Chili (with an “i” when you’re talking about the beef-based stew and the powder, with an “e” when you’re talking about the green stew and the spicy vegetable), can be made from any ground meat, but we like bison for its leanness and clean flavor. Coarse-ground sirloin “beefs” up the texture. From Kristen Browning-Blas, serves 8.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon bacon fat or canola oil
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chili powder (look for the packets in the Mexican aisle, not the jars in the spice section)
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 pound ground bison
1 pound coarse-ground sirloin
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (we like Muir Glen Fire-Roasted)
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
2 cups beef broth
Directions
Heat bacon fat and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, pepper, chili powder, cumin, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook until onions soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook about 30 seconds more.
Remove from pan, add 1 tablespoon more oil and turn up to medium-high. When oil is hot, add sirloin and brown. Remove and add bison. When bison is no longer pink, return onions and sirloin to pot. Stir in remaining salt and lower to a simmer.
Stir in tomatoes and juice, tomato paste and beef broth. Cook at least 45 minutes more (keep warm in a slow cooker if you like). Make it super: Grind the cumin seeds and add 1 tablespoon Amore Sun-Dried Tomato Paste for a richer flavor.
