Chokecherry Braised Bison with Carrot and Parsnip Puree

Perfect for a late summer meal, we made this recipe with a sirloin tip from Roaming K Bison, wild chokecherries, and veggies and greens from our garden! This recipe was inspired by an Indigenous chef using readily available ingredients to create colourful plates. We did our own twist on it utilizing ingredients we had nearby to create something flavourful, tender, and unique.

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Chokecherry Braised Bison with Carrot and Parsnip Puree

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Author: Emily Gust

Equipment

• Food processor, Slow cooker

Ingredients

• 1 Bison roast cut into steaks
• 1 medium white onion chopped
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 4 cups chokecherries
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp ground clove
• 3 large carrots
• 3 large parsnips
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup bone broth
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

For Chokecherry sauce:

• Clean chokecherries and remove any stems or leaves.
• Place in a pot and add just enough water to barely cover the berries. Boil for about 30 minutes.
• Keeping the juice from the pot, carefully mash the chokecherries in a strainer (do not pulverize the pits as they are poisonous) over the pot, trying to keep as much pulp out of the mixture as possible.
• Bring back to simmer, add sugar, and stir. Let cool. Unused portions stay in the fridge for about 2 weeks and are great in drinks and over rice pudding.

For Meat:

• Pat meat dry and cut into steaks. Lightly salt and pepper.
• Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and brown steaks (about 4 minutes each side), replacing oil as needed. Remove from pan and set aside.
• Add 1 cup chokecherry sauce, rosemary, cloves, onion, and garlic and cook until the onion has softened. Remove pan from heat. Add meat and pour about 1/2 Cup of chokecherry sauce and bone broth over, let cool.
• Add entire pan contents to slow cooker, add more bone broth or water if needed and cook at 300F to 325F for about 4 hours or until fork-tender.

For Puree:

• clean, peel, and dice carrots and parsnips.
• Add to pot with chicken broth. Add enough water to cover the root veggies. Boil for about 20 minutes or until soft.
• Keeping liquid, remove the veggies from the pot and place in the food processor. Adding small amounts of liquid from the pot at a time, process the veggies until pureed.
• Enjoy!

Notes

Garnish with baby beet leaves and squash blossoms.
Substitute unsweetened saskatoon berry syrup for chokecherry syrup.
Substitute salted water or beef broth for bone broth.