I love it when the Fall season rolls around! It's truly my most favorite time of the year! The leaves on the trees change colors and the temps drop, making me want comfort food. Chili is one of the dishes that I make often times on Halloween to start the season off .
This particular Chili dish has a mixture of Ground Bison & Ground Beef. My husband wanted me to make it a bit different and he thought it would be cool to try it with Bison , so here it is! You have my word that it doesn't taste " Gamey" If your local grocery store doesn't sell ground bison, check with your local butcher. They should have it.
I happen to add a couple things into it to make it a little more rich in flavor, so trust me when you see that I've added ground sweetened Cacao Chocolate, don't freak out ! I promise you, it doesn't make the Chili taste like chocolate. Like I said, Trust Me...
* This recipe makes A LOT of Chili, enough for 8 - 10 people. You can always cut the ingredients in half if needed.
INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbs EVOO
6 Hatch Chilies , diced ( seeds removed)
4 large Garlic Cloves , minced
1 Large Yellow Onion , diced
2 - 3 Large Jalapenos , diced ( remove the seeds if you don't like it spicy) plus 1 extra Jalapeno , sliced for garnish
2 lbs Ground Bison
2 lbs Ground Beef
2 Tbs Tomato Paste
1 14 oz can whole peeled Tomatoes, crush them by hand in a bowl
2 Tbs Sweetened Chocolate Cacao Powder
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Kosher Salt ( add 1/2 tsp more if needed later)
2 tsp Granulated Garlic
3/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
2 tsp Dried Oregano
2 1/2 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 1/2 Tbs Chili Powder
2 Bottles of Beer ( I used Pacifico , it doesn't over take the flavor of the chili)
2 30 oz cans of Pinto Beans
Sour cream, cilantro and shredded cheese for garnish
You should be able to find this sweetened ground chocolate in just about any grocery store around the country. Look in the baking aisle.
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a dutch oven pot ( at least 6 qt size) heat the EVOO on medium low. Add in
Hatch chilies , Jalapenos and Onions and cook until just softened. Then, add the Garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove the veggie mixture and store in a bowl on the counter. Add the Bison, Salt, Pepper and Granulated Garlic in the pot and cook until just browned, making sure to break up the meat as it cooks with a wooden spoon. Making sure to not over cook it. At the same time, cook the Ground Beef in a separate pan until just browned. I say to cook them separately because this is a lot of meat and you don't want it to " boil" in their juices because the pan gets too crowded .Once all the meat is cooked , add the ground beef into the pot with the bison, then add the veggie mixture back into the pot.
Now, add in the Oregano, Cumin, Chili Powder, Cinnamon, powdered Cacao Chocolate and Cayenne to the meat and stir until well combined. Next, add the tomato paste and stir it into the meat mixture until well incorporated. Add the whole tomatoes that you crushed by hand and mix together. Last, pour in the 2 bottles of beer and let the Chili come to low boil, then turn it down and let the mixture simmer for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Stir often so it doesn't stick to the pot or scald on the bottom.
After 2 1/2 hours, add in the Pinto Beans and stir to combine thoroughly. Allow the Chili to cook at least 30 more minutes ( I like it to cook a bit longer) so the beans are heated through and even broken down slightly , which will thicken the chili mixture.
Add your favorite toppings, and enjoy!
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