Southwestern Venison Chili

Courtesy Cody at wayfindersgalley.com

Chili and hunting season go hand in hand.  If fall itself doesn’t spark the crave, the often cold days that accompany late season definitely will.  What better way to counter a day in the cold outdoors than a warm bowl of chili!? To keep from seeming like we eat the “same old thing”, I like to change it up a bit every now and then.  With a southwestern twist, this recipe is a great alternative to the standard bowl of chili.

A couple of years ago, one of my friends was able to let an arrow fly on a muley while we were trying to fill some OTC archery elk tags in Southern Colorado. He was kind enough to share some of his harvest and wanting to let the region that the food came from shine through, I decided to use some of the ground venison for Southwestern Venison Chili. Toss some Fritos and/or grilled cheese in the mix after a day of hunting and you just might set yourself up for a slumber worthy of waking up and doing it all over again!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb Venison
  • 2 tbsp diced green chiles
  • 1 poblano, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 can of corn
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 can dark kidney beans
  • 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 packet of chili seasoning*
  • 1/2 packet of taco seasoning*

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Brown the meat over medium heat. Sprinkle some of the chili seasoning* over the meat if you wish. (Tip) Use a Dutch oven or pot to brown the meat and then just add the remainder of ingredients to help reduce the number of dishes used.
  2. Strain and press the can of corn by pouring it into a strainer and pushing with your hand until you remove as much liquid as possible. You want to press firmly, but not hard enough to mash the kernels.
  3. Place a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, dump the corn. After the corn is slightly browned and starts to resemble the smell of popcorn, add the chopped onion. Stir regularly until the onions are softened, but not quite fully caramelized. Careful not to burn.
  4. Chop the poblano bell pepper, and onion. If you’re using fresh garlic, mince it. You can buy the garlic already minced though (click here).
  5. Return to the dutch oven. Add the corn, onions, green chiles, poblano, bell pepper, beans, tomatoes, garlic, seasonings, and black pepper and mix well. Top with water and broth and bring to a boil. (Optional – ditch the water and just use 2 cups of broth).
  6. Add the tomato paste, reduce heat to low, and cover. Allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes.

NOTES

* I use Flavor God Taco Tuesday and Everything seasoning in this one!

NUTRITION INFORMATION:

YIELD: 8 SERVING SIZE: 1
Amount Per Serving: CALORIES: 199TOTAL FAT: 5gSATURATED FAT: 2gTRANS FAT: 0gUNSATURATED FAT: 2gCHOLESTEROL: 55mgSODIUM: 484mgCARBOHYDRATES: 15gFIBER: 3gSUGAR: 3gPROTEIN: 23g

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