Chili con Bambi
| Meat recipes | Game | Venison | Chili con carne | Texas cuisine
Ingredients
- 250 g (½ lb) chopped onion
- 1–5 cloves garlic (to taste), finely chopped
- 1–5 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
- 4 tsp paprika or other milder powdered chile
- 5 tsp ground cumin
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive, corn, or sunflower oil (according to taste)
- 500 g (1.1 lb) minced (ground) stewing venison (minced lean leftovers from trimming are ideal)
- 500 ml dry cider or beef stock (how much you will need depends on how fast it boils away)
- 60 ml (4 tbsp) tomato purée
- 250 g (½ lb) finely-grated carrots
- 150 g (6 oz) finely-chopped celery
- 5 bay leaves
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) oregano
- 350 g (¾ lb) dried red kidney beans, soaked and cooked
- 1 stock cube (optional)
- Salt
Instructions
- Sauté the onions, chiles, and garlic in the oil until well softened.
- Add the powdered spices and cook for about 60 seconds.
- Add the venison and stir well until it has all (more or less) changed colour.
- Add sufficient dry cider or stock to cover, but not too deeply.
- Add the stock cube (only if you are using cider), bay leaves, chopped celery, grated carrot and tomato purée, and stir well.
- Simmer very gently for at least 3 hours, stirring occasionally and replenishing the liquid (with more cider/wine/stock or just water) if it gets too dry. The ideal is to have the sauce with little separate liquid when it is served - but not dry enough to scorch. It may be simmered on top of the stove, or in a very low oven, or in a slow cooker. The sauce is edible after about 40 minutes but is infinitely better flavoured and textured after 3 or 4 hours.
- About 30–40 minutes before serving remove the bay leaves, add the oregano and the beans and stir well.
- Adjust the salt as needed, stir well, and cook for another 40 minutes.
- Serve with long-grain rice, or however else you like to serve chili.