It is snowing today in Boulder! Everything outside looks so beautiful outside. My doggie can’t wait to go out and play in the snow.

What comes with snow is a cold day. All I want to do is to snuggle in bed and eat warming food.
I decided to make Polish Bison stew for this cold day so that I can feel nourished.

It’s a classic Polish Bison Stew. Bison chuck is seared in olive oil first or avocado oil, and then slowly braised with garlic and onions. After a couple of hours in the oven, the meat becomes meltingly tender folded in a rich, deeply flavored sauce.
It takes a little time to make, but I promise that the flavor is well worth the effort and wait. The stew is delicious and can feed the crowd. I like to make a day ahead because the stew flavor improves the longer it sits.

The most important thing is to pick up the right kind of meat. The chuck should be well- marbled (with veins of fat running through it)
Stay away from meat that is very lean because you will not get the flavor you need. The lean meat it will not get tender, no matter how long you cook it. Make sure that you season meat very well with spices.

In a large pot brown the bison in batches – this can be a bit time-consuming but browning it correctly will add depth and dimension to the stew. Make sure that you crowd the pan. Browning all the meat at once will steam instead of sear, and you won’t get all that lovely color and flavor.

Remove the meat from the pot and set aside then add the onions, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. The vinegar helps loosen all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan and add flavor at the same time.
Cook the vegetables until they are softened, then add the tomato paste and cook for a minute more.
Add the bison back into the pan and sprinkle with the arrowroot.
Stir until the arrowroot is dissolved.
Add the broth, thyme, sage, allspice, basil.
Bring to a boil, then cover and braise in the oven for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, add diced carrot, parsnip, and celery root.
Put the pot back to the oven and cook for one hour, or until the meat is fork-tender, the broth is thickened, and the veggies are tender.

Country Bison Stew
4 people
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. avocado oil (cold press)
1.5 lbs. grass feed bison stew meat, cut in 1″ cubes
1 onion
6 garlic cloves
2 tbsp. fresh sage
1/4 tbsp. ground allspice
2.5 C beef broth
1/4 balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. tomato paste – Bionaturae Organic
1 carrot
1 parsnip
1 small celery root
1 tbsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. basil
1 tbsp. thyme
1 tbsp. arrowroot starch
salt to taste

In Health,

Angie