Crooked River Bison Ranch Bison Bones, Grass-Fed, Frozen

Description: The Crooked River Bison Ranch is located in the foothills of the Ochoco National Forest, near Prineville, Ore. We pride ourselves on being a small, local producer of grass-fed bison. Our ranch consists of several hundred acres of open pasture and rangeland, with an abundance of native grasses and vegetation for our bison to feed on. We raise our bison in the most humane and ethical possible manner. Our bison receive a diet of native grass and are never given steroids or hormones to artificially stimulate growth. When it comes time to harvest, we only field harvest in small numbers to maintain a low stress environment. The extra care we put into our ranching practices ensures that the meat on your dinner plate is of the highest quality. We adhere to our strictly-defined ranching standards and practice the most ethical ranching methods so you and your family can enjoy the tastiest, most flavorful bison meat available. All bone packages are mixed and matched with neck bones, marrow bones, and knuckle bones. Our Ranching Values: At the Crooked River Bison Ranch, we are committed to respecting our land and habitat, as well as the humane treatment of our bison. These issues are of the upmost importance to us, and we are happy to share our ranching values with you. Respect for Our Bison: Raising our bison with respect and as humanely as possible is important to us. Throughout their lives, our animals are provided with clean water and various native grasses to feed on. During the winter months, they are fed locally sourced grass hay. They receive a 100% vegetarian diet throughout the entire course of their lives. Our bison are not grain-finished. Not only is this good for our bison, but it’s also what gives our bison that great taste. No Steroids, Growth Hormones or Antibiotics We never give our bison steroids, growth hormones, or antibiotics. Occasionally, if one of our animals becomes ill for one reason or another, we will give the animal proper care and treatment without the use of hormones or antibiotics and remove it from our herd. Field Harvest We field harvest our bison in small numbers. This means that they are not rounded up and loaded into a truck prior to slaughter. Each animal is quickly and humanly slaughtered. We chose to field harvest because it yields a superior product. Since bison are undomesticated animals, they generally become easily stressed and agitated under traditional harvest methods. Once they become stressed, they can release a stress hormone into the body which can greatly impact the flavor and tenderness of the meat. No Confinement Our bison are not confined to small pens or feedlot-like conditions. They are free to roam open pasture and rangeland on our ranch. Intensive Grazing Method We practice intensive grazing methods (rotational grazing) on our ranch. Our bison are regularly and systematically moved from pasture to pasture. This allows the pastures to recover quicker, provides the bison with young, tender grass and reduces the need for parasitic control. Our bison’s diet consists entirely of native grasses and vegetation that naturally grow on our ranch. During the winter months, they are fed locally sourced grass hay. They are never given corn, grain or animal-based feed, and that’s a practice that is never going to change. The grass-fed diet has several benefits, which include: Taste Many of our customers insist that our meat “tastes the way meat should taste.” Those old enough to remember what meat tasted like before modern ranching practices know that meat was once savory, complex, and full of flavor, instead of today’s mostly dull flavor. Grass-fed bison meat tastes like the meat raised a century ago, before hormones, steroids, or grain-based feed was introduced into modern ranching practices. Our soil, water, and grasses all play a role in the quality of our meat – which is why we take such extraordinary care of our land to ensure that every component of our bison’s diet is as clean and pure as possible. Nutrient Portfolio Grass-fed bison has a significant advantage over grain-fed bison in terms of nutrient portfolio. Fat content in particular is significantly different between grass and grain-fed bison. Grass-fed bison meat is leaner and typically more tender as well. However, the actual type of fat differs as well. Grass-fed bison has: As much as 5x the amount of omega-3 fatty acids as grain-fed bison Twice as much conjugated linoleic acid (said to reduce body weight among other benefits). Significantly less saturated fat. The benefits of grass-fed bison meat doesn’t just end there. Grass-fed bison meat also contains more of the following vitamins and nutrients: Vitamin A and its carotenoid precursor beta carotene, which aids in vision, skin health, and much more. Vitamin E – the antioxidant that is mostly responsible for protecting your cells from oxidative damage. Macronutrients such as potassium, iron, zinc, and phosphorus, which are essential to the health of the human body. So not only does grass-fed bison meat taste better, but it’s also better for you as well. We are confident that you will enjoy the taste of our bison meat. From the very first bite, you’ll notice the difference between our superior quality meat and that of which you would purchase elsewhere. Summary: We raise our bison in the most humane and ethical possible manner. Our bison receive a diet of native grass and are never given steroids or hormones to artificially stimulate growth. When it comes time to harvest, we only field harvest in small numbers to maintain a low stress environment. Directions: Mix and match bison bones to include, if available: neck bones, marrow bones, knuckle bones, and oxtail. Look to have marrow and bits of meat on the bones in your selections to enhance flavor. The 24-72 hour cooking time is necessary to get the nutrients out of the bones and to combine flavors. On average 4 lbs of bones makes about 6-8 quarts of broth. Blanch bones by covering them with cold water in a large pot and bringing it to a boil. This will bring foam impurities to the top. Skim the foam with a spoon until it nearly stops foaming. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F at the same time. Pour out the water. Roast blanched bones on a tray for 25-30 minutes. Do not burn. Turning them every 5 minutes Transfer bones into a large pot or crockpot and pour cold water over them. Add 1 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar per pound of bones, and if desired add coarsely chopped onion, garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves. OPTIONAL sea salt 1 tsp per pound of bones. Let the ingredients sit in the cold water for 20 minutes. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. For best results simmer bison bones on low for 24-72 hours. As the water evaporates add more water as needed. Remove from heat. Strain broth with fine-mesh sieve. Then cool and refrigerate. Remove all solid fat once completely cooled. Ingredients: mixed neck bones, marrow bones, and knuckle bones