Venison Chili
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Venison Chili
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| Servings |
| 10servings |
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Ingredients
- 1lb dried beans — Optional (see notes). Pinto, black, red, or well rinsed canned beans. If canned, ~ 1 can per lb of meat
- 2.5lb venison — diced (smaller than stew, about 1/2 inch)
- 1lb chorizo
- 1 large onion, diced & lightly salted
- 8cloves garlic, diced
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16chilis
mix of dried chilis. (3 or 4 types) — examples:
mild: Guajillo, Mulato (Poblano), Pasilla Negro, Ancho, Cascabel, New Mexican, Pasilla de Oaxaca.
Hot: Chipotle
Hotter: Cayenne, Japones, Habanero - 1/2can Chipotles in adobo — Optional. If looking for heat, try a whole can for each 3.5 lbs meat.
- 1Tbsp chipotle powder — optional. Skip if using Chipotles in adobo, or if you had chipotles in your mix of dried chilis.
- 2Tbsp smoked paprika
- 2Tbsp ground cumin — toast and grind whole seeds if convenient
- 1Tbsp ground coriander — toast and grind whole seeds if convenient
- 3Tbsp tomato paste
- 2cups diced fresh tomatoes — canned is fine too
- 1cup coffee
- 3Tbsp molasses
- 1qt Stock — venison or beef. Chicken in a pinch. Or water if you don’t have stock handy.
- 3chunks glace de viande (red meat glaze) — optional. Preferably venison or beef.
- 2tsp salt — More to taste at end only.
- Optional garnish & accompaniments — Click here for some ideas
Instructions
- If using dry beans (not canned) soak beans in water or stock overnight. For same-day, pour boiling water over beans and soak for 4 hours, changing the water after 2 hours.
- Rinse the chilis to clean. Break up and seed the chiles (wear gloves if they’re hot) Cover with boiling water and let stand an hour.
- Dice the meat into roughly half inch cubes (smaller than stew meat).
- Add half the salt to the venison and mix.
- Use a blender, immersion blender or food processor to puree rehydrated peppers and chipotles in adobo to the consistency of gravy, adding the coffee and enough of the pepper soaking water to achieve that consistency.
- Fry chorizo over medium heat until browned. Set aside.
- Brown venison quickly over high heat and set aside. Do batches small enough not to crowd the pan. watch carefully but don’t stir constantly — let some good browning happen.
- Reduce heat to medium and add onion to the pot. Cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Return chorizo and venison to the pot.
- If you soaked dry beans, drain and add them now. If canned, hold off.
- Stir in paprika, cumin, coriander, chipotle powder and remaining salt.
- Add chile puree, tomato paste and half the diced tomatoes. Stir to combine well.
- Add the molasses and stock and mix. Should be fairly thin. Simmer slowly, partially covered with lid. Stir occasionally. Cook until reduced to a thick consistency — about 3 hours.
- If using canned beans, rinse and add them now.
- Add the remaining half of the diced tomatoes and stir. Simmer 10 more minutes.
- Serve with optional garnishes or accompaniments.
Recipe Notes
For uses where the chili is an ingredient rather than the main dish (like chili dogs or omelets) consider using ground instead of diced meat. Maybe even omitting the beans.
Some folks (::cough:: Texans ::cough::) feel beans are an affront to proper chili. I enjoy it both ways.