We all know Buffalo is gluten-free, but when it comes to sausage patties, beef jerky, and more, we never know exactly what’s in the ingredients. Gluten? Preservatives? The list goes on.

The Buffalo Guys is the best-ever preservative-free buffalo jerky I have ever tested in my test kitchens. It was nice to taste the flavorful blend of spices, meat, and no preservatives! I had no idea what I was missing, and I’m a lover of jerky and have been since I was a child. The products are gluten-free, easy to cook or prepare and absolutely safe for anyone on a gluten restricted diet, celiac of gluten intolerant.

The Buffalo Guys offers a variety of sausages, again without preservatives. I’d say my favorite was the Buffalo Bratwurst. We tested the sausages in a variety of ways—alone, as a side dish to accompany eggs, in a quiche, in a stew, and tossed with grilled vegetables, and in each dish, they added just the right flavor and proper balance of protein. See buffalo recipes we have shared on this website.

Worth mentioning is the fact the meat has far less fat, so it’s cooking properties are different than we’re accustomed to.  We found the need to cook on lower heat (and noticed it cooks faster), or else the meat would toughen.  In a 100-gram portion of buffalo, there is 2.42 grams of fat. In beef, that number is 11.73 and for pork and chicken, 18.19 and 3.87 respectively.

The filet mignons, New York strip, short and back ribs, and rib-eye were delicious. Each cut had its own unique flavor. The taste is unlike beef, so don’t expect a similarity in flavor. It’s unique, truly worth a try, and we loved it.

The owners of Buffalo Guys take care of their buffalo (aka bison) and have a work ethic and approach based on an education in Alan Savoy’s principle of Holistic Resource and Management, using wildlife-friendly fences, rotational stock grazing, stock water developments, prohibition of non-organic chemical means to solve what could be otherwise managed organically, and never force-feeding any buffalo, for example.

Ken Klemm, one of the owners and m y new friend, explained that the buffalo (technically bison) is to this date is the largest mammal on North America since the Ice Age. It is estimated that before European settlers arrived, there were 30-70 million bison, yet in 1899 less than 1,000 were remaining. The American Bison Society was formed to protect the bison and their land. The National Bison Society and Canadian Bison Society are today carrying forth these efforts to success. The Bison number is over 350,000 and growing.

Ken and his partner chose to raise buffalo because of their ability to naturally forage, their resistance to disease, and they way they naturally balance their own diet, resulting in little to no waste and, hence, the “minimalist system.” Ken goes to say that the ecosystem and buffalo are a harmonious pair. For example, the grassland and the buffalo are in perfect balance, each depending on the other. He states that hogs, sheep, chicken, and cattle are not as suited to the natural world, so they aren’t suited to the “minimalistic system.”

At just one year a typical bison weights 450 pounds, and by 5-6 years a cow weighs nearly 1,000 pounds and a bull 1,500-2,000 pounds. Bison are survivors and Ken and his partners as well as the many other ranchers all recognize and respect this massive animal. Through a business of no waste, they bring to our homes the opportunity to enjoy the Buffalo Guys delicious buffalo products, knowing their healthier, preservative-free, and absolutely delicious. Be sure and try the jerky—out-of-this-world!

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

This food company is given a thumbs up and is HIGHLY recommended by me and my testers in my own kitchens as well as my field testers. This is saying a lot! We all loved it. If you have a favorite Bison/Buffalo, please  recipe share it now!

Tags: celiac, celiac disease, gluten free diet, gluten free foods, gluten intolerance, Gluten-Free Cooking, reviews, Tina Turbin

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