Bison Prime Rib(less) Soup

If you have leftover prime rib, maybe some mushrooms, wild rice, a bit of sour cream, you can make what is most probably the best tasting soup on the prairie. The usual problem is “Who has leftover bison prime rib?”

This is just too delicious to wait for those special occasions, so a little sous vide time can turn even the toughest cuts into lip-smacking tenderness. (also helps sell those lesser cuts)

Ingredients:
1 lb Bison Prime Rib cooked and diced. (or 2 lbs Bison Chuck roast, raw)
1 cup precooked wild rice (or barley, diced potato, corn, or whatever)
1 lb Mushrooms sliced
1 large onion diced
1 head fresh garlic 
1 cup sour cream
1 tbsp prepared horseradish
3 tbsp prepared mustard (yellow, brown, dijon, spicy… whatever you have)
2 quarts bison stock if you have it.. Water if you don’t.
Fresh Herbs
Fat of some sort, bison, bacon, duck, avocado oil.. to saute vegetables
Salt and Pepper to Taste

If you have leftover bison prime rib, skip straight to step 4… if not, let’s get started.

1. Prepare Chuck.
Rub the roast with a whole bunch of kosher salt, then let it hang out in the fridge for 24 hours to season the meat deeply and draw out some moisture. After it had time in the fridge to sit and think about what it had done, give it a good rubbing with a whole mess of herbs, You don’t need to measure to precisely here, just grab a handful of your favorite fresh herbs—I got sage, rosemary, thyme, marjoram—remove the tender leaves from the stems, saving the stems for stock, and chuck ‘em in the food processor with at least 10 cloves of garlic.

2. Sear the heck out of Chuck
A bit of bison/bacon/duck fat in the bottom of a cast-iron pan smoking hot will help
develop a crust on the meat, and the Malliard reaction will help develop those rich
flavors we are looking for. Get it good and browned, you will appreciate this later.

3. Let's get this tender.
Bag up Chuck in a vac sealer, making sure to remove all the air, and toss in a bath with your sous vide circulator for 24-36 hours at 133F. After a good rest, unbag the roast, pat dry and if you are feeling like going the extra mile for some especially rich flavor, sear that sucker again. (and then deglaze the pan with a bit of red wine, or some brandy, sherry or marsala, don’t waste all that browned goodness, just toss it in your soup pot)
Let meat cool and cut into ½” dice.

for those of you who actually have leftover prime rib, here is where you join us again. 
4. Is it soup yet?
Heat fat in soup pot, saute onion, garlic, mushrooms. When they are browned and tender, add stock, sour cream, mustard, horseradish, rice, and cubed bison. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5-10 minutes. Season with S/P.

Serve with some fresh chopped herbs on top and some good crusty buttery toast.