Venison Chili

We’ve come to associate chili with beef, but the earliest forms of this soul-warming stew were almost certainly made with venison and other native species well before Europeans brought cattle to the Americas. 4 dried ancho chiles, stems and

seeds removed, torn into pieces 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce 1 tablespoon neutral-flavored oil 2 pounds venison, coarsely ground

or finely diced

1 teaspoon salt

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 jalapeños, stems and seeds

removed, diced

1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 tablespoon cornmeal (optional) Instructions:

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Turn off the heat and add the torn ancho pieces. Cover the pan and let the chiles soak for 15 minutes. To a blender, add the anchos and their water plus the chipotle and about a teaspoon of adobo sauce and blend until very smooth. Add water, as needed, to bring the volume to 4 cups. Set the chile sauce aside.

Heat the oil in a 4-quart pot over a medium-high flame. Add the venison and salt to the pot and brown the meat thoroughly. Add the onion, garlic and jalapeño to the pot with the meat and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the cumin, oregano, coriander, can of tomatoes and chile sauce. Add water as needed, up to 2 cups, to give the chili a slightly thinned consistency.

Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover and let the chili cook, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed, until the venison is tender, about 1 1⁄2-2 hours.

If a thicker chili is desired, stir the cornmeal into 2 tablespoons of water and add to the chili. Let that cook for another 10-15 minutes until thickened. Makes 6 servings Per serving:

217 calories, 4 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 394 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugar, 35 g protein