ArkMex Venison Chili

By Kayb • February 1, 2012 • 0 Comments

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Author Notes: This does not purport to be authentic Mexican chile, or Tex-Mex, or Cincinatti chili, or chili particular to any given locale; it is authenticaly MY chili, and as I don't measure much when I make it, you're on your own when it comes to spice levels. This one makes a medium spicy chili, which most chili-heads would call a seriously mild chili. It will warm your belly and your soul, and send all kinds of good flavors wafting through your house, and is pretty much heaven with a grilled cheese sandwich. - Kayb

Makes a bunch

2 pounds ground venison (or grass-fed ground beef)
1/2 pound pork sausage
2 cans diced tomatos
1 can diced tomatos with green chiles (mild) (Ro-Tel, or similar)
2 cans red or black beans, drained and rinsed, or 1/2 bag dry beans, soaked
1 12-oz bottle dark beer (I use Guinness, but YMMV)
4 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
2 chipotles in adobo, minced
1 large yellow onion, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 pinch cayenne, to taste
1-4 cup beef broth
olive oil
salt and pepper

Brown and crumble the sausage; drain with a slotted spoon and transfer to a slow-cooker or Dutch oven. reserving fat.
Brown and crumble venison in sausage fat. If there's not enough sausage fat, add a little olive oil. Drain with a slotted spoon and add to sausage.
Saute onion in same pan, adding more olive oil if needed. When onion is soft and translucent and beginning to brown, add minced chipotle and garlic.
While that is going on, add tomatos, green chile tomatos, and beans to the meat. Pour in a bottle of beer.
Dump onions/garlic/chipotle mixture, with oil, into Dutch oven with meat and tomatos and beans.
Add spices. Stir, and depending on your personal taste as to how thick you like your chili, and on whether you use dry beans or canned, add beef broth.
Simmer for two or three hours. Taste and add seasonings and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to simmer over very low heat until you're ready to eat -- can be another hour, can be 6.
Serve with a grilled cheese sandwich. Condiments, should you require any, can be grated cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, cilantro, and/or raw onion. And beer. Lots and lots of beer. Football is also good.