Braised "Silk Road" Bison Stew
This recipe is simple to prepare and fills your home with a wonderfully rich aroma as it slowly cooks.
Ingredients
- 2 – 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 ½ - 4 lbs bison (or beef) round or cross rib roast
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 ribs celery finely chopped
- 3 carrots finely chopped
- 2 cups mushrooms stemmed and cut in half
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp cloves ground
- ½ tsp allspice ground
- 1 flower of star anise
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups red wine bold
- 796 mL tomatoes (28 oz can)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add the oil.
- Add the meat and cook, turning until all sides are browned for about 10 – 15 minutes.
- Transfer the meat to a slow cooker.
- Add the onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms to the frying pan and cook until lightly browned. (You may need a bit more olive oil).
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Then add the cinnamon, cloves, allspice, star anise and pepper and stir to distribute them evenly.
- Pour the red wine into the pan, stirring until all the brown bits on the bottom come loose (This is known as deglazing the pan – it's how you get ALL the flavour).
- Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil, then transfer the liquids from the frying pan to the meat in the slow cooker.
- At this point, you can refrigerate overnight if you want to make the recipe ahead, or if you're eating the same day, begin cooking on low for about 8 hours.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste once the meat is tender and easily falls apart when tested with a fork.
- Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with parsley.
- Serve over polenta, pasta, or mashed potatoes.
- Enjoy with more of that bold red wine.
Notes
Use a hearty Côtes du Rhône blend from Provence or a varietal (cabernet, merlot, malbec, zinfandel) you prefer.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!