Passalacqua Winery

Venison Chili con Carne

Chili con Carne is always worth the wait. Recipe courtesy of Rikki Folger.
Check out her site, Wild and Foraged, to see what else she's up to.

Serving Size: 4 servings
Time to make: 4 hours
Special Equipment: Dutch Oven
Also works with: Elk, Antelope, Beef

Ingredients

2 lbs vension stew meat, cubed
1 tbsp Harvesting Nature Big Game Seasoning
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 yellow onion, diced
2 tbsp avocado oil
3 cloves garlic, rough chopped
1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp dried basil
2 cans black beans (14.5 oz each)
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 dried chipotle peppers, smashed
4 cups venison stock (can use beef stock)
Kosher salt, to taste
Toppings: Cilantro, Serrano pepper, sliced Avocado, Lime wedges, White Rice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat avocado oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Season meat with Big Game Seasoning and salt and sear until brown. Meat will not be fully cooked or tender at this point. Remove meat from and set aside.
Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. You can add more avocado oil if needed.
Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add diced tomatoes, black beans, cumin, oregano, chili powder, basil, black pepper and dried chipotle pepper to the pot and stir well. Let that cook for 2 minutes.
Add venison stock and mix well.
Place the pot, with the lid on, in the oven and cook for 3 hours.
After 3 hours check to see if the meat is tender. If not, cook for 30 minutes more and check again.
Once fully tender, remove from oven and serve.

How I served mine:
I served my Chili con Carne over white rice and topped with sliced avocado, sour cream and cilantro. You could also add sliced jalapenos, salsa or tortilla chips.

Other Variations:
This chili is spicy! To tone it down, just add less chili powder. I used sour cream and avocados to combat the spicy flavors. This recipe can be used for all sorts of wild game. Just be sure to use chicken or vegetable stock if cooking with game birds or pork!