Bison stew warms our bellies on the coldest of days. While winter recedes and spring emerges across most of the northern hemisphere in the high country, it continues to snow. Spring doesn't show her face until early June. I did see my first purple-flanked crocus emerge from the earth a few days ago, though crusty ice still clung to its petals and sharp, green leaves. Winter doesn't leave the mountains quite so easily.

So while spring dances in blossoms and green across much of the country, we settle inside for the cold, snow, mud and wind that marks off-season in the mountains. We rely on warming foods, heavy and robust, like thick Bison Stew. Bison is a lovely meat, like beef, only stronger, saltier and more pronounced. I like to pair it with other robust flavors - tomato, red wine, thyme, rosemary and sweet bay.

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Bison Stew Recipe

Prep Time5

Cook Time2 15

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Ingredients

1 pound bison stew meat
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons lard
1 sprig chopped fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
1 yellow onion (chopped fine)
3 celery ribs (chopped fine)
3 carrots (sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds)
3 medium potatoes (peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces)
2 cups bone broth
2 cups red wine
½ cup tomato paste
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

Sprinkle the bison stew meat with salt and pepper, and set it aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Melt the bacon fat in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place rosemary and thyme in the hot fat, and let it fry gently for 2 to 3 minutes, then pluck the herbs from the pan, and stir in the seasoned meat. Sear it on each side - a total of 5 minutes, then remove it from the pot with a slotted spoon, and stir in the onion, celery and carrots. Fry them gently in the seasoned fat about 6 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Return the meat to the pan, and add the potatoes.
Pour the beef stock and red wine into the Dutch oven, then stir in the tomato paste. Drop in the bay leaves, and simmer it, covered, over medium-low heat for 2 hours. Remove the bay leaves, ladle into bowls and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Notes

If you cannot find bison stew meat, you can substitute grass-fed beef stew meat which you can find at local farmers markets, as well as online. If you do not consume pork, you can substitute grass-fed ghee (available here).