Bring on the bison burgers, and make patties hold together
Bison meat makes lean, delicious burgers, although making the patties stick together can be difficult.
But you should be able to form it into patties that hold together once cooked, without binding agents.
First, lightly dampen your hands with cold water, as this will create a barrier that prevents the meat from sticking to them. Make a very loose ball of the ground bison and set in the palm of one hand. Use your other hand to gently shape the meat into a patty. Use the palm of your hand not holding the patty to press around the edges of it and make them smooth.
The patty doesn’t have to be perfectly shaped, but it should look like it will hold together once in the pan or on the grill. If the patty is too loose, it could start to come apart when you start cooking or try to flip it.
The patty could also fall apart if you put it in the pan or on the grill before getting them up to temperature first. If you put the patty on a warm pan or grill, its exterior won’t sear nicely and form the crust that helps hold the meat together.
Lastly, because bison is lean, if you put it in a pan or on a grill that’s prone to sticking, you have to make sure you use a sufficient amount of oil. Or, if you’re grilling it, ensure the bars of the grill are oiled.
If you really want to make sure the patty holds together, add binding agents. That’s something I did in the recipe: I used a bit of cornstarch and fresh bread crumbs as binding agents. Because they’re moist, fresh bread crumbs won’t dry things out, but will blend well with the meat flavourings. The modest amount of cornstarch also helps hold patties together.
Bison Patties
Makes: Four, 6-oz (170-g)-plus patties Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 8 to 10 minutes 1½ lb (680 g) ground bison meat 1 tsp (5 mL) cornstarch 1 large garlic clove, minced 1 cup (250 mL) fresh bread crumbs (see Note 1) 2 tbsp (30 mL) milk 1 tsp (5 mL) herbs de Provence (see Note 2) 1 tsp (5 mL) salt 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) freshly ground black pepper Splash or two Worcestershire sauce Vegetable oil for the grill Place all ingredients, except oil, in a bowl and gently mix to combine. With cold-water-moistened hands, divide and form the meat mixture into four equal, loose balls. Shape each ball into a 3/4-in. (2-cm) thick patty.
Preheat your barbecue or indoor grill to medium-high. Lightly oil the bars of the grill. Cook the burgers for 4 or 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through and the centre of each burger reaches 160 F (70 C) or above on an instant-read meat thermometer. Sandwich the burgers in warm buns with your choice of toppings and condiments.
Note: To get the 1 cup (250 mL) of fresh bread crumbs, I placed two regular slices of white bread, cubed, in my food processor and pulsed them until crumb-like. If you don’t have a food processor, freeze the bread slices until solid, and then use a box or other grater to grate them into crumbs.