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Recipe Friday: Indigenous Cuisine

Food has always been a gateway to understanding and appreciating different cultures. It takes us on a culinary journey where we seek to discover the rich tapestry of flavors and traditions that different cultures offer.

One such cuisine that has been given new life in recent years is Indigenous, specifically Native American. Chefs and caterers across North America are entering into the culinary spotlight to share their stories. Their decolonized approach to cooking lets heritage dishes and ingredients shine, educating diners on what American food means and where it came from. The approach may be new, but the cuisine is very, very old.

Check out our recent article for more on Indigenous cuisine, but in the meantime check out this recipe from Chef Destiny Moser, owner of FoodZen and founder of Cedar Spoon Indigenous Catering. 

Cedar Braised Bison Short Ribs

Yield: 4 to 6

Ingredients

4 ea. bison short ribs
Sea salt
2 T maple sugar
2 T sunflower oil
1 ea. leek, diced
1 ea. small turnip, diced
3-4 cups bison or vegetable broth
¼ cup maple syrup
1T dried juniper berries
2 cups dried hominy, soaked overnight and drained
2 ea. sprigs fresh sage
1 ea. sprig fresh cedar

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Season bison with sea salt and maple sugar. Heat sunflower oil in a Dutch oven or oven-proof pot over medium-high heat. Brown the short ribs, 2 at a time, be careful not to over crowed the pot. Set the browned short ribs aside and add the leeks and turnips to the pot.
  2. Sauté leeks and turnips until soft about 1-2 minutes. Add broth, maple syrup, juniper berries and stir in hominy. Add back bison along with juices, simmer for 1 minute. Add sage and cedar. Cover tightly with foil and a lid, braise in the oven for 2 ó to 3 hours or until the meat can easily be pulled apart with a fork.
  3. Remove from the oven, pull out the sage and cedar and set the bison on a cutting board. Tent with foil.
  4. Strain the stock into a bowl and set the hominy aside. Return stock back to the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to simmer until stock is reduced by half.
  5. Season with sea salt and served poured over short ribs with hominy

Wild Rice & Wild Mushroom Pilaf

Yield: 6 to 8

Ingredients

2 T sunflower oil
½ cup shallots, small dice
1 lb assorted wild mushrooms, sliced
1 cup pure wild rice
1⅓ cup fresh or no salt added vegetable stock
1 T sage, chopped
½ cup dried cranberries
1 cup roasted chestnuts
Maple syrup
Sea salt

Method

Set Instant Pot to sauté mode. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and add shallots, season with salt and sauté until soft about 3 to 5 minutes. Add remaining oil, mushrooms and season with salt, sauté for about 5 minutes or until mushrooms start to brown. Add wild rice, stock and sage. Close lid and set to manual for 20 minutes. When done, let slow release for 10 minutes and then release seal. Mix in cranberries and chestnuts, season with maple syrup and salt to taste.

 

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