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1980s-present - Modern Great Plains bison ranchers and Indigenous food-restoration advocates adapting bison to burger culture
Bison burgers are a modern restaurant and backyard form of a much older Great Plains food story. Bison sustained Indigenous nations for centuries; after near-destruction in the 19th century, ranching and restoration made bison meat more available again.
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Difficulty
Easy
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
10 minutes
Total time
25 minutes
Servings
4 burgers
Region
Great Plains
Era introduced
1980s-present
Introduced by
Modern Great Plains bison ranchers and Indigenous food-restoration advocates adapting bison to burger culture
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A bison burger holds two histories at once. The burger format is modern American cookout food, but the meat points to the central role of bison in Great Plains Indigenous foodways and to the animal near-eradication that accompanied U.S. expansion. Contemporary bison ranching and tribal restoration have brought bison back to more tables. Because ground bison is lean, the cooking approach is gentle: do not overwork it and do not cook it dry.
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