Caribou Stew

Caribou stew is a traditional stew and a specialty of Nunavut cuisine. The stew is usually made with a combination of boneless caribou (wild North American reindeer) cubes, onions, celery, red wine, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme, potatoes, carrots, turnips, beef stock, oil, salt, and pepper. The celery and onions are cooked in oil with some flour. The caribou meat is seasoned and browned in oil, then placed into the other pan with water, stock, wine, bay leaves, tomato paste, and thyme. The mixture is brought to a boil and it's then simmered for about two hours over low heat. Later on, the potatoes, carrots, and turnips are added to the stew and it's simmered until everything is tender. It's recommended to serve caribou stew with bannock on the side. If caribou is unavailable, it can be replaced by elk, venison, or beef.