High Protein Recipes: Bison Meatloaf

This is a recipe for meatloaf that I made up this past week using ground bison in the place of ground beef or turkey.  Bison is a fairly lean meat that is sustainably raised without the use of hormones and antibiotics, which can sometimes find their way into food (particularly beef).  As a plus, bison are by nature a range/pasture animal, so they are grass fed, meaning leaner meat and less opportunity for environmental toxins, which are stored in fats.  Additionally, it is an excellent source of protein, as you can see from the chart below:

WATER (grams),    CALORIES (kcal),    PROTEIN (grams),    FATS (grams),    CHOLESTEROL (mg)

(Nutrient values and weights are based on 100 grams (3.5 oz) of raw ground meat or poultry.)

COMPARISON OF GROUND MEATS
ANIMAL	USDA REF No.	WATER	CALORIES	PROTEIN	TOTAL FAT	SATURATED FAT	MONO FAT	POLY FAT	CHOLESTEROL
BISON Grass-fed	17149	71.59	146	20.23	7.21	2.917	2.753	0.336	55
BEEF 90% Lean	23562	69.50	176	20.00	10.00	4.058	4.353	0.344	65
PORK 84% Lean	10972	64.67	218	17.99	16.00	5.362	7.280	2.235	68
TURKEY	05305	71.97	149	17.46	8.26	2.250	3.100	2.000	79
CHICKEN	05332	73.24	143	17.44	8.10	2.301	3.660	1.508	86

      Source: All data as per USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference

Preheat oven to 425°

In a large bowl combine:

1lb ground bison meat

2 large eggs

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

½ tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

Five dashes Angostura Bitters

1/3 cup oatmeal

1 tbsp. olive oil

3 tbsp ketchup

Salt and pepper to taste

Mash together with your hands until everything is well mixed.  Form the meat mixture evenly into a loaf pan.  Brush with a thin layer of ketchup (I like to “brush” with the back of a spoon).  Place in the preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle reads 160°.  Serves 3-4.  ENJOY!

Serving size: ¼ loaf (approximately 150g)

Calories	319
Fats	20
Carbs	10
Fiber	1
Protein	25

All nutritional values from http://caloriecount.about.com