The Bison holds a special place in the hearts of Americans—so much so that it was recently named the official national mammal by the federal government. But in and around Yellowstone Park and the Grand Tetons, the bison often goes by a different name: lunch. As Colorado Public Radio recently reported, buffalo is a common site on menus around America’s most famous national park.
There are buffalo burgers, of course. But that’s only the beginning. You can also find buttermilk biscuits smothered in buffalo sausage gravy, petite buffalo sliders, bison carpaccio, bison bratwurst, and sizzling buffalo ribeyes.
Kevin Humphreys, executive chef of Spur Restaurant Teton Village, says his restaurant goes through more than 200 pounds of bison a week. However, this meat doesn’t come from the same bison you see roaming the national park lands. Instead, these animals are farm raised. And local menus are benefitting from the animal’s resurgence.