Diverse & Delicious 2023

Cedar-Braised Bison Short Ribs

Ingredient amounts are not specified in the subtitles.

Ingredients

• Bison short ribs
• Sea salt
• Pure maple sugar
• Juniper berries
• Sunflower oil or vegetable oil
• Mirepoix: turnip, mushrooms, and shallots; traditionally, leek, turnip, and squash
• Bison stock, or corn stock made by simmering leftover corn cobs
• Sumac
• Sage
• Cedar
• Maple syrup
• Wild rice, for serving

Method

1. Season the ribs. Sprinkle the ribs with sea salt, maple sugar, and juniper berries. Maple sugar adds sweetness and helps form a browned crust, while juniper contributes a peppery, smoky note.
2. Sear. Heat sunflower oil in a pan. Brown the ribs on all sides until crisp and caramelized, then remove them from the pan.
3. Cook the vegetables. Add the mirepoix to the pan and sauté, scraping up the caramelized bits. The turnip adds starch that helps thicken the cooking juices.
4. Make the braising liquid. Add bison stock or corn stock and bring to a boil. Add sumac, sage, cedar, juniper, and maple syrup.
5. Braise. Return the ribs to the pan. Cook in the oven at 250°F for about 3 hours, until the connective tissue has broken down and the meat is very tender.
6. Serve. Plate the ribs with wild rice. Add sumac to the finished dish.

Tips and Substitutions

• Bison is lean, so take care when searing it and cook it low and slow.
• Sunflower oil is used for its high-heat performance; vegetable oil is an alternative.
• If leek isn’t available, substitute wild onion or shallots. The chef’s version also includes mushrooms.
• Sumac adds a lemon-like flavor without using lemon.
• Save vegetable ends and peels for stock. Bones and leftover corn cobs can also be used; the chef emphasizes making use of food scraps.

Serving Suggestion

The chef suggests serving the ribs with a winter sour made with wild blueberries, lemon sour, maple syrup, and water. The subtitles also mention an optional ingredient whose name is unclear.

Presenter and References

The dish is prepared by Chef Destiny Moser of Cedar Spoon Indigenous Catering. The program is hosted by Diane Verniel and Andrew Coppolino and appears on FoodZen.

The subtitles mention Canadian Pure as the source of the wild rice and Forbes Farm as a source for ingredients such as maple sugar and juniper berries. Destiny also refers to learning from Indigenous chefs’ podcasts, videos, and books.