Sean Sherman’s Cedar-Braised Bison
A hearty braised meat recipe that can also be perpared with beef chuck roast.
Serves6 to 8
This makes a simple and hearty one-pot meal. The meat becomes fork tender and the stock simmers down to a rich sauce. Leftovers are terrific served over corn cakes.
When braising meat, we always add a handful of the ingredients we intend to serve alongside — such as hominy, wild rice, and dried berries. You need to soak the dried hominy overnight before adding, so be sure to plan ahead.
Sean Sherman’s The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen is Kitchn’s October pick for our Cookbook Club. See how you can participate here.
Cedar-Braised Bison
A hearty braised meat recipe that can also be perpared with beef chuck roast.
Serves 6 to 8
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the corn stock:
- 1 or more
fresh corncobs (kernels removed)
For the bison:
- 2 to 3 pounds
bison or beef chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon
coarse salt
- 2 tablespoons
maple sugar
- 3 tablespoons
sunflower oil
- 2 to 4 cups
corn stock (see recipe below)
Several sprigs fresh sage
- 1 sprig
fresh cedar
- 2 cups
dried hominy, soaked overnight and drained
- 1 tablespoon
sumac
- 1/2 cup
maple syrup
Instructions
Make the corn stock:
Save the corncobs after you’ve enjoyed boiled or roasted corn on the cob or you’ve cut the kernels for use in a recipe. Put the corncobs into a pot and cover with water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil and partially cover. Reduce the heat and simmer until the stock tastes “corny,” about 1 hour. Discard the cobs. Store the stock in a covered container in the refrigerator or freezer.
Make the bison:
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Season the bison with the salt and maple sugar. Film a Dutch oven or large flame-proof baking dish with the oil and set over high heat. Sear the bison on all sides until dark and crusty, about 10 minutes. Remove the bison and set aside. Stir in the stock and sage, scraping up any of the crusty bits that form on the bottom of the baking dish. Add the hominy, sumac, and maple syrup and return the meat to the baking dish. Cover the Dutch oven or the baking dish tightly. (Use aluminum foil, if necessary.) Place the bison in the oven and cook until so tender it falls from the bone, about 3 hours.
Remove from the oven. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm. Strain the remaining cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a saucepan and reserve the hominy. Set the stock over high heat, bring to a boil, and reduce the liquid by half. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Carve the bison and serve over the hominy with the sauce drizzled over the meat.
Recipe Notes
From The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen by Sean Sherman with Beth Dooley (University of Minnesota Press, 2017). Photograph by Nancy Bundt. Copyright 2017 Ghost Dancer, LLC. All rights reserved. Used by permission.