Bison Basics

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tbsp cooking oil (peanut or grape seed preferred)
• 5-6 lbs bison shank cut into sections 2 to 3 inch thickness preferred
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 carrots, scraped and diced
• 1 1/2 cups diced onions
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 28oz can diced plum tomatoes
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 6 cups stock or broth, homemade preferred (any combination of bison, beef, chicken, or vegetable)
• One 5 inch sprig fresh rosemary
• 12 sprigs fresh thyme
• 6-8 sprigs fresh parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup dry red wine (optional)
• 1 tsp salt
• 15 whole peppercorns
• 4 whole cloves

DIRECTIONS

• Heat 1 to 2 tbsp cooking oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot and almost smoking, in batches, brown shanks on all sides. Add more cooking oil as required. Set browned shanks aside on a holding plate.
• Over medium-high heat, melt butter in an 8 quart Dutch oven. Add the celery, carrots, and onion. Sauté until the vegetables begin to brown. Add chopped garlic and sauté for 2 minutes longer.
• Blend in plum tomatoes, tomato paste, stock/broth, rosemary, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, red wine (if using), salt, peppercorns, and cloves.
• Return browned shanks to the Dutch oven. If necessary, add more water or stock to just cover the shanks.
• Put Dutch oven, uncovered, in a 275F oven. Allow shanks to braise for 4 hours, stirring once or twice. Turn off oven. Leave the shanks in the oven for one more hour before removing. Allow to cool to room temperature, refrigerate overnight.
• The next day remove the Dutch oven from the refrigerator. Remove the top layer of hardened fat and discard. Cover and reheat shanks in a 250F oven for 3 1/2 hours.
• Serve with vegetables of choice and a gremolata garnish if so desired.
• (A basic gremolata is made by combining 3 tbsp of finely chopped parsley with 1 tbsp grated lemon peel and 1 tsp minced garlic.)