Grass-Fed Buffalo Information

Slanker is the best source for value pricing on grass-fed buffalo. Grass-fed buffalo are raised on pastures their whole lives making them grass-fed and grass-finished. During “emergency situations” (deep snow, inclement weather, droughts, etc.) they may be fed grass hay, alfalfa hay, alfalfa cubes, or clover hay (all natural green leafy plant material). Inappropriate feeds such as “starch-free” plant proteins, grains, cottonseed meal, and what-have-you are not permitted.

We source buffalo from a very large wildlife animal preserve. They operate a very minimalistic operation that is perfect for producing grass-fed meats. The type of buffalo we harvest is usually the Asiatic water buffalo as depicted in the image.

The Basics

All Slanker Grass-Fed and Omega-3 Meats are Beyond Organic. The meats are natural, no sugar, no added hormones, not fed antibiotics, non-GMO, gluten free, high Omega-3, free range, cage free, and humanely raised. What actually makes our meats the healthiest meats in the world and sets them apart from all others is that they are zero glycemic, nutrient dense and diverse, with Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids balances of less than 2:1. These last three points impact health and disease way more than all of the other labels combined. It's why we say "Beyond Organic" because it's the actual chemistry of our meats that makes them so healthy. Read our eBook, The Real Diet of Man for a fuller understanding of food chemistry and the chemicals that cause chronic disease.

Grass-Fed Buffalo are Humanely Raised

Water buffalo are better behaved than the American Buffalo (Bison). Bison are still quite wild requiring kid glove handling. All of the buffalo are raised humanely which is the way all professionals in the livestock industry treat their livestock. It's not just the folks who raise grass-fed buffalo who treat buffalo properly. It's the norm for the industry as a whole in spite of what scaremongers say. The idea that cattlemen as a rule mistreat their livestock is flat out not valid. People who say that have no experience in the livestock industry. For the most part, like all professions, the livestock industry is very professional.

Grain-Fed Buffalo vs Grass-Fed Buffalo

One frequently sees reports claiming that buffalo meat is healthier than other red meats. That is not true. In fact most of the buffalo meat sold in America comes from GRAIN-FED “feedlot” bison. The nutritional characteristics of buffalo meat, like the meats from all other livestock species, is directly related to what the buffalo eat. Grain-fed buffalo have the same skewed fatty acid balances and vitamin deficiencies as grain-fed cattle, grain-fed chicken, and so on. Consequently if one is focused on eating proper food for their long-term health, they must select only “grass-fed” buffalo. Even “natural” buffalo is usually grain-fed. So, just like with beef, insist on grass-fed but also know your source.

Another myth about buffalo meat that inspires its recommendation by many mainstream nutritionists, bloggers, doctors, and commentators is that they want lean meat. This is a throwback to grain-fed meat. One should want their grain-fed meat to be lean because the fat is not a healthy fat. When it comes to grass-fed meats, we want more fat because it’s healthy fat! Eating lean is not an advantage in grass-fed meats. When marketers brag about their lean grass-fed meats, they do not understand the important nutritional characteristics that you must focus on for your health. Hint, don’t buy from folks who do not understand your nutritional objectives.

Overall, when it comes to nutritional characteristics, grass fed buffalo has no advantages over grass-fed lamb, grass-fed goat, grass-fed beef, Omega-3 Chicken, Omega-3 Pork, and wild-caught seafood. So if you are interested in eating right, take a look at all of our grass-fed and Omega-3 meats. Uniquely some of our buffalo meat comes from Water Buffalo. But there are no distinguishable differences in the nutrients, texture, taste, and fat profiles between grass-fed Bison and grass-fed Buffalo.

All meats, whether grain-fed or grass-fed, are zero glycemic. This aspect of food is often misunderstood by many yet it is critically important. Today, too many of our traditional foods are high glycemic. Beyond that similarity the differences between grain-fed buffalo and grass-fed buffalo widen considerably in nutrient loads and essential fat balances. Grain-fed buffalo, just like grain-fed people, are anemic. Grain, the seed of an annual grass plant, cannot provide the nutrient spectrum of a green leaf. Therefore, grass-fed buffalo always has much higher levels of vitamins and many other nutrients than the grain-fed buffalo. Of course, the really big plus is the balance, not quantities, but balances of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids. All grass-fed buffalo cuts have healthy balances of around 1:1 while grain-fed buffalo balances range from 12:1 to 20:1.

Grass-fed buffalo is leaner than grass-fed beef. Rarely will it have any intramuscular fat. Although, grass-fed buffalo will have some exterior fat and always has some interior fat. The fat from grass-fed buffalo is very nutritious and should never be wasted. The bones are great for making broth. Grass-fed buffalo has a stronger flavor than grain-fed buffalo and for some consumers this takes a few tries to acclimate to. Because grass-fed buffalo has less intramuscular fat, is older when finished, and the muscles are firmer from more exercise, cooking grass-fed buffalo steaks is far more challenging than cooking grain-fed buffalo steaks.

Grass-Fed Buffalo Cuts

Most of our grass-fed buffalo cuts are vacuum packed, frozen, and freezer ready for long-term storage. It's always possible that some packs may arrive with a small tear or hole in the wrapping. If the wrapping stays tight around the product the potential for freezer burn is limited to what’s exposed directly under the hole. To prevent that, a small hole in a tight vacuum pack can be simply taped shut. But if the wrap is loose and the meat slides around inside the pack, it's best to rewrap the meat in a vacuum sealed bag for longer term storage. If the meat will be consumed within a few weeks, just wrap with cling wrap. There are no safety issues involved with small rips in the frozen meat packs.

There are good suggestions in our General Store for handy Ziploc Vacuum Seal Bags. They are very useful for storing all kinds of leftovers.

When defrosting meat packs always make sure to place them in a pan or deep dish to collect the juices. Our meat packs do not have soaker pads in them. Therefore when they are defrosting some meat juice may leak from the packaging.

Grass-Fed Buffalo Prices

Are you looking for bison meat for sale? Shop our prices! We are very competitive and provide free delivery. The price of grass-fed buffalo will change with the price of cattle and other livestock. In addition, prices may be adjusted in response to seasonal changes (for instance swings in demand between roasts and steaks) in order to keep inventories flat. Consequently, all prices are subject to change -- usually without prior notice.

Cooking Grass-Fed Buffalo

Please check out our Cooking page for detailed information about preparing grass-fed buffalo meat cuts. Cooking grass-fed steaks is a challenge because they have less intramuscular fat, the animals are older than feedlot cattle, and they exercise more. That's why the steaks are usually tougher than grain-fed steaks and cooking beyond rare usually results in a tougher, dryer steak. Rare cannot be judged by the color of the cooked meat. Rare is a temperature. For steaks and roasts rare is 120 degrees internal temperature. We cannot control the way steaks are cooked nor can we guarantee a tender steak.

It's Not Color, But Temperature that Counts