Plateau and Great Basin · A modern braise inspired by documented regional game and fruit foods
Food history and kitchen connections
Public NPS accounts identify game and berries among Great Basin foods, and deer and elk within Shoshone-Bannock seasonal food history. These are broad ingredient connections, not a written ancestral recipe for this stew. Purchased venison and cultivated plums keep the preparation grounded in a modern grocery kitchen.
Lean stew meat needs moist, patient cooking. Dried pitted plums soften into the broth and bring sweetness without requiring a sugary sauce. Add the roots after the meat begins to yield so they retain some shape. A heavy covered pot limits evaporation, but oven temperatures and lid fit vary; inspect the liquid occasionally and add hot water if needed. The dish should finish with tender meat and a spoonable broth, rather than a dry coating of fruit around tough pieces.
Modern adaptation: Original modern stew with inspected purchased venison, cultivated roots, and commercial prunes. It does not give hunting, home curing, drying, or wild-fruit identification instructions and is not a tribal recipe reconstruction.
Cook it today
Yield: 4 bowls · Prep 20 min · Cook 150 min (approximate)
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds purchased venison stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 carrots, cut into thick pieces
- 2 cultivated turnips, peeled and cubed
- 1/2 cup pitted prunes, halved
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Method
- Heat the oven to 325°F. Pat venison dry. Warm oil in a heavy ovenproof pot over medium-high heat and brown the meat in two batches, moving browned pieces to a clean plate.
- Cook onion in the pot for 5 minutes. Add broth, water, thyme, and salt. Scrape up browned bits and return meat with its juices. Cover, bring to a simmer, and transfer to the oven for 90 minutes.
- Add carrots, turnips, and prunes. Cover and cook 40 to 60 minutes more, checking that liquid remains around the ingredients. The roots should be soft and the meat easy to separate with a fork.
- Whole-cut venison must reach at least 145°F with a 3-minute rest; braising for tenderness will normally take it higher. Stir in vinegar and taste before adjusting salt.
Substitutions
Beef chuck is a practical modern alternative. Dried pitted apricots replace prunes but create a sharper fruit flavor; use no pits or unknown gathered fruit.
Serving
Serve with plain cooked grain or a small portion of mashed roots. The fruit is integrated into the broth, so additional sweet sauce is unnecessary.
Storage
Refrigerate in shallow containers within 2 hours for up to 3 days. Reheat to 165°F. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Sources and evidence notes
- Historic Tribes of the Great Basin: National Park Service: Broad regional food context; does not attribute this modern recipe to a particular nation.
- Shoshone-Bannock History: Craters of the Moon: Public NPS account of seasonal Shoshone-Bannock food resources; ingredients only.
These original modern recipes are inspired by documented ingredients and food traditions. They are not recovered ancient recipes or claims of tribal endorsement. Sources support the historical context; quantities, combinations, substitutions and appliance methods are modern.