If you’re a little bit nervous about trying game meat for the first time, this is a perfect recipe to start out with. Using regular ground beef for the meatballs tones down the flavor of the bison, so it’s more familiar and less intimidating, and anyway, who doesn’t like a stew with meatballs?
Bison has a rich flavor all on its own, so it doesn’t need a lot of spicing up. A simple blend of warming spices adds some body to the stew and using a caramelized onion in the meatballs ramps up the savory flavor even more.
And all that flavor smells delicious while it’s cooking – your payoff for the long simmer time is how delicious it makes the kitchen smell while it’s bubbling away.
Meat on its own doesn’t make a Paleo meal, so don’t forget the vegetables! Since you don’t need the oven after baking the meatballs, you’ll have all the space you need to throw in a roasting pan full of squash or cabbage in the last 45 minutes or so before the stew is done. Dinner is served!
Bison and Meatball Stew Recipe
SERVES: 4 PREP: 35 min COOK: 3 h
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. bison shanks
- 1 cup onions, sliced
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp. ground cloves
- 6 cups beef stock
- Cooking fat
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients for the meatballs
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- 1 big onion, diced and caramelized in a pan
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground allspice
- 1 egg
- Cooking fat
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 400 F.
- Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in a bowl. Mix everything well and form meatballs with your hands.
- Melt some cooking fat in a skillet placed over high heat and brown each meatball on all sides for about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the meatballs to a baking pan, and place in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, then set aside.
- Melt some cooking fat in a saucepan placed over medium-high heat and brown the bison shanks until dark brown on all sides.
- Add the onions and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add in the beef stock, cinnamon, cloves, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 2 hours.
- Once the meat is well cooked, remove it from the pot and break the bison shanks apart into chunks.
- Use a strainer to clear the broth. Then pour it back into a large saucepan, and add the meatballs and bison meat.
- Cook until everything is warm, and season again to taste.
- If you like a thicker sauce, you can stir in 1-2 tablespoon of tapioca starch. Dissolve it in water first and then add it to the sauce.
📖 Recipe
Bison and Meatball Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. bison shanks
- 1 cup onions sliced
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp. ground cloves
- 6 cups beef stock
- Cooking fat
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients for the meatballs
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- 1 big onion diced and caramelized in a pan
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground allspice
- 1 egg
- Cooking fat
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 F.
- Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in a bowl. Mix everything well and form meatballs with your hands.Cooking fat, 2 lbs. ground beef, 1 big onion, ½ tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground allspice, 1 egg, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Melt some cooking fat in a skillet placed over high heat and brown each meatball on all sides for about 5 minutes.Cooking fat
- Transfer the meatballs to a baking pan, and place in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, then set aside.
- Melt some cooking fat in a saucepan placed over medium-high heat and brown the bison shanks until dark brown on all sides.3 lbs. bison shanks
- Add the onions and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.1 cup onions
- Add in the beef stock, cinnamon, cloves, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 2 hours.1 tsp. ground cinnamon, ½ tsp. ground cloves, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, 6 cups beef stock
- Once the meat is well cooked, remove it from the pot and break the bison shanks apart into chunks.
- Use a strainer to clear the broth. Then pour it back into a large saucepan, and add the meatballs and bison meat.
- Cook until everything is warm, and season again to taste.
- If you like a thicker sauce, you can stir in 1-2 tablespoon of tapioca starch. Dissolve it in water first and then add it to the sauce.
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