By Ellen Jacobsen

If the warmer weather has you itchin’ to start grillin’—but you’re worried about the fat and cholesterol in burgers and steaks—there’s good news. Bison, elk, venison, ostrich, and grass-fed (as well as grass-finished) beef offer the flavor you crave with a lot less of the bad stuff—in fact, they have half the fat of chicken. Plus these “wild” meats also pack lots of vitamins and minerals. “Game meats are produced on small farms and ranches, and because they aren’t mass-produced, they tend to be healthier and more flavorful,” says Chad Luethje, chef at Red Mountain Spa in St. George, Utah, where you’ll often find elk and bison on the menu. “These animals get their natural diet and don’t require huge doses of antibiotics or hormones.”

Raising these animals in a more humane, craftsman-like way produces another health benefit: “Animals that haven’t been fed properly and are angry or scared produce stress hormones,” says Kelly Morrow, RD, nutrition clinic coordinator at Bastyr University. “And our bodies respond to that stress when we eat the animal.” Here’s how to take advantage of these healthy meats this barbecue season.

Bison
More commonly known as buffalo, bison’s flavor is slightly sweet—the way beef used to taste before it was mass-produced, says Dave Carter, executive director of the National Bison Association. And while bison feast on grass, grain, or a combination (see “The Grass Is Greener” below) like cattle do, buffalo meat is still a more nutritious option. Three ounces of buffalo meat provides 40 percent more protein than regular beef, as well as 32 percent of the daily recommended amount of zinc (important for a healthy immune system) and 42 percent of the antioxidant selenium.
Chew On This: Marinate 1/2-inch slices of bison in lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Then grill and serve in fajitas with grilled peppers and onions.

Elk
Ranch-raised elk are allowed to for- age on grasses, and their diet may be supplemented with alfalfa or grains. Milder than bison, elk has a “full flavor without being too overpowering,” says Luethje. Elk is also lower in cholesterol than beef, bison, venison, and even chicken. And with 25 to 30 grams of protein but only 2 to 3 grams of fat per serving, elk is a veritable nutritional nirvana. Luethje recommends buying thin elk cuts and cooking them quickly to help retain moisture and keep the meat tender.
Chew On This: Marinate elk in pomegranate juice, chopped red onions, a handful of dried cherries or walnuts, and a little beef stock. Cook on the grill in a pan over low heat, until the sauce has reduced and thickened.

Venison
The flavor of this meat depends largely on whether or not the deer is wild, says Luethje. “Wild deer tend to graze very heavily on sagebrush, and their meat has a very gamey, sage-infused flavor,” he says. “Farm-raised deer are not dashing around, leaping over things, so they have a little more fat, and therefore a milder flavor than their wild cousins.” Of all the game meats, venison is the richest source of iron and vitamin B12, which are important, respectively, for getting adequate oxygen throughout the body and for a healthy nervous system.
Chew On This: Grill