End of Winter Stew

I waited for the snow all day, but it never came. The weather people kept saying that we would see snow sometime this weekend, probably the last of the snow for this region. But it didn't come after midnight, it didn't come in flurries in the wind this afternoon, and its not here now. Stew is perfect for a snowy day, so last night I defrosted a pound of bison sirloin that we picked up the last time we were in Pennsylvania and planned to make a stew today. Notwithstanding the lack of snow, here's how I made bison stew in my crock pot.

Bison Rosemary Stew

1 lb of bison sirloin cubes
2 cups beef stock
2 tbls olive oil
12 baby onions
1 cup diced rutabaga
1 cup diced turnip
2 tbs flour
2 large carrots cut
2 stalks celery
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup red wine
salt and pepper to taste

Place beef stock in a crock pot and set on high. Add the diced rutabaga, turnip, and peeled baby onions. Season the sirloin cubes with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron pan and add the cubes when the pan is smoking hot. Brown the meat on all sides, but don't overcook it. Add a bit more oil and flour and stir until flour is not white or noticeable. Place the browned meat with flour coating in the crock pot. Sautee the carrots, celery, and garlic until tender and place in the crock pot with the herbs and other seasonings, except the red wine. Leave simmering in crock pot for about an hour, then add the red wine and cook for another 20-30 minutes until the texture is to your liking. Serve with dumplings, white or brown rice, or a nice bread.