Bison Burger

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground bison, buffalo
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Smoky barbecue sauce

Directions

1. Warm the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat, then cook the onions until they look translucent. Take the pan off the heat and set the onions aside until they are cool enough to handle.
2. Add the cooled onions to the ground bison along with the sage, salt, pepper, and the remaining seasonings. With clean hands, fold everything together gently. Try not to fuss with the meat too much, since overmixing can make the burgers tough; stop once the onions, sage, salt, and pepper are evenly worked through.
3. Shape the mixture into patties, portioning about 1/4 to 1/3 of a pound of meat for each one. Press a shallow dip into the middle of each patty, which helps the burgers stay flatter as they cook instead of puffing and pulling into an oval.
4. Cook the burgers on a grill or in a pan over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes on each side, adjusting as needed for the thickness of the patties and the heat of your grill or pan. Cook until the center reaches 140 degrees F for medium rare, or 160 degrees F for well done.
5. For internal temperature, use your judgment based on the meat. If the ground meat comes from a source you trust that grinds it on site, or if you grind it yourself, the burgers can be cooked rare or medium rare; otherwise, cook them through to well done.
6. While the burgers cook, do not press down on them, and flip them as little as possible.
7. Rest the burgers for about 5 minutes before you serve them.
8. Serve the burgers with lettuce and tomato, finished with smoky barbecue sauce.