Iron pot stew

Stews are great one-pot winter dishes, especially for a crowd. Serve with toast. It’s simple, comfortable, and homey.

Credit: House of Anansi Press / Cathryn Sprague

• serves

  6-8

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 225 g (½ lb)  bison or beef shoulder
• 125 ml canola oil, divided
• 450 g (1 lb) elk or game sausage
• 1 leek, finely diced
• 1 white onion, minced
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp (45 ml) minced garlic
• 1 red capsicum (bell pepper), seeded and finely diced
• 2 cups roughly chopped shiitake mushrooms
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, leaves and some stems, finely chopped
• 3 cups (750 ml) bison bone broth or good-quality chicken broth
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 6 to 8 slices rye bread, for serving
•  About 3 tbsp (45 to 60 ml) cold-pressed flax oil, for brushing on toast

All time for the meat to come to room temperature.

Instructions

1. Take the bison/beef shoulder out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature.
2. In a cast iron pot, heat ¼ cup / 60 ml of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and fry until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate. To the same pan, add the bison / beef and sear all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Cut the sausage into 1 cm / half-inch pieces. Cut the bison /beef into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
3. Pour off the fat from the pan and return the pan to the stove over medium heat. Add the remaining ¼ cup / 60 ml of the oil. Toss in the leek, onion, garlic, red capsicum (pepper), mushrooms, and parsley and cook until all the vegetables are soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Return all of the browned meat to the pan and increase the heat to high. Stir in the broth, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened somewhat. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Toast the bread and brush it with flax oil. Divide the stew evenly among serving bowls and serve with the toast alongside.

 

Recipe and image from Tawâw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine (House of Anansi Press, 2019). 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.