Bison Bison Bison

Bison not amused

The American buffalo is so remotely related to the European buffalo, not to mention the Asian water buffalo, that ranchers prefer its binomial name, bison. Or, in full, bison bison bison.

Most bison still graze the range - they do, in fact, roam. Only a few ranchers try to confine them for a few months and fatten them on corn, to make them taste more like beef. Like cows, they are bovines, biologically geared to eat grass but not corn (which makes them ill).

 Unlike cows, they will not plod towards you when called. If you stand in an open field and call, "Here, bison bison bison," they may stampede.

Except for this avoidable danger, bison is the healthiest meats available, being lower in fat while higher in key nutrients. So if you love red meat, save your splurge at the grocery store for bison steaks or burgers. Be careful not to overcook this lean treat, and when you rapturously say its name, whisper.