Water buffalo. Yes, I cooked with water buffalo. Not gonna lie, I didn’t really realize this was a protein you could buy. It sounds very Oregon Trail. But over the summer a stall at the farmer’s market was selling it packaged as stew meat and I decided to give it a go.
When it comes to stew, it’s all about low and slow, so I whipped out the crock pot. I know stew typically has tons of root veggies, with potatoes incorporated as the built-in starch or base; however, we don’t usually mess with those ingredients. I focused more on making the broth super flavorful so it would be great poured over a stuffed pasta.
Place the cubes of water buffalo onto the slow cooker with a sliced onion. Make a broth by using packaged stock or Better Than Bouillon – at least a cup, depending on how much meat you’re cooking – and stirring in a large squeeze of Dijon, some agave, and a hefty sprinkle of thyme. Add the broth to the crock pot and cook on high for 3.5 hours. With about 30 minutes left, pull out some of the broth and mix with corn starch to make a slurry that you’ll then pour back into the slow cooker.
Serve with agnolotti (with parm and butter on top) and rainbow chard. All the components of the meal work well separately, but they’re also great when layered together. If you’re like me and love the idea of stew – especially in this weather – but don’t really get all that excited about the traditional flavors or carrot/potato vibe, this is a great update.
Peaches to Apples 