Mexican Bison Stew
Mexican cooks are great at turning tough chunks of meat into delicious and tender stews. This one, which uses tougher cuts of bison, such as chuck or brisket, is flavored with chili powder, cumin and tequila. Serve with warm tortillas.

Prep Time:
1 hr
Total Time:
3 hrs
Servings:
8 servings, about 1 1/3 cups each
Ingredients
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3 tablespoons chili powder, divided
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2 teaspoons kosher salt
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1 teaspoon ground cumin
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2 pounds bison chuck, or brisket, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
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2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
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2 cups chopped onion
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3 mild green chiles, such as Anaheim or poblano, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
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1 tablespoon chopped garlic
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1/2 cup tequila, or water
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1 15-ounce can white or yellow hominy, (see Note), rinsed
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2 cups diced tomatoes
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1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
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1 cup orange juice
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2 tablespoons lime juice
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3 cups diced (1-inch pieces) patty pan, chayote or summer squash (see Tip)
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Freshly ground pepper, to taste
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8 lime wedges
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1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
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2 cups finely shredded cabbage
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1 cup finely chopped red onion
Directions
1.
Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder, salt and cumin in a large bowl. Add bison and toss to coat.
2.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, add half the meat and brown on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and brown the rest of the meat. Transfer to the plate.
3.
Add onion to the pot and cook, stirring, until starting to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chiles and garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder and stir until the vegetables are well coated. Add tequila (or water), scrape up any browned bits, and simmer until most of the liquid is evaporated. Stir in hominy, tomatoes, broth, orange juice, lime juice and the reserved bison. Return to a simmer, reduce heat, cover and cook until the bison is easily pierced with a fork, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
4.
Stir in squash and cook until just tender, 8 to 15 minutes, depending on the type of squash. Season with pepper. Serve the stew with lime wedges, cilantro, cabbage and red onion on the side, if desired.
Tips:
Note: Hominy is white or yellow corn treated with lime to remove the tough hull and germ. Canned cooked hominy can be found in the Latin section of large supermarkets--near the beans--or at Latin markets.
Tip: Look for chayote in well-stocked supermarkets or Mexican grocers.
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Prepare through Step 3; let cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Skim any fat from the top, reheat and finish with Step 4.
Nutrition information
Calories 301, Total Fat 7 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 75 mg, Sodium 574 mg, Carbohydrate 25 g, Fiber 5 g, Protein 28 g, Potassium 571 mg. Daily Values: Vitamin A 25%, Vitamin C 70%, Iron 25%. Exchanges: Starch 1,Vegetable 1,Lean Meat 3.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
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how-tos
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Most versions of chicken noodle soup aren't in dire need of a makeover, though we did come across one with heavy cream and a cup of Parmesan when we were researching this book. It is however undeniably comfort food for many (especially sick) people and so we had to include it. And we were able to give it a little makeover--whole-wheat egg noodles as opposed to regular add fiber and nutrients and the reduced-sodium chicken broth cuts the sodium. By all means use homemade chicken broth if you have it.
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