Ground Venison Chili

Beef chili browns in its own fat. Venison this lean has none to give, so everything the fat would have done has to be built on purpose: a tablespoon of oil goes in first to stand in for it, the meat browns in two batches so the pan is never crowded, the tomato paste is taken past red to rust, and the lid stays off long enough to concentrate what is left.

Why You'll Love Ground Venison Chili

This is the fast one, and it was built as the chili for Chili Cheese Dogs with Venison Boudin Blanc. That is why there are no beans in it, and why it reduces tight enough to stay on top of a hot dog instead of running off it. Eleven ingredients past the salt, one pan, an hour and ten minutes. If you want the long Sunday pot with bacon, poblano and two kinds of beans, that is Smoky Spicy Venison Chili and it takes nearly two and a half hours.

Tips and Tricks

• Two batches in a wide pan, and let each one sit untouched before you break it up. It will spit and go grey and wet first. Keep going. When the spitting stops and the sizzle turns sharp and dry, the crumbles start catching brown. That sound is the water leaving, and nothing browns until it has.
• Garlic goes in last and comes out fragrant, not brown. The pan has been driven hot to brown lean meat, and garlic scorches in about two minutes.
• The tomato paste is done when it stops looking wet and glossy, goes matte, and leaves a rust-colored film on the bottom of the pan. Take it one shade further and it goes from rust to scorched, and burnt tomato paste does not cook out.
• The chili is ready when a spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a track that stays open for a second before it closes over. Venison is lean enough that no fat will ever rise to the top, so do not wait for it.
• Ten minutes off the heat before you serve it. It comes down from scalding to a temperature you can actually taste.

Variations

• Half a can of black or kidney beans, drained and added with the tomatoes so they take on the spice, plus a splash more stock because they will drink it.
• One minced chipotle in adobo and a teaspoon of the sauce, in with the tomato paste, in place of the cayenne rather than on top of it.
• Pickled red onion and cotija over the top. The onion is the only sharp thing in the bowl.

Substitutions

• Ground venison becomes ground beef or bison. Both render their own fat, so skip the oil and pour the rendered fat off once the meat is browned.
• Fire-roasted crushed tomatoes become plain crushed tomatoes plus another half teaspoon of smoked paprika.
• Beef stock becomes chicken or mushroom stock.

Best Served With

• A split baked potato, or tortilla chips for scooping.
• Buttered cornbread, for the richness this chili does not have.

How to Store Leftovers

Three to four days in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat it low with a splash of stock to loosen it. It freezes for up to two months and thaws overnight in the fridge.

Common Questions

Ground Venison Chili

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A stovetop chili built on lean ground venison, fire-roasted tomatoes, cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika, simmered uncovered until it thickens.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Southwest-Inspired

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1 tbsp neutral oil grapeseed or similar
• 1 lb ground venison
• ½ yellow onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 14 oz fire-roasted crushed tomatoes 1 can
• 1 cup beef stock beef or venison
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp cayenne
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt to taste

Equipment

• wide, heavy pot or Dutch oven
• Measuring spoons
• Chef's knife and cutting board

Method

 

1. Film a wide pan with the oil and get it hot. Venison is lean enough that it will not render anything to cook in, so the oil is doing the job the fat would do in beef.
2. Brown the venison in two batches so it is never crowded, letting each batch sit untouched before you break it up. It will spit and go grey and wet first. Keep going. When the spitting stops and the sizzle turns sharp and dry, the crumbles start catching brown. That sound is the water leaving, and nothing browns until it has.
3. Onion in, 3 minutes, until it loses its bite. Garlic for the last minute only. The pan has been driven hot to brown lean meat and garlic scorches in about two.
4. Tomato paste in, 2 minutes without moving it much, until it darkens and smells sweet rather than raw.
5. Tomatoes, stock, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika and cayenne. Stir and bring to a low simmer.
6. Simmer uncovered 30 to 45 minutes, until a spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a track that stays open for a second before the chili closes over it. Venison is lean enough that no fat will ever rise to the top, so do not wait for it. If it is still loose, keep going with the lid off. Salt to taste at the end.

Notes

For seasoning, I always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you use Morton, use half by volume, or just weigh it.

Make the chili the day before if you can. It is better cold and reheated than it is an hour old.

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