The American bison is back. Herds of these massive, furry beasts—also known as buffalo—are nowhere near as large as they were before hunting reduced their numbers to around 540 by 1891, but conservationists and ranchers have pooled their efforts to save the animals. Now, chefs are on board, too, and the market for buffalo meat is growing fast. (Nobles County, Minn., Review) Sales jumped by 20 percent last year, and are up by another 20 percent so far in 2007.
Bison meat is lower in calories, cholesterol, and fat than beef—and chicken, and pork. A 100-gram buffalo rib-eye steak has 110 calories and 2.4 grams of fat; a similar beef rib-eye has 161 calories and 8.3 grams of fat. “It’s great to have a lean meat that is a red meat for people who are a little bit health-conscious,” said Gabriel Kreuther, the executive chef. (The New York Times, free registration required)
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