United States / Bread
Chili con Bambi
This is a recipe for venison chili. It has been made successfully with roe deer, muntjac, and springbok.
Ingredients
- onion, ½ lb, chopped250 g
- garlic, to taste, finely chopped1–5 cloves
- cayenne pepper, to taste1–5 tsp
- paprika or other milder powdered chile, or other milder powdered chile4 tsp
- ground cumin5 tsp
- olive, corn, or sunflower oil, 2 tbsp, or corn or sunflower oil, according to taste30 ml
- minced stewing venison, 1.1 lb, minced (ground); minced lean leftovers from trimming are ideal500 g
- dry cider or beef stock, or dry cider; amount depends on how fast it boils away500 ml
- tomato purée, 4 tbsp60 ml
- carrots, ½ lb, finely grated250 g
- celery, 6 oz, finely chopped150 g
- bay leaves5
- oregano, 2 tbsp30 ml
- dried red kidney beans, ¾ lb, dried, soaked and cooked350 g
- stock cube, optional1
- salt
Quantities are auto-calculated from the original recipe as a guide. Items without numbers (e.g. “to taste”) are not changed.
Method 9 steps
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.
