This Bison Ragu Mission YOU Style is a rich, slow-braised dish made with tender bison roast and aromatic vegetables. Mission YOU - Illumination Phase Friendly
This recipe has been revised from the original version which is found on the Nebraska Bison website. I loved their version so much I dug in to refine it a bit and make it Illumination Phase friendly. You can buy the bison roast here on their website Nebraska Bison - https://www.nebraskabison.com
Note that they also have elk which is great.
They have a great bison roast - https://www.nebraskabison.com/products/buffalo-bison-roast-rump-or-chuck
Serves 6–8 people
Estimated Prep Time: 30–40 minutes
Total Time: ~4 hours 40 minutes
Ingredients:
· 2.5 lbs. Bison Roast, cut in 2-3" chunks
· Salt and Pepper, totaste
· 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil, Coconut Oil or Ghee
· 1 Yellow Onion, diced
· 2 Carrots, diced
· 2 oz. Cured Duck Breast, diced (optional – Pancetta when not in Illumination)
· 8-10 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
· 1/2 cup Red Wine – See Recipe Notes below for Illumination friendly alternatives
· 28 oz. Canned Whole Tomatoes (preferred in a glass jar)
· 1/2 Cup Bison stock or Veggie stock
· 1 large sprig each fresh rosemary and thyme
· 2 heaping tablespoons. Italian Seasoning
· 1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
· 2 Bay Leaves
1 Parmesan Rind optional and post Illumination – see Recipe Notes for alternatives that are great.
Cooking Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 320*F.
2. Cut the bison roast into 2 to 3-inch pieces and generously season with Himalayan salt and fresh ground pepper.
3. Heat the oil or ghee in a cast iron Dutch oven with lid over medium heat. Working in batches you will want to sear the bison chunks until caramel browned on all sides. As you do this move it to a plate, cover, and set aside.
4. Now you will want to add the onion (and ducks breast or just onion is fine too) to the pot and cook in the drippings until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant... can you smell it!! We need smellavision for sure.
5. Now pouring over a upturned spoon so as not to spatter, carefully pour in the red wine (or Illumination phase friendly alternative) and deglaze the pot. Scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot (yep, folks this is the good stuff!) and simmer gently for about 3-4 minutes.
6. Return the bison to the pot. Remove the whole tomatoes from the can and press with the back of a fork to crush (I use my hands and just kind of squeeze/smush each tomato as I add it to the pot). Add them to the pot with the stock, tomato paste, oregano, rosemary, red pepper flakes, bay leaves and if using it the Parmesan rind or alternative if you like.
7. Stir well and then cover the pot and move it to the oven for 4 hours or until the bison is super tender.
8. When it's done, remove from the oven. Then discard the Parmesan rind if using and bay leaves. Remove the bison from the pot and shred it, I want to note that I prefer leaving some more chunky pieces that are a bit larger and some mushed a little smaller, when done return it all to the pot. If you want your Ragu to be a bit thicker, then go ahead an dsimmer it on the stovetop now until its reached the consistency you prefer. Of course you will ALWAYS taste it and add additional salt & pepper as needed.
Now... Serve with rice, roasted veggies, spiralized veggie pasta or an Illumination friendly gnocchi.
RECIPENOTES:
1. Post Illumination if corn is friendly for you a GMO free polenta could be awesome also. And post Illumination a generous bit of Parmesan to taste. But duringIllumination I strongly suggest you add a bit of Nutritional Yeast for that nutty parmesan flavor.
2. When not in Illumination Phase I suggest you make sure you're using a good qualityred wine something you'd enjoy drinking. I have used a Barolo or a Merlot but Ialso think a Chianti or Sangiovese would be great… (I use Dry FarmBiodynamic Wines because they are free of artificial ingredients, additives,dyes and are low in carbs) but any full-bodied, dry red wine will work great.The flavor only intensifies over the cooking time, so make sure it's good.
3. Alternatives to red wine for cooking during Illumination Phase include a reduced bison broth (for a deep, savory flavor), unsweetened pomegranate or cranberry juice (for that nice rich color and some tartness), and balsamic or apple cider vinegar (this creates some acidity). You can also use a combination of these, such as beef broth with a splash of vinegar, or juices with a little vinegar added, to achieve a similar flavor profile.
4. For a parmesan rind alternative during the Illumination Phase or anytime, your focus should be on replicating the salty, savory, umami flavor and adding the depth that the rind adds to dishes like soups and stews, while still adhering to our dietary guidelines for Illumination. As an alternative to Parmesan rind, I have used: nutritional yeast, this organic hearty brown rice miso paste from SouthRiver Miso (my all time favorite miso in the whole world) https://www.southrivermiso.com/miso/organic-hearty-brown-rice-miso/, toasted nuts and seeds (whole, chopped or blended), or mushroom powder instead of the Parmesan Rind and they were all great.
5. This is a perfect meal for entertaining as it can be made up to 3 days ahead of time.