Chipotle Bison Chili
Description
You’ll need your largest pot and a lengthy list of ingredients but this wonderful chili, sourced by Karen Anderson in, ‘Eat Alberta First’, is worth the time! Plus, leftovers and/or an extra meal or 2 for your freezer are guaranteed. I adjusted a few of the amounts and shortened a couple of instructions to make my life easier, and my 14 quart stock pot was full – enjoy!
Ingredients
2 lbs. bison roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 lbs. extra-lean ground bison
1/4 c. (31 g) flour AND 2 t. kosher salt AND 2 t. freshly ground pepper
4 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 large onions AND 3 large stalks of celery, all cleaned and diced
1 EACH orange, green AND yellow peppers, cleaned and diced
2 T. minced garlic
2 chipotle peppers in adobo, diced (I used half of a 212 mL can)
1/4 c. chili powder AND 1 T. cumin
1 t. EACH oregano AND cinnamon
2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped (with skins), I used about 2 cups of halved cherry tomatoes
2 cans (796 mL) diced, fire roasted tomatoes
1 can (540 mL) EACH red kidney beans, pinto beans AND black beans, all rinsed and drained
1 package (500 g) frozen spinach – this can be added frozen
1 can (156 mL) tomato paste
1/2 c. EACH chopped (packed) fresh parsley AND basil
1 c. chopped (packed) cilantro
1 large can (1.89L) V-8 juice
1/4 c. molasses AND 2 T. hot sauce (I used Valentina)
1/4 c. freshly squeezed lime juice (usually 1 large or 2 small limes)
topping ideas – sour cream, guacamole or avocado slices, pickled red onions, lime slices, grated cheese
Instructions
Prep all of your ingredients, read the recipe carefully and make a plan for how you’re going to cook this really large pot of terrific chili.
Place the flour, salt and pepper in to a heavy Ziploc bag, add the cubed bison, zip the bag and give it a really good shake. Heat up a splash of oil (I used avocado oil) in your largest stock pot (mine was 14 quarts) over medium-high heat and add in about half of the bison cubes. Toss and fry and coat and leave alone for a couple of minutes at a time so that most of the sides get browned. They don’t need to be done through as they will cook more later. Remove the cubes to a plate as they get crisped up and repeat with the second half of the bison roast. Once all cubes are browned and removed to a plate, immediately add in the ground bison and stir and cook for several minutes until most of the pink is gone and a lot of it is golden brown. Chop it up as it’s cooking and do your best to scrape up the floured salt and pepper bits. Remove the browned ground bison to the same plate/bowl as the cubed bison and add another splash of oil to your pot.
Cook the carrots, onions, celery and peppers for several minutes over medium heat until softened, then add in the garlic, stir for a quick minute until you can really smell it, then stir in the chipotle peppers. Sprinkle in the chili powder, cumin, oregano and cinnamon, stir well, then stir in the diced fresh tomatoes until they’ve softened up a titch and use their juices to scrape up any bits that may have stuck to the bottom of the pot. Carefully add in all of the waiting browned bison, along with all juices that have accumulated. Stir well, your pot will be almost half full.
Add in the canned tomatoes, all of the beans, the (frozen) spinach, tomato paste, parsley, basil and cilantro and mix well. Pour in all of the V-8 and bring this new mix to a simmer.
Once all is stirred and at a simmer, lower the heat and add in the molasses, hot sauce and lime juice. Leave the pot at a low simmer for 2 to 3 hours, checking on it regularly and giving it a good stir. You want the bison to be tender and the consistency to thicken up. Mine was a little loose after 2 hours, but I turned it off and let it sit for a couple of hours (so I could remove and freeze 2 large dinners), and it thickened up as it rested. Taste for seasonings and adjust at any time but remember that the flavors will change as it sits, and the garnishes will also add some punch. Serve hot with garnishes, and/or biscuits or cornbread and while this chili is really filling on it’s own, it also goes very well over rice or mashed potatoes.
