Venison Chili

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This is the universally favorite way to prepare venison. Venison is quite lean yet very flavorful. It makes a wonderful chili that doesn’t have a fatty flavor. The slow cooking, chiles, and seasonings tremove any wild taste the meat might have. It freezes beautifully, so double the recipe and freeze a batch for another evening meal. Substitute elk if you wish.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1 ½ pounds coarsely ground venison

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped onions

  • 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic

  • ½ cup cooked, coarsely chopped bacon

  • 3 small jalapeño chiles, seeds and stems removed, finely chopped

  • 2 tablespoons ground New Mexican red chile

  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin

  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1 12-ounce can beer, dark preferred

  • 1 12-ounce can tomato paste

  • 1 16-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Instructions

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and brown the venison. Add the onions, garlic, and cooked bacon. Stir in the peppers, chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt.

Add the beer, tomato paste, and stir in the drained beans. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to prevent burning and to combine flavors. Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer the mixture for 20 to 30 minutes.

Southwestern Stuffed Red Bell Peppers with an Attitude

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The attitude comes from the green chiles–they definitely add the spice and heat for this otherwise ordinary dish. I like to stuff a small wedge of jalapeño Monterey jack cheese into the center of the pepper just before it’s finished cooking. That adds even more “attitude”!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef

  • 1 cup chopped onion

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce

  • ½ cup chopped green chiles

  • 1 cup cooked rice

  • 1/8 teaspoon cumin powder

  • ½ teaspoon ground thyme

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground savory

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 5 large red bell peppers, stems and seeds removed, roasted over flames, skins removed

  • 5 small wedges of jalapeño Monterey jack cheese

Instructions

Brown the beef in a large skillet. Add the onion and the garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Drain or blot off excess grease. Add one can of the tomato sauce, green chiles, rice, cumin, thyme, savory, salt, and pepper to the sauteed meat mixture and mix well.

Stuff the meat mixture into the bell peppers. Place the stuffed peppers in a shallow glass baking pan, so they are all stacked against each other and won’t fall over. Pour the second can of tomato sauce into the pan. Add enough water to bring the liquid depth up to ½ inch. Tent the peppers with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven, basting the tops of the peppers with the tomato sauce base.

Add a wedge of the cheese into the center of each pepper when they are almost finished baking.

Charcoal-Grilled Fruit for Dessert

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“Mixed Grill. Cut fruit of choice in half, remove core and seeds or pits, and arrange in a hinged grill. Squeeze a lemon over the surfaces; sprinkle with sugar and a dash of ground cinnamon and grill quickly until just hot. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle a little brandy or sweet liqueur over all.” –Maggie Waldron

Ingredients

Suggested Fruits for Grilling

  • Banana–Sliced in half lengthwise

  • Mango–1/2 inch thick slices

  • Orange–Single sections

  • Papaya–1/2 inch thick slices

  • Peach–1/2 inch thick slices

  • Pear–1/2 inch thick slices

  • Pineapple–1/2 inch thick rings

  • Strawberry–Sliced in half

Instructions

 

Red Chile Sauce from Powder

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This is a basic recipe that can be used interchangeably with any of the mild red chile powders. (If this sauce were made from some of the hotter powders such as piquin, it would be too hot to eat!) Adjust the amount of powder to change the pungency of the sauce.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 3 to 4 tablespoons New Mexican red chile powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

  • 3 cups chicken stock or water

  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • In a pan, heat the oil and saute the onions and garlic until they are slightly browned. Add the flour and continue to cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until the flour is browned, being careful that it does not burn.

    Stir in the chile powder and cumin and heat for a couple of minutes.

    Add the broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the desired consistency is obtained. Salt to taste.

    Variation:  For a smoother sauce, either puree the onion and garlic or substitute 1 teaspoon onion powder and 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder and add along with the chile powder.

    Red Chile Sauce from Pods

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    This basic sauce can be used in a variety of Southwestern dishes that call for a red sauce, as well as in place of ketchup when making salad dressings and other dishes. Other large dried chiles such as guajillo, pasilla, or ancho chiles can be added or substituted. This sauce will keep up to one week in the refrigerator, or you can freeze it.

    Ingredients

    • 12 dried whole red New Mexican chiles

    • 1 large onion, chopped

    • 3 cloves garlic, chopped

    • 3 cups water

    Instructions

    Place the chiles on a baking pan and put in a 250° oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the chiles smell like they are toasted, being careful not to let them burn. Remove the stems and seeds and crumble the pods into a saucepan.

    Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the chiles are soft.

    Puree the mixture in a blender or a food processor and strain. If the sauce is too thin, place it back on the stove and simmer until it is reduced to the desired consistency.