re: #268 lawhawk

Yes, I definitely should say: Include a hunk of salt pork fat in there with it. Or duck fat.

So basically you’ve got your

Bison
Spice mix described above
Salt (saltpeter optional, in my opinion, unless you’re really preserving it)
Fat, about two ounces per pound of bison.
Water
I normally throw a beer in because, hey, beer.

So step one: heat up the fat and render it a bit— doesn’t have to be a full render.

Step two: Pound the fat into the bison. This is fun.

Step three: Put the bison into the water in a sealable container (I use big plastic buckets). Weight the bison so it stays under, or just wedge it.

Step four: Add the salt to the water directly, put the spices in a cheesecloth bag and suspend them in the water.

Step five: Refrigerate it for three weeks.

Step six: Take out and soak it in cold water for an hour. Do this several times depending on how much salt you used. I normally do three.

Step seven: Soak again overnight in cold water.

Step eight: Cook low and slow. I tend to cook it in very-diluted wine, something not too aggressive, or in a light beer. You can use just water, in which case you’ll want to use more spice above, probably. I generally simmer covered for three to four hours, depending on how much Bison, at the lowest possible simmer.