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Paleo recipe Texan Style Sweet Potato and Bison Burgers beef grass fed-min

Recipe: Texan Style Sweet Potato and Bison Burgers

As you may already know, I’m a MASSIVE fan of cooking with Bison. I find it has a richer taste than beef, and for that reason it pairs exceptionally well with smoky flavours like bacon and paprika. You’ll find them all, and more, in these delicious burgers; and best of all, you’ll have them on the table in less than 15 minutes. I served mine in my favourite lettuce leaf ‘bun’ with a fried egg and some extra crispy onions – delicious!

Bison Burgers Ingredients:

  •  1tbsp coconut oil, + extra for frying
  • 1 large red onion, finely diced
  • 2 fat cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 6 – 8 button mushrooms, finely diced
  • 4 rashers smoked bacon, chopped
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • Pinch of salt and pepper
  • 500g bison mince
  • 1 medium sweet potato, grated
  • 1 egg, beaten

 Bison Burgers How To:

1)    Gently heat your coconut oil in a frying pan, before adding the diced red onion. Cook for 5 minutes, to soften, before adding the garlic and cooking for an extra couple of minutes.

2)    Add the mushrooms and bacon to the pan and cook for a minute or so, until the mushrooms begin to reduce in size. Add the spices to the pan, and give the contents a good stir so that the flavours combine well, before transferring the contents into a large mixing bowl.

3)    Add the bison, sweet potato and egg to the bowl, and mix well with your hands. Form the ingredients into 8 – 10 palm sized balls. Keep in the fridge ready for when you want to cook them.

4)    When you want to cook your burgers, simply heat some coconut oil to a medium heat in a frying pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you’ll have to cook the burgers in batches – just ensure there is adequate space between each one, as they’ll get wider as you cook. Fry for 5 – 6 minutes on each side, gently pressing with the side of a spatula to iron them into a more conventional burger shape. Alternatively, they taste even better on the bbq!

Paleo recipe Texan Style Sweet Potato and Bison Burgers beef grass fed-min

6 Unusual Meats You Should Try paleo diet-min

6 Unusual Meats You Should Try

One of the many luxuries of a Paleo diet is all of the high quality meat, fish and poultry there is to enjoy. For me, it doesn’t get better than a grass fed fillet steak, a crisp wild salmon fillet or a couple of juicy chicken thighs. However, there are times when it feels like you have hit meat monotony; which is the perfect time to shake things up and introduce something new to dinner times. There are plenty of exciting, more unusual meats just waiting to be enjoyed…

Which of the following have you tried?

Ostrich

Ostrich is a delicious, rich red meat that is a brilliant alternative to beef or lamb. The meat actually comes mainly from the legs and back of the bird – there isn’t any breast meat available! It makes excellent burgers, and the steaks are lovely simply pan fried and served rare. It’s a very good source of protein, iron and calcium – and almost always free range too.

Kangaroo

Like Ostrich, Kangaroo meat is almost always free range – I'm still yet to visit a kangaroo farm! It has a texture that is somewhat like liver, and is best served rare and paired with rich flavours like garlic, sun dried tomatoes and caramelised onions. I've also seen kangaroo sausages, although they were made with wheat flour and some strange looking ingredients, so I decided to give these a miss – but making my own is definitely on the to do list.

6 Unusual Meats You Should Try paleo diet-min

Zebra

A mild tasting meat, Zebra has delicate ‘gamey’ flavours similar to venison. As it has a low fat content, it’s important not to overcook it and make it too tough – serve the steaks medium rare and enjoy with roasted root vegetables or a big green salad. Demand is increasing for Zebra year on year, so it can be pretty expensive. Make sure it’s from a good source with humane hunting methods and fast shipping from its country of residence.

Bison

Bison is very similar to beef, but it’s always wild – so not subject to any of the artificial hormones, drugs and feeds found in modern day beef production. For this reason, it’s more expensive, but definitely worth it. Bison mince makes excellent burgers and Paleo Bolognaise, and the steaks are perfect just as they are. It has a more well-rounded amino acid profile than beef as well, and is very rich in Iron and Vitamin B 12.

Crocodile

Likened to chicken, crocodile is a mild tasting, lightly coloured meat that works well in curries and stir-fries. You’ll find most of the good meat in the tail, which means it’s very lean. Make sure you source this meat sustainably though, as some species of crocodile are at high risk of extinction.

Camel

Camel has been enjoyed for centuries across Africa and Asia, and is a popular choice with Muslims as it is considered Halal. The flavour is slightly sweet and similar to mutton, and it benefits from slow cooking as it can be rather tough. One camel yields an exceptionally high amount of meat, as almost the entire animal (including the hump!) is edible. Camel blood is also consumed by many indigenous tribes in Africa – but I’d recommend staying clear of this one!

Are there any unusual meats that you have tried that I've missed? Please feel free to share them with me below!