Venison Chuck Wagon Chili

A staple in the diets of early cowboys and pioneers, chili played a considerable role in the founding of our great American West. It's hot, spicy, and filling, making it the perfect grub for days of killer saddle sores and unrelenting cattle drives. This recipe makes a lot of chili, so make sure you have good company to share it with. 

Yep. Chili. That's how the West was won.

Servings: 12
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground venison
- 1 lb diced venison
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 tsp. dried crushed red pepper
- 1 tsp. garlic salt; salt, to taste
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

- 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

- 5 tbs. chili powder

- 2 cans of red beans (15 oz each)

- 2 cans of refried beans (15 oz each)

- 1 cup of water

- 1 can diced tomato (14.5 oz)

- 1 can of tomato sauce (8 oz)

- 2 tbs. molasses  
- Shredded mozzarella, for sprinkling
- Cornbread, a must!

 1. Trim and remove silver skin from 1 lb of venison stew meat and cut into small bite-sized pieces.  

2. In a large pot, heat up 1 tsp. olive oil and add in the chopped onions. 

3. Once the onions soften, add the stew meat and the ground venison and brown. While the meat browns, break up the ground venison with your spoon to prevent large chunks.

4. Once meat browns, stir in the re-fried beans and red beans, liquid and all. You don't have to cook the venison all the way through before adding the beans. It will continue to cook later.

5. Stir in the crushed red pepper, garlic salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and chili powder.

 6. Stir in the cans of chopped tomato and tomato sauce. Add water and salt to taste.

 7. Then the molasses. Cover and simmer on low for one hour. If after the hour you still think the chili is too thin, take off the lid and continue to cook until thickened. Or you can do this before the hour is up. 


8. Ladle chili in serving bowls and sprinkle shredded mozzarella on top. Enjoy with some corn bread and coffee.


Mr. Gingerbread Man had an accident.... :-)