Winter’s here, no doubt, and with the possibility of some even nastier weather hitting this week it’s not a bad idea to whip up some venison chili.
A hearty bowl of chili, some crusty garlic bread or cornbread, and whatever spicy hot sauce you may want to add … mmmm, mmmm. That does sound pretty darn good.
Here are three of our favorite chili recipes that have been among the most popular we’ve gotten feedback about. They’re easy, good and should hit the spot. The first is fromWest Virginia deer hunter and attorney Stephen Burchett. Enjoy!
World’s Absolute Best Venison Chili
2-4 lbs ground venison
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 bunches green onions diced
1 Teaspoon of each: Crushed red pepper, black pepper, ancho pepper, chipolte pepper and cayenne pepper
1-2 tablespoons cumin
4 Cans diced tomatoes
2 Cans chicken broth
1 tablespoon of each: Cocoa, Cinnamon
1 can chopped green chiles
¼ Cup of each: vinegar, brown sugar
2 Cans of Great Northern Beans or Black-Eyed Peas
Juice two limes
One bunch fresh cilantro chopped
White rice
Condiments: Sour cream, grated cheese, hot sauce.
Heat oil in very large pot at medium-low. Saute onion 10 minutes. Add venison, increase heat and cook through. (It helps to cover pot to cook venison). Add peppers, cumin, chocolate, cinnamon, tomatoes and chicken broth. Simmer on low 60-90 minutes. Add beans, lime juice, chopped green chilies, cilantro, vinegar and brown sugar and heat through. Serve over white rice with choice of toppings. Keeps very well in refrigerator.
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Stacy Harris of Alabama is a mother, cook, homeschooler and loves the outdoors. She’s authored three books and has done a DVD, and still is running full speed! Check out her venison chili recipe that has a few extra kicks of flavor.
Stacy Harris’ Easy Venison Chili
1 16-ounce can of tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chili in adobe sauce
5 slices bacon, finely chopped
4 pounds venison stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Pepper and Kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeno chili, seeded and chopped
1 can kidney beans
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 & 1/2 teaspoon oregano
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons yellow corn muffin mix
In a food processor, place tomatoes and chipotle chili and puree until smooth (This should only take about 10 seconds). In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towel. Leave the fat in the pan.
Pat venison dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat the fat until smoking hot. Brown half of the venison. (Do not crowd the pan or the meat will steam instead of brown). This should take about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to bowl and repeat.
Add the olive oil, onions, and jalapeño to Dutch oven and cook for about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in kidney beans, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic.
Cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, tomato mixture and brown sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Uncover and simmer for about 30 minutes longer.
Ladle 1 cup chili liquid into medium-sized bowl and stir in yellow corn muffin mix. Whisk mixture into chili and simmer until chili thickens. Check seasonings. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or cheese.
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David Rainer is an old pal, former newspaper outdoors editor in Mobile, and now works for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. We’ve chased a few fish and deer over the years and he’s pretty good in the kitchen, too.
Here’s one of Rainer’sfavorite recipes for Venison Chili and, just like him, it’s straightforward and doesn’t come with fluffy pretense. Good stuff. Give it a try.
Big Dave’s Venison Chili
¼ cup olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
4 large onions, chopped
2 large green peppers, chopped (optional)
4 pounds ground venison
3-4 cans diced tomatoes
2 6-ounce cans of tomato paste
4 16-ounce cans of kidney beans
1/4-1/3 cup chili powder
1-3 dashes of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon liquid crab boil (my secret ingredient)
1 tablespoon salt
1-3 dashes of garlic salt
2-3 bay leaves
Heat olive oil in large stock pot with heavy bottom and sauté garlic, onions and pepper until tender. Add venison and brown for 10 minutes over medium heat. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, kidney beans, chili powder, cayenne pepper, crab boil and salt and garlic salt. Mix together and then add bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 2-3 hours. Serves 10-12.
