onto the bun, adding the patty, the egg, arugula, parmesan cheese, and finally drizzle on the balsamic reduction onto the burger and the top half of the bun. My husband actually had a dish of the reduction to dip in the burger into. Enjoy!

Buffalo Ragu Bolognese for Pasta or (Paleo) Lettuce Wraps

by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Meats, Paleo, Pastas, Vegetables

pasta-bolognese

Since watching CowSpiracy (on Netflix), I am constantly trying to find alternatives to red-meat (beef). So I made some modifications to a traditional Ragu (or Bolognese) using Buffalo meat. If you prefer the Paleo version, you can skip the pasta and just place the Ragu/Bolognese into a butter lettuce leaf, for a tasty lettuce wrap!

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, finely, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ½ lb buffalo, ground
¼ slab bacon, or 5 thick slices diced
½ tube organic tomato paste
1 cup organic canned crushed/or chopped tomatoes
1 cup milk (skip for Paleo version)
1 cup dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for grating
½ cup organic whipping cream (skip for Paleo version)

Directions:

In a 6 to 8-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and garlic and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are translucent and soft, but please make sure not brown them, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the buffalo, and bacon and stir into the vegetables. Add the meat over high heat, stirring to keep the meat from sticking together until browned. Add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, milk, and wine and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Add in the cream and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and remove from the heat.

When ready to use, the cooked pasta should be added to a saucepan with the appropriate amount of hot ragu Bolognese, and tosses so that the pasta is evenly coated by the ragu. For Paleo version, spoon meat ragu into the butter lettuce leaves.

pasta-bolognese-A pasta-bolognese-B pasta-bolognese-C lettuce-wraps