Savory Slow Cooker Bison Stew

1. Heat the fat of your choice in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. If you are using fresh herbs, add them to the oil now to release their flavor. Once they are fragrant, remove them and add them to your slow cooker. 
2. Pat dry the bison cubes and season generously with salt and pepper. Brown in small batches, adding the browned meat to the slow cooker as you finish. This step is not a necessary one if you are in a rush, but if you have time, it adds so much flavor to your stew.
3. If you are using the wine, now is the time to use it to deglaze your pan ant the pour all that goodness over the meat in the slow cooker.
4. Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix evenly over the meat at the bottom of the slow cooker.

Add Vegetables

1. Layer the sliced carrots, diced potatoes, celery, chopped onion, and minced garlic on top of the meat and soup mix.

Seasoning

1. Add Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, dried herbs if you are using them and pepper to taste. Remember that the onion soup mix is already salty, so go easy on the additional salt.

Pour in Broth

1. Pour the beef broth over the ingredients, ensuring that they are fully covered. If you prefer a thicker stew, you can use less broth

Cook

1. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until the bison meat is tender. You can also cook it on high for 3-4 hours, but low and slow usually yields better results.

Optional Thickening

1. If you want a thicker stew, in a small bowl, mix 1 heaping tablespoon of cornstarch with some water. About 30 minutes before serving, stir the cornstarch mixture into the stew. This will help thicken the broth. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serve

1. Once the bison stew is ready and the meat is tender, remove the bay leaves and herb stems if needed
2. Serve hot and enjoy your delicious slow cooker bison stew on its own, or with fresh bread to soak up all that yummy broth