Alberta Bison on the Silk Road
This recipe is courtesy of Karen Anderson, CBC Radio Food Columnist, and owner of Alberta Food Tours Inc. She loves the scent of this stew as our native Albertan bison simmers the day away in a slow cooker filled with the warmest flavours spices can impart.
Recipe
Olive Oil | 2-3 Tbs |
Bison Round or Cross Rib Roast | 3 1/2 – 4 Lbs |
Finely Chopped Onion | 1 Full |
Finely Chopped Celery Ribs | 2 Sticks |
Finely Chopped Carrots | 3 Sticks |
Mushrooms, Stemmed & Halved | 2 Cups |
Finely Chopped Garlic | 4 Cloves |
Ground Cinnamon | 1 Tsp |
Ground Cloves | 1/2 Tsp |
Ground Allspice | 1/2 Tsp |
Star Anise | 1 Flower |
Fresh Ground Black Pepper | 1 Tsp |
Bold Red Wine, Cabernet, Merlot, Malbec or Zinfandel | 2 Cups |
Canned Tomatoes | 796ML, 1 Can |
Salt & Pepper | To Taste |
Chopped Parsley | 1 Tbs |
Instruction
- 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 in the fry pan over the meat in the slow cooker
- Refrigerate overnight at this point or begin cooking on low for about 8 hours
- Season with salt and pepper to taste once the meat is falls apart easily 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 wine
Click below to find more great bison recipes
http://bisoncentre.com/consumers/recipes/
http://canadianbison.ca/consumer/On_The_Menu/recipe-archive.aspx