ONLINE EXTRA — WILD GAME CHILI: Venison Red Chili . . . Venison and Elk Texas-Style Chili . . . Dynamite Chili, etc.

Venison Red Chili

10 each dried pasilla and ancho chilies

3 yellow onions, diced

3 red bell peppers, diced

¼ cup olive oil

5 pounds ground venison

¼ cup chopped garlic (about 10 cloves)

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons ground coriander

3 tablespoons hot paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon cumin

1 cup tomato paste

Kosher salt to taste

Diced red onions, sour cream and corn chips for serving

Remove stems and seeds from the dried chilies. Soak in very hot water 15 to 30 minutes while cooking the other ingredients.

In a very large soup pot, saute onions and bell peppers in olive oil over high heat, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add venison, using a fork or spoon to break up the meat into fine pieces. Continue cooking until most of the pink is gone from the meat, 10 to 12 minutes. Add garlic, white pepper, black pepper, coriander, paprika, cayenne and cumin. Stir to blend completely and cook 1 to 2 minutes.

Drain the chilies and discard the water. In a blender puree the chilies with additional 2 cups water until the chilies are completely smooth. Add chili puree and tomato paste. Stir thoroughly.

Add 2 more cups of water and simmer 15 to 20 minutes over low heat. Adjust the consistency with more water. Season to taste with kosher salt.

Yield: Serves 10.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 428 calories, 27 percent of calories from fat, 13 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 193 milligrams cholesterol, 22 grams carbohydrates, 57 grams protein, 334 milligrams sodium, 7 grams dietary fiber.

Venison and Elk Texas-Style Chili

1½ pounds venison loin

1½ pounds elk loin

1 carrot, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped garlic, divided

2 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped

2 cups red wine

3 dried ancho chilies

3 dried pasilla chilies

1 or 2 dried chili de arbol (optional)

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 pinch salt

4 plum tomatoes, diced

3 cups vegetable juice (such as V-8 juice)

1 ½ tablespoons lime juice

Lime wedges, for garnish

Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Finely chopped yellow onion, for garnish

Place venison and elk in a casserole dish just big enough to the hold the meat or a large self-sealing plastic bag. Add carrot, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 chopped onion and wine. Cover; refrigerate for 48 hours, turning meat occasionally.

Drain meat, reserving wine. Discard vegetables.

Dice venison and elk into ¾-inch pieces. Place a nonstick skillet over high heat (or use a regular pan coated with nonstick cooking spray or a little vegetable oil). Add meat; cook, stirring, until browned on all sides. Remove meat from pan. Add remaining onion and remaining 1 tablespoon teaspoon garlic to pan; cook, stirring, until onion is transparent. Add wine; cook until it evaporates. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Remove seeds and stems from chilies. Add chilies to boiling water; cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Reserve 1 cup water, then drain chilies.

Combine reserved 1 cup water and chilies in a blender; process until pureed. Pour puree into the large pot. Add meat, cooked onion mixture, sugar, salt, tomatoes, vegetable juice and lime juice. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer; cook until meat is tender, about 45 minutes.

To serve, garnish with lime, cilantro and onions.

Yield: Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 260 calories, 4.5 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 16 percent of calories from fat, 119 milligrams cholesterol, 41 grams protein, 13 grams carbohydrates, 6.5 grams sugar, 3 grams fiber, 371 milligrams sodium, 36 milligrams calcium, 846 milligrams potassium.

Note: Venison, elk and dried chili peppers are available at natural food shops and online (use a search engine to access companies that sell venison and elk. The loin can be sent overnight by Federal Express).

Dynamite Chili

FOR SPICE MIX:

1 tablespoon mild chili powder

1 tablespoon paprika

½ tablespoon cayenne

½ tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

FOR THE CHILI:

¼ cup vegetable oil

3 pounds very lean stew beef, cut into 1-inch cubes or smaller

2 cups chopped onion, Vidalia or another sweet onion preferred

3 tablespoons spice mix, or more to taste

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 bay leaves

1 12-ounce can beer

1 13¾-ounce can beef broth

2 tablespoons cornmeal

Prepare the spice mix. In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, paprika, cayenne, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.

Prepare the chili. Heat oil in a high-sided skillet or Dutch oven until almost smoking. Brown the meat in 2 or 3 batches. Spoon each batch into a colander set over a bowl. Do not drain off fat in the skillet. Lower heat and add onion to the skillet. Cook until soft but not brown. Add 3 tablespoons of the spice mix, garlic and bay leaves and stir for about a minute.

Pour in beer, beef broth and 1 cup water. Return meat to skillet. Bring liquid to a boil while scraping the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to loosen bits of meat from the surface. Turn down heat. When liquid barely bubbles, cover partially with a lid. Cook for 1½ hours, stirring from time to time. If chili boils, lower heat. Stir in cornmeal and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Remove cooked chili from the heat, cool and refrigerate.

