Venison Chili
We had some venison in the freezer that needed to be used up and I didn’t think I could handle just making like, something just meat-ish. Not because I have a problem with eating venison because of what it is, but because the texture is pretty beefy to me and I have a hard time with that.
Call me weird.
I have come to a point in my life where I am totally ok with that.
Anyway, this was a huge hit. Linus, who really doesn’t care for beef at all gobbled this stuff up like he had never eaten before in his life and Jeremiah had two huge helpings of it and kept leaning back in his chair and grunting something like, “Yup, that’s purty good...” I think the venison brought out his inner redneck a tiny bit.
I’m ok with that too.
Ingredients
5 strips bacon, diced
2 1/2 pounds leg or shoulder of venison, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
2 stalks chopped celery
3 garlic cloves crushed
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry red wine
1 14oz can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (16-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 cup beef stock
Salt and pepper
2 14 oz cans black beans, drained
1 cup grated Sonoma Jack cheese
Preparation Instructions
In a large stock pot or dutch oven, fry the bacon until it is nice and crispy and the fat is rendered. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the venison and brown. I cooked mine almost through, because I’m me and I knew I would be eating it. If you’re more the carnivore type you could leave it medium-rare. Once browned, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside with the bacon.
Add the chopped veggies and garlic to the pot and cook until soft, then add the wine, tomato sauce, spices, chopped tomatoes, beef stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 15 minutes, add the beans and cook another 15 minutes. Serve hot with sour cream and cheese and if you like, fresh homemade corn bread and honey butter.
Adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/venison-chili-recipe/index.html
Friday, January 14, 2011
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