Bison Kafta Kebabs with Tzatziki Sauce

Tzatziki. (Zot-ziki). Bet you didn't expect this out of the great American bison! No meatloaf, no bacon, no burgers (for now). We figured we'd start by cooking up something different with the buffalo we were able to obtain. If you've never had Persian/Greek/Lebanese or Mediterranean food in general, this will make an easy, delicious first experience. Although not exactly quintessential American, it's a dish that comes from one of the vastly cultural areas of our hometown in Southern California. 

Tzatziki Sauce

Rick and I love, love, love Mediterranean food for its rich use of spices and heavy reliance on grilling. Served with a cool cucumber and yogurt tzatziki sauce, these Bison Kafta Kebabs will not last long at the dinner table! Give this recipe a try. We know you will like it. 

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 7-10 minutes

Ingredients:

Kebabs

- 1 lb. ground bison

- 2 shallots, minced

- 3 cloves of garlic, minced

- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

- 2 tsp. cumin

- 2 tsp. coriander

- 2 tsp. Hungarian paprika (or regular)

- 2 tsp. mint

- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp. Kosher/sea salt

- freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Tzatziki Sauce 

- 3 tbs. olive oil

- 1 tbs. white wine vinegar

- 2 cloves garlic, minced finely

- 1/2 tsp. Kosher/sea salt

- 1/4 tsp. white pepper

- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (Yoplait or similar)

- 1 cup sour cream

- 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
- 1 tbs. fresh dill, chopped (or 1/2 tbs. dried)

- skewers or Popsicle sticks (soaked in water for 20 minutes)
- olive oil, for brushing

Doesn't it look just lovely? Beautiful light red color.

1. Place 1 lb. of ground bison in a medium-sized bowl. Add minced shallots, garlic, chopped parsley and mint.

Then add the spices: 2 tsp. cumin, 2 tsp. coriander, 2 tsp. paprika, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste).

We always opt to use Hungarian paprika in every recipe that calls for paprika. It's like regular paprika, but way more flavorful. It's up to you.

Combine meat ingredients well. Your hands are the best cooking tools. Set aside for 15 minutes. Let the flavors marry. Beware of house flies.

Prepare grill.

2. To make the Tzatziki Sauce, seed peeled cucumber by scraping with a spoon. 

Combine diced cucumber in a medium-sized bowl with 3 tbs. olive oil, 1 tbs. white wine vinegar, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. white pepper.

In another bowl, whisk together 1 cup of Greek yogurt and 1 cup of sour cream.

Add the yogurt/sour cream mixture to the cucumber.

Finally, add 1 tbs. of freshly chopped dill. Fold ingredients together. Add more salt, if necessary. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

3. Back to the meat. Squeeze bison mixture onto Popsicle sticks or skewers. Be careful not to pack on too much because the meat may fall off when you pick up the sticks.

4. Brush kebabs with olive oil. Then grill over direct heat for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

YUM! Your neighbors will be jealous.

Serve with Tzatziki Sauce. Couscous, Greek salad and pita bread are perfect for these kebabs. You can even make shawarma!

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