Reheat chili and taste. If desired, add some or all of remaining spice mixture and offer some or all of the following condiments at the table: warm red kidney beans, chopped onions or scallions, chopped green pepper (hot, sweet or both), hot pepper sauce, grated cheddar cheese, sour cream and a bowl of regular-size Fritos. Pour well-chilled beer or Champagne.

Note: Those who feel the need to tinker with the basic recipe might consider adding a tablespoon of cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon each celery salt and Worcestershire sauce and ½ teaspoon mustard powder while reheating the chili.

Yield: Serves 6.

Venison Chili

5 pounds venison (2 pounds ground, 3 pounds chopped)

2 pounds Spanish onions, chopped

1 28-ounce can tomatoes, crushed

1 can tomato paste

1 green pepper, diced

2 cups venison stock (beef stock can be used)

6 garlic cloves, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

2 cups red kidney beans, cooked

6 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon oregano

3 tablespoons cooking oil

Crushed Italian red-hot pepper to taste

Heat oil to hot in large cooking pot, add garlic. Two minutes later, add venison and brown. Add onions, green pepper and celery; cook until onions are translucent. Add all other ingredients except beans; cook four hours over low heat. Add beans during last 15 minutes of cooking time. Use shredded sharp Cheddar cheese and thin sliced Spanish onion for garnish.

Emeril Lagasse’s Venison Chili

4 strips bacon, diced

2½ pounds leg or shoulder of venison, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped green bell peppers

2 garlic cloves crushed

1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry red wine

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 16-ounce can chopped tomatoes

1 cup beef stock

Salt and pepper

1 cup grated Sonoma Jack cheese

In a large saucepan, cook the bacon until the fat is rendered, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the bacon using a slotted spoon and transfer to paper-lined plate to drain. Add the venison to the hot oil in the pan and cook, stirring occasionally and in batches if necessary, until well seared. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onions, bell peppers and garlic and saute over medium-low heat until tender. Stir in the wine and the tomato paste. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the dry spices, chopped tomatoes and the beef stock. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the sauce is very thick and flavorful. Add the venison to the pot and cook, stirring, until just cooked through and hot, 3 to 4 minutes. Check the seasoning and serve with the grated cheese.

Texas Venison Chili

2 pounds coarsely ground venison

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large green pepper, cut in strips

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons sugar

3½ cups whole tomatoes

1 cup tomato sauce

1 cup water

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups kidney beans

Brown venison in vegetable oil. Add onions, garlic, and green pepper. Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chili powder, sugar, tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and salt. Simmer 1½ hours. Just before serving, add kidney beans.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8.

Mexican-Style Venison Chili

½ pound ground pork sausage

2 pounds venison, cubed

2 medium onions, chopped

1 medium bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons chili powder or to desired taste

1 tablespoon salt

2 15-ounce cans kidney beans

1 quart water

1/8 teaspoon red pepper, if desired

1 teaspoon paprika

Brown pork sausage and venison in large saucepan on simmer. Remove sausage and venison from saucepan. Saute onions and bell pepper. Add sausage and venison; then add remaining ingredients and enough water to cover. Simmer for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Add remaining water as needed.

Coors Spicy Chili

2 strips bacon

2 pounds. venison or beef chunk, diced

2 12-ounce cans Coors beer

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon dried oregano, crushed

1 tablespoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon cornmeal or Masa Harina

Cooked pinto beans

In large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp; drain, reserving drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside. In drippings brown meat. Add next 6 ingredients and one teaspoon salt. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.

Combine cornmeal and ¼ cup water. Stir into hot mixture; add crumbled bacon. Return to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer covered, 15 minutes. Serve with beans.

Yield: Serves 8.

The Best Venison Chili

2 pounds ground venison

2 15-ounce cans kidney beans, drained

2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained

2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes

2 medium onions, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce

1 teaspoon salt

Saute onions and garlic in a pan over medium heat. Add ground venison and brown. Add spices to mixture and transfer to crockpot. Place remaining ingredients in crockpot. Stir. Cook on low 8 to 10 hours or high 4 to 6 hours.

Yield: Serves 4.

Dutch Oven Venison Chili

1 pound venison burger

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 onion, chopped

½ green pepper, chopped

½ teaspoons chili powder (more or less to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon sugar

3 cups chopped tomatoes (or a 12-ounce can)

½ cup sliced mushrooms (or a 4-ounce can)

1 1-pound can kidney beans

Set the Dutch oven over hot coals and heat for 10 minutes. Add oil when the Dutch oven is hot and sauté the onion and green pepper. Add burger and brown. Add salt, pepper and chili powder to taste. Mix in sugar and tomatoes. Cover the Dutch oven and regulate the heat so the mixture simmers. Cook slowly for 45 minutes. Add kidney beans and mushrooms, simmer another 15 minutes and serve.

Smoky Venison Chili

½ pound good, smoky bacon chopped into ¼-inch to ½-inch chunks

½ pound good, smoke-cured ham, cut into ½-inch to 1-inch chunks

2 pounds ground venison

5 stalks celery, chopped

2 large onions, chopped

8 cloves garlic, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 potatoes chopped

8 to 12 ounces Schlenkerla Rauchbier (Bavarian smoked beer), or substitute with dark porter or stout

1 cup beef broth

6 fresh jalapenos, roughly chopped (leave in the seeds for hotter chili)

Optional: 2 fresh habanero peppers, finely chopped (for very hot chili)

1 14.5-ounce can of tomatoes, chopped or diced

1 15.5-ounce can of dark red kidney beans (they must be dark red beans or they’ll lose their color)

1 7-ounce can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

2 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil

Frank’s Red Hot, to taste (optional)

Worcestershire sauce, to taste (optional)

FOR SPICE MIXTURE:

3 tablespoons cumin

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon smoked paprika (or substitute with regular paprika)

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, or to taste

8 to 12 juniper berries, crushed

Mix the spices and store in an airtight container until ready to use. Chop celery, onion, garlic and bell pepper and set aside in a large bowl. Chop potato and set aside in another bowl.

Fry chopped bacon in a 13-inch skillet or 3- to 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spoon and set aside in a large bowl. Brown chopped ham in bacon fat. Remove with slotted spoon, and set aside with bacon. Brown ground venison in bacon fat, breaking it up while it cooks. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside with ham and bacon. Venison will soak up most of the bacon fat, so add some vegetable oil to the skillet, and fry potatoes until lightly browned. Remove potatoes and add to bowl with meat.

Add vegetables to the skillet (with a little more oil) and saute until lightly browned (about 10 minutes). Add beer and beef broth to the vegetables, and return all meat and potatoes to the skillet. Add jalapenos and/or optional habaneros. Mix very, very well while slowly adding all the spice mixture until it’s well incorporated. Mixture should turn an attractive reddish-brown color. Cover and simmer on low heat 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (if mixture starts to look too dry, add a bit more beer or beef broth).

Then add canned tomatoes with juice, dark red beans with juice and chipotle peppers with adobo sauce. Mix well.

Simmer for another 15 to 20 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add optional ingredients, such as Frank’s Red Hot or Worcestershire sauce, if desired.

Yield: Serves 8 to 12.

Not-Too-Spicy Venison Chili

1 cup peanut oil, split into 2 ½-cup portions

3 pounds venison shoulder, cut into ¾-inch cubes

1 green pepper, diced

2 cups diced red onion

3 celery stalks, diced

3 jalapenos, diced (keep the seeds for more heat or ditch them for less)

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup chili powder

2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons ground coriander

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons ground cayenne

2 tablespoons ground chipotle

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups chicken stock

1 bottle beer (your favorite beer is best)

1 small can chipotle peppers, pureed

2 cups cooked black beans

1 16-ounce can peeled and diced tomatoes

Start by taking a 12 cup of the oil in a large saucepan and heat over medium-high. Add the venison and brown, in batches, and set aside. Add pepper, onion, celery, jalapeno, and garlic and saute over a low heat until they are tender.

Add the remaining oil, all of the dry spices and the venison and stir, completely incorporating the ingredients. Add the stock, beer, beans, tomatoes, and chipotle puree.

Reduce heat and cover and simmer for 2 to 3 hours or until venison is fork tender. Check for seasoning and serve. Toss a little bit of shredded cheddar or raw diced onions on top if you want to make it look fancier. If not, just toss in a spoon and start eating.

Venison Chili with Apples

2 tablespoons olive oil

1¼ pounds venison stew meat, trimmed, roughly ground or cut into small dice

2 medium yellow onions

3 Granny Smith (or other tart) apples

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1½ cups chopped canned tomatoes in juice

¼ cup tomato paste

1 cup or more chicken broth

½ cup red wine

Grated Cheddar cheese

Chopped scallions

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a stockpot large enough to hold all the ingredients. Add onions, sweat a few minutes, then add venison. Brown about 5 minutes.

While the meat is browning, peel, core and cut apples into ½-inch dice. Add the apples, cumin, chili powder, garlic, jalapenos, salt and pepper to the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes longer.

Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock and red wine. Bring to a boil. Simmer, partially covered, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, adding more broth if the mixture becomes dry. Taste to adjust seasonings and serve, garnishing with Cheddar cheese and scallions.

Yield: Serves 4.

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