If there's one way to make the holiday season a little more special than usual, it's to cook an incredible meal. Giant turkey dinners might be off the table, so to speak, but that just makes way for something a little more interesting.
We connected with Chef Blair Lebsack from Rge Rd, who gave us an incredible recipe to to try out. Without further ado, we present to you your new holiday tradition: Braised Bison Pannekoek.
You will be able to find nearly all the ingredients for this recipe at The Butchery, right beside Rge Rd.
Braised Bison Pannekoek
INGREDIENTS
Braised Bison
- 1.5-2kg bison chuck, shanks or brisket
- 15 ml kosher salt
- 5 ml fresh ground black pepper
- 15 ml canola or grapeseed oil
- 1 litre beef or game stock
Pannekoek
- 2 eggs
- 145 grams of all purpose flour
- 240 ml of 3.5% milk
- 30 ml of melted butter
- 5 ml of kosher salt
Filling
- 1 small (1-1.5kg) butternut squash, peeled and small diced, roasted
- Fresh chopped parsley or nasturtiums
- 2 apples; seeded and small diced
- Farmers cheese/Fromage Blanc
- Pickled onions & pickled cayennes or hot pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Season a bison chuck roast (or beef if you prefer) with salt and pepper. Heat oil over high heat in a dutch oven or braising pot. Add bison and sear each side for 5 minutes or until browned. Once browned on all sides pour in the stock. Cover and place in the oven. Braise for 5 hours, turning the meat once; braise until fork tender. This can be done up to two days in advance, stored in the refrigerator, and reheated if serving for a party.
2. Once the bison is finished, shred the braised bison with a fork and return the meat to the cooking juices. Simmer on low, uncovered, for 10 minutes until the cooking juices have reduced by half.
3. Make Pannekoek from above ingredients. Mix together flour and eggs . Then stir in milk, salt and melted butter. Leave at room temperature for at least 1 hour before making.
4. In crepe pan or frying pan; heat to medium, spray or rub with oil, place 60 ml of batter in pan, tilt pan in a circular motion until batter is about 15 cm in diameter. Cook for about 2 minutes, flip and cook the other side until just light brown. Remove from pan and place on plate. Cook the remaining batter until it is all done. Stack each crepe on top of each other and wrap with cling film. Store at room temperature until ready for plating dinner.
5. Forty minutes prior to serving, roast the butternut squash. Toss the diced squash with 10 ml of canola or grapeseed oil and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Roast in a 425° oven for 30 minutes or until fork tender.
To Assemble: Warm the pannekoek by placing on a skillet over medium heat, flip to warm both sides. Place pannekoek on a plate and spread or crumble the farmers cheese (I use Lakeside Farmstead Fromage Blanc and put large dollops around the pannekoek.)
Then place spoonfuls of braised bison with some of the braising liquid around the pannekoek. Sprinkle on roasted butternut squash. Garnish with pickled onions, pickled hot pepper, apples, parsley and a final sprinkle of salt (a Canadian sea salt if you have it!) Enjoy!
THE PERFECT HOLIDAY COCKTAIL
Wish you had a beverage to sip while cooking? Here's a great option from the Rge Rd team.
The Northern Spaniard
1 oz Dillon's Canadian Vermouth
4 oz of your favourite Cava (or Canadian sparkling wine)
Olive and orange peel twist for garnish
Add the vermouth to a glass of your choice, with or without ice. Top with Cava. Garnish with an olive and orange peel and enjoy.
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Find some more holiday inspiration in our 2020 Gift Guide.
