BISON POT PIES

Ingredients

Serves 6
⅓ cup (75 ml) all-purpose flour
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2½ lbs (1.1 kg) boneless bison chuck, cut into 2-in (5 cm) cubes
4 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into ½-in (1.25 cm) pieces
2 tbsp (30 ml) grapeseed oil
1 cup (250 ml) chopped yellow onion
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
½ cup (125 ml) chopped celery
4 garlic cloves, minced
2½ cups (625 ml) dry red wine
2½ cups (625 ml) low sodium beef stock
¼ cup (60 ml) tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1 tsp (5 ml) fresh thyme
½ cup (125 ml) chopped Italian parsley leaves
1 lb (500 g) ready rolled puff pastry
1 large egg, beaten

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour with a generous couple of pinches of salt and pepper. Add bison and toss to coat.
  2. Place bacon in a large pot or cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
  3. Add oil to pot bacon was cooked in and warm over mediumhigh heat. Shake any excess flour from bison. Working in batches, sear bison until browned. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.
  4. In same pot, add onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add wine, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pot with a wooden spoon, and bring to a boil. Stir in stock, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme, reserved bacon and bison. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. Uncover pot and continue to cook stew for one more hour, stirring occasionally, until bison is tender. Remove pot from heat, stir in parsley and season to taste with extra salt and pepper.
  5. While bison stew is cooking, preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).
  6. Place puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Using round cookie cutters or a sharp knife, cut six circles of puff pastry slightly larger than tops of large ramekins or small baking dishes pot pies will be served in. Transfer to two parchment-lined baking trays and lightly brush tops with beaten egg. Bake until pastry is puffed up and golden brown, about 20 minutes.
  7. Divide hot bison stew between ramekins or small baking dishes. Top each with a disk of puff pastry and serve.
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