I’ve only gone deer hunting once and that was 19 years ago. I was a member of a rod and gun club in Virginia back then and I had access to nearly 1200 acres of land that surrounded three 30 acre lakes. Talking to the other members, nobody could remember the last time anyone had deer hunted on the property, so I was on my own and had never deer hunted before.
I had done enough hunting for other things by then, variety of birds, rabbits and squirrels, so hunting wasn’t foreign to me. I knew it would have to be out of a ground blind since my back won’t allow me to be up in a tree for long periods of time.
I was given a muzzle loader, a Kentucky long rifle replica that I learned how to use just for this hunt. I thought it would be an interesting way to go on my first ever deer hunt.
The deer in this part of Virginia are a lot smaller than what I was used to seeing in Northern Illinois. More like a big Great Dane with more meat on it. That too worked to the benefit of my back. I wouldn’t have to haul a ton of meat long distances. Took a long day of sitting before a deer wandered by at the end of the day and presented itself perfectly for me. A clean heart shot and the deer barely ran 30 yards before collapsing. Made it real easy to find.
I remember cooking up the venison in a wide variety of ways including a good chili.
About 5 years later a friend had got a couple of deer here in Illinois and gave me a few pounds of venison. By then I had been collecting venison recipes in the off chance I would get to cook some up again some day. One of the recipes was called Field and Stream Venison Chili. The ingredient list is daunting, but I thought I’d give it a try.
Turned out to be the best chili I’ve ever had. This has such an interesting combination of heat and flavors from the chipotle chilis, honey, molasses and cinnamon to the Guinness and red wine.
I highly recommend giving this a try.
You won’t be disappointed.
Field and Stream Venison Chili
A spicy chili made with venison. (This recipe can also be made with ground beef, turkey, boar etc. if you don’t have access to venison). A sure winner in a chili cook off.
Ingredients
2 pounds of venison
1/4 pound of thick-cut bacon, diced
2 medium yellow onions, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 yellow pepper, seeded and diced
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 of an 8 oz. can of chipotle chili peppers, seeded and chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp. molasses
1 bottle Guinness or other stout beer
1/2 cup of good red wine
1 can of whole plum tomatoes
1 can of crushed tomatoes
2 cans of black beans
chopped cilantro
Directions
1. In large pan, sauté venison until just cooked. Drain and set aside. Cook in batches if necessary to keep from crowding in the pan.
2. In a large heavy-bottom pot, sauté bacon over medium heat until it’s brown and has given up its fat. Remove and set aside.
3. Sauté onions and peppers in the bacon fat, stirring frequently until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and vinegar and cook for two minutes. Add chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, cinnamon and cook, stirring often, for about three minutes. Add venison and bacon. Stir well and cook for one minute.
4. Add honey, molasses, beer, wine and tomatoes. Mix well, bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.
5. Cook at a slow simmer, uncovered, for about an hour and stir frequently. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more chili powder or chipotle chillies if you want more heat.
6. Add beans and cook for another hour, continuing to stir. The chili is done when it’s thick enough to your liking. Garnish with chopped cilantro (optional).
Hope you enjoy it.