Texas Style Venison Chili

There may be no other food with more regional variation than chili. Some chili has beans, while other recipes would never include them. Cooking styles and ingredients vary all over the country. In the Midwest, you will find chili made with ground meat, tomato, and likely beans. Around Cincinnati and northern Kentucky, they make it with cinnamon and serve it over spaghetti noodles.

Perhaps no other recipe varies as much geographically as chili, but the folks down in Texas are quick to point out that theirs is the original. Images by author.

But Texans will tell you in no uncertain terms that their version of chili is the original, and is still the best. You won’t find beans, or tomatoes, or ground meat in Texas chili. What you will find are tender chunks of meat, flavored with several pepper varieties, onion, and cumin. We make a Texas chili with venison trim, stew meat if you will, and it’s pretty good if I do say so myself.

This recipe is the perfect way to use trimmed meat left after butchering your big game.

For the peppers, I like to use a combination of seeded dried Chile de Arbol peppers that I have rehydrated in boiling water and then chopped; roasted Hatch green chile, diced; and one or two chipotle peppers in adobo sauce that I have diced up. The latter adds a nice smoky flavor.

Texas chili gets its flavor from peppers, in this case a mix of dried Chile de Arbol, Hatch green chile, and chipotle in adobo sauce.

Seasoning comes from ground cumin and chili powder. Look for a blend of chili powders. If you can’t find a blend, just use equal parts dark, light, and ancho powders combined.

Look for a blended chili powder with two or three different varieties for maximum flavor.

Start by trimming away any fat and connective tissue from the venison pieces. Salt and pepper the pieces, then toss in flour to lightly cover. The flour coating adds flavor to the finished dish and helps thicken the broth.

Coat the meat lightly in flour.

Brown the venison in batches in a dutch oven or heavy pot. Don’t overcrowd the pan. You want hot lard or vegetable oil to sear the surface of the meat.

Brown the venison in batches.

Don’t worry about cooking it all the way through, as it will continue to cook as the chili simmers. Brown each batch and move to a bowl while you continue to cook the remaining venison.

Once all of the meat is browned and removed from the pot, add the onion to the remaining oil and sauté until translucent and tender. If you don't have oil left in the skillet after the venison, add a tablespoon or two before adding the onion. Sauté the onion until it is soft and translucent. Scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pan for extra flavor. Once the onions are soft, return the venison to the pot. Add the garlic. While you cook the venison and onion, pour some boiling water over the dried peppers that have been stemmed and de-seeded.

Remove the seeds and stems from the dried peppers.

Let them soak until they become soft and tender. Chop the soft peppers into a fine paste. Go ahead and chop the chipotle as well.

Chop the chipotle peppers into a fine dice.

Add all three types of the peppers, and stir to blend.

Add the peppers to the venison and onion.

Pour in the stock and add the cumin and one tablespoon of chili powder.

Add the cumin and half the chili powder.

Let the chili simmer for 45 minutes to an hour or until the venison is tender. Check for seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste, then add additional chili powder, if desired.

Simmer the chili until the meat is tender.

If you prefer thicker chili, blend in the masa flour, a little at a time, until the chili reaches your desired thickness.

Heat some of your favorite tortillas in a pan.

I like to serve this one topped with some shredded cheese, along with warm tortillas for a full meal.

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