Three Bean, Corn and Red Deer Chili
I really like chili and I have discovered that I particularly like it with game meats. I love the contrast of the heat from the cayenne, the smell of cumin and the richness of the game. I made a batch a couple of weeks ago with what was labeled at the supermarket as "stewing lamb". The lamb flavor is vaguely game-like and I really liked the texture of the cubes of lamb versus the ground beef or turkey normally used in chili.
Eating the lamb creation left me wondering what it would be like if I did the same thing but used some sort of venison chuck-oid cut instead. I even figured that if I grilled the venison first (vs. browning in the pan) I could get it a solid smokey flavor. When I went to the butcher all they had was minced (French for ground) Red Deer (French for venison), so I used that. It came out well but clearly I couldn't grill chop meat. Also, because the venison is so lean I had to use a little extra oil during browning to keep it from just burning to the pot.
As for the recipe, I use the very complicated formula on the back of the Old El Paso Chili Seasoning package with, as always, a couple exceptions that up the flavor and the veggie content.
1. Skip the tomato sauce, I think it makes the whole thing too sweet
2. When adding the chopped tomatoes, add a second can of whole tomatoes and some beer
3. Use a packet and a half of seasoning
4. Let the tomato, meat, seasoning and beer mixture simmer for 30 to 45 minutes to help develop slightly deeper flavor and thicken it up a bit
5. Use two to three cans of beans (vs. the one the pack calls for) and expand beyond kidney. I like black eyed and chickpeas. Sometimes you can find all three kinds in one melange can
6. Add a can of corn with the beans. Its good and adds a little extra texture.
