Originally Posted by
lancebanyon
I've had buffalo steaks at the Little Bear Inn in Cheyenne (don't know if it's still there anymore) that I thought were outstanding, so it was with some anticipation that I made some buffalo burgers over the weekend for the first time. Unfortunately I found the meat to be very soft with a mouth feel that just wasn't quite right. I'm still left, however, with a couple of pounds of frozen meat that I didn't cook. Any suggestions for how to prepare the burgers next time so that they're just a little bit firmer, or should we just make chili out of it?
Chop some onion (very fine), take a handful of Panko bread crumbs (about a TBs per patty), and blend lightly into meat. Shape generous patties and wrap in bacon, a la filt mignon, Grill over coals or gas, or cook in cast iron or on flatop, with seasonings of choice. I suspect that your buffalo meat is (a) from a young critter, and (b) ground too fine. Very low in fat and without the connective tissue of an older animal, it may profit from a bit of fat and "binder".
Do not use it for Chili. Chili made with ground meat is an affront (worse even than the omission of cumin) to the memory of Chili Queens, an immortal band of women who offered their Chili and themselves on the streets of San Antonio to generations of US soldiery off to furrin wars.
In 1836, when Old Ben Milam challenged the Texian soldiery, "Who will with me go to San Antonio, boys?", it was not booty or the spoils of war, he was after, but Chili and Chili Queens, to dabble in the spicy and the spicier, whilst listening to the gentle "Cu-Cu-Curu" of "La Paloma" from Mariachis in the background. Sadly, as he stood to lead the charge, he was felled by a musket ball to the brain, Death before Chili!