2 pounds Owl Creek Bison stew meat or roast, cut into 1 ½ cubes
2 t sea salt
½ t ground black pepper
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, diced small
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced small
1 medium green bell pepper, diced small (optional)
1 stalk celery, diced small
2 t Marisal sea salt
1 four inch sprig fresh rosemary (or ½ t dried)
3 small sprigs fresh thyme (or ½ t dried thyme leaves)
2 bay leaves
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
2 quarts homemade bison stock or store bought beef or chicken stock (salt free)
STEP 1
Season stew meat with 2 t salt and ½ t pepper, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Heat a large skillet or Dutch Oven over medium high heat and add 1 T olive oil. Brown the meat in small batches (no more than half filling the pan). Set meat aside on a plate. Add 1 T olive oil to skillet or Dutch Oven and saute the onion, carrot, celery and green pepper until soft and color begins to form. Season vegetables with 2 t salt.
STEP 2 (choose preferred method)
Dutch Oven: Add bison meat, herbs, bay leaf, garlic, and stock to the cooked vegetables. Bring mixture just to a gentle boil and then place in a 225°F oven. Cook 3-4 hours, or until meat is tender.
Crock Pot: Combine cooked vegetable and bison meat from Step 1 with herbs, bay leaf, garlic, and stock. Cook on high for one hour or until hot, turn down to low and continue cooking until tender (up to 8 hours, or overnight).
Instant Pot (consult your manual): Make sure your Instant Pot is large enough, if not, cook in batches. Combine cooked vegetables and bison meat from Step 1 with herbs, bay leaf, garlic, and stock. Lock lid. Cook for 40 minutes on High. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for quick release and carefully remove lid.
You may want to add more vegetables to your stew. A few suggestions below.
4 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 medium potatoes or sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Cook vegetables in a pot of boiling water until tender. Add to the cooked stew meat and cook on stove top (barely simmer) or crock pot for another 30 minutes to meld the flavors